MusiquePlus was created in 1986 as French Canada's answer to MTV, a launch pad for newcomers in the province's music scene and a venue for the crossroads of entertainment, politics and cultural discussion. Then-Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe responds to a Musique Plus reporter during a television interview in Montreal, Wednesday Jan. 18, 2006. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
Quebec’s popular music video TV channel MusiquePlus is returning to the airwaves for a one-night-only celebration.
Bell Media says plans are underway to resurrect the Montreal-based channel for a prime time event that reflects on its legacy while celebrating a new generation of homegrown musical talent.
“MusiquePlus en Rappel” will be taped next month at Montreal’s Society for Arts and Technology with a standing-only live studio audience meant to help evoke the channel’s heyday.
The special will air Sept. 3 at 8 p.m. ET on Crave, Noovoo and Noovoo.ca.
During the show, Quebec TV personality Chloée Deblois will take viewers down memory lane with guest appearances and nods to past MusiquePlus segments, including Artists of the Month, a showcase of local talent.
The performers include pop singer Soran, R&B musician Naomi and hip-hop artist Aswell.
MusiquePlus was created in 1986 as French Canada’s answer to MTV, serving as a launch pad for new artists and home for the province’s music scene. Over the years, it fostered a studio space for the crossroads of entertainment, politics and cultural discussion.
The channel was co-founded by Pierre Marchand and Canadian TV pioneer Moses Znaimer, who years earlier established MuchMusic as English Canada’s music station.
MusiquePlus ceased to broadcast in 2019 when it was rebranded as female-skewing specialty channel Elle Fictions.
In the announcement for the MusqiuePlus special, Bell says viewers interested in joining the live Montreal studio audience on Aug. 16 can register here.
Fondness for Canada’s long-gone music video channels has reached notable heights in recent months.
Last fall, the MuchMusic documentary “299 Queen Street West” went on a cross-country screening tour before a planned debut on Crave was scrapped for what Bell Media described as a “scheduling change.”
Representatives for the company say there are no updates on the fate of that documentary.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2024.
