Who Created The 120 Minutes Archive and When?

Updated

The 120 Minutes Archive was created by altmusictv, an independent project that has been running since 2003. It is not affiliated with MTV or with Dave Kendall, who created and hosted the original 120 Minutes show. The archive's purpose is to preserve the legacy of that show — its playlists, videos, interviews, and performances — across its various MTV and MTV2 iterations from 1986 to 2013.

The Archive vs. the Show: Two Different Things

This distinction matters because the names overlap and the roles are easy to confuse.

The 120 Minutes Archive MTV's 120 Minutes
Who altmusictv (independent project) Dave Kendall (creator and host, late '80s–early '90s)
What A fan-built library of episode playlists and videos The original TV show
When Since 2003 1986–2003 on MTV; later iterations on MTV2 through 2013
Status Active, volunteer-supported Ended; Subterranean succeeded it (2003–2011)

Dave Kendall's death was reported in 2026, with the news first announced by Matt Pinfield on July 14. The archive marked his passing on its site — a reminder that the project documents the show's history, but did not create it.

What the Archive Actually Holds

Since 2003, altmusictv has assembled the archive "from scratch" with hundreds of volunteer contributors. According to the site, it now covers:

  • 1,058 episodes of playlists and music videos
  • 27 years of Music Television history
  • 1986 to 2013, spanning the show's iterations on MTV and MTV2
  • Subterranean, its successor series, from 2003 to 2011

In 2026, the project cleared a backlog of submissions and added more than 50 new episode playlists from 1987 to 2000, labeled "New" in the archive. More corrections and missing episodes are still being processed.

Why It Exists

The archive describes itself as "the independent, critically acclaimed, definitive library of music video nostalgia." Its stated goal is to help fans revisit the memories of 27 years of Music Television — "building the soundtrack of our lives." It also maintains a Spotify playlist, 120 minutes into the future, featuring new dark wave, synth, and electronic releases, updated regularly.

If You Want to Dig Deeper

The site's own About the Archive section covers the project's goals, FAQ, press coverage, and contact information. For the show itself, the About 120 Minutes page has the full history, and there are features including Jim Shearer's exit interview with Dave Kendall and Matt Pinfield, plus the 2003 series finale video.