MTV is bringing back Cribs for the Snapchat set. Launched in 2000, the show that asked “who lives in a crib like this?” will now be reduced to a short-form series exclusively for the popular messaging app.
Get ready to see a host of pop stars and celebs take over Cribs by snapping their way through their luxury pads using a smartphone, capturing the action in Snapchat’s very own vertical video aspect ratio.
Known for its peek into the homes of the rich and famous, Cribs notably produced a few infamous moments, which MTV will no doubt hope to recapture with its Snapchat reboot. Who can forget Mariah Carey’s odd tour of her New York penthouse, which solidified her uber-diva status and showed her unforeseen penchant for taking baths onscreen. It may sound sexy, but the hourlong episode felt more like a car-crash — but, needless to say, it made for great television.
The best Cribs experiences, however, had a more natural vibe. Take the episode that took us on a hilarious jaunt of hip-hop artist Redman’s dilapidated house, which was home to an unmade bed and his extensive collection of porn videos — and not much else. Chances are the rapper hadn’t received the royalty checks from his guest slot on Christina Aguilera’s Dirrty at the time of filming.
Thanks to Snapchat, the celebs themselves will be able to take over the action on the retooled version of Cribs, speaking directly to the camera, and providing fans with a more “intimate” experience, reports Variety. A number of guests have already been lined up for the show’s comeback, including Mac Miller, Austin Mahone, and Travis Mills. The show will begin broadcasting on MTV’s Discover channel, starting in June.
This isn’t the first time MTV has let artists take over its Snapchat. Recently, it handed over the reins to its account to rapper A$AP Ferg, for a behind-the-scenes tour of his performance at South by Southwest.
In other, more traditional MTV news, the channel is promising to put the “music” back into its television strategy, with the announcement of a slate of new programming, as it looks to “reignite” its brand. Its ongoing Snapchat push, on the other hand, will likely continue to target its core millennial demographic.
