‘Behind the Music,’ ‘Yo! MTV Raps,’ ‘Unplugged’ Franchises Resurrected as Streaming Series for Paramount Plus

Chris Willman

24 February 2021 at 5:38 pm·2-min read

The Paramount Plus digital service will soon have a vintage MTV Networks look to some of its offerings, as the MTV series “Unplugged” and “Yo! MTV Raps” and VH1’s venerable “Behind the Music” are all set to be revived as streaming offerings, it was announced Wednesday afternoon.

A new music-based unscripted show is on tap from Paramount Plus as well: “From Cradle to Stage,” which will be directed by Foo Fighters’ and Nirvana’s Dave Grohl and be hosted by the rocker and his mom. The series is based on Virginia Hanlon Grohl’s book “From Cradle to Stage: Stories from the Mothers Who Rocked and Raised Rock Stars” and will feature a different musician and the woman who raised him on each of its six episodes.

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The musical components of the Paramount Plus slate were announced by ViacomCBS during its streaming event presentation, with MTV Entertainment Group president Chris McCarthy doing the unveiling of the three returning and one new series.

“Yo! MTV Raps” originally aired on MTV from 1988–95. “MTV Unplugged” has been on and off the cable network — mostly off, in recent years — since 1989. “Behind the Music” ran on VH1 from 1997 through 2014.

“We are thrilled to re-invent some of our most storied and impactful music franchises, including ‘Behind the Music’ and ‘Yo! MTV Raps,’ for Paramount Plus,” said Bruce Gilmer, ViacomCBS’ president of music, music talent, programming and events. “In addition, we will partner with some of the biggest names across the music industry to bring exclusive and unique content to the platform,” he added, promising more new unscripted shows along the lines of the Grohls’ were in the offing.

No dates have been announced for the launch of the four series.

The rebranding of CBS All Access as Paramount Plus will take place in the U.S. March 4, with an expansion to international markets later in 2021. When it kicks off, the streaming service will be online at ParamountPlus.com and via iOS and Android apps, among other platforms.

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