Launched in February of 2016, Viceland is a television network owned by Vice Media, that is geared towards millennials and providing them with a different approach from the basic and traditional types of television networks. While also aiming to attract millennials back to watching TV. Even though there’s a large population of millennials, there are very few networks that actually target these viewers; which often lead young adults to gradually abandon TV and head for other digital media outlets such as, Netflix and Youtube. Shane Smith, the CEO and founder of Vice, said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter,
“We’re going to come along and we’re going to disrupt everything, and everyone’s going to say I’m the f—ing devil himself; and then 12 months from now we’ll be on the cover of Time Magazine as the guys who brought millennials back to TV. That’s how it f—ing works.”
In November 2015, A&E Networks announced that Vice Media would replace the channel- H2 (the history channel spin-off) which upset some long-time viewers of the channel.
R.I.P H2, you have been killed by a manure-pit of a “channel” known as #VICELAND #bringbackh2 #ViceLandSucks
— Don (@djr71782) March 1, 2016
@AENetworks Viceland sucks. Please bring back H2. Millions of baby boomers shunned for a few Millennials. The reason your mail box is full.
— Don Hill (@kualacolt) March 2, 2016
But many seem to disagree and think that Viceland is what is truly needed to bring back millennials to TV and even attracting older viewers.
I love everything #ViceLand represents! Talking about the subjects that the mainstream TV is afraid to talk about! #KeepOnKeepingOn
— ☆Frankie.E☆ (@cisc076) January 5, 2017
My parents are in their 50’s and they absolutely love the @VICELAND programming. They watch it all the time!
— Courtney Donovan (@CourtneyUnplugd) April 3, 2016
But why is Viceland so special?
Viceland features it all; late night comedies (Desus and Mero), food shows (Huang’s World), music shows (Noisey) to even a show about the effects of weed and drugs (Weediquette) and (Hamiltions Pharmacopeia), which makes the network so unique. Yes, it screams “Millennials” but it is more than just that, it is an eye-opening, informative network that highlights issues and topics on a global scale that would otherwise be ignored by your basic run of the mill TV networks.
In Gaycation, Ellen Page and Ian Daniel travel around the world and visit countries such as; Japan, Jamaica, Brazil, India, and even the Deep South of The United States; to explore and give awareness to LGBTQ cultures that are often bypassed by American society. Watch Season Two of Gaycation here: https://www.viceland.com/en_us/show/gaycation
The program Noisey, hosted by Zach Goldbaum, explores different cultures and music scenes from dancehall and reggae in Jamaica, baile funk in São Paulo, grime in London, drill music and Rap in Chicago, and lastly Rap and Hip-Hop in Detriot and Compton. Along with embracing the different music cultures, Zach also emphasizes problems such as crimes that are sometimes associated with these popular music scenes. Watch Season Two of Noisey on Tuesdays at 10 p.m and Season One here: https://www.viceland.com/en_us/show/noisey-tv
In F*ck, That’s Delicious, rapper and chef Action Bronson take us on a culinary adventure to destinations like; Italy, New York City, Jamaica, Paris, Sydney, and Morocco along with his friends, Big body Bes, Mayhem Lauren and The Alchemist. Traveling to some of his favorite food stops and meeting new people and their food cultures along the way. Watch Season Two of F*ck, That’s Delicious here: https://www.viceland.com/en_us/show/fck-thats-delicious
In Weediquette, Krishna Andavolu documents the culture, economics, and the impact from legalization and the decriminalization of Cannabis, medically and recreationally. In previous episodes, Krishna talks to the family of a child who uses medical marijuana to help treat cancer. He meets veterans who use the plant to help their PTSD and visits a rehab where Cannabis is used as a form of rehabilitation. Krishna also travels to Congo to observe how the production and marketing of weed are used as a way of living for many and brings awareness to the harsh treatment of offenders, with charges brought to them by the possession of Marijuana. Watch Season Two of Weediquette here: https://www.viceland.com/en_us/show/weediquette-id
As you can tell from the above examples of the programs that Viceland has to offer, they obviously are not timid to grab controversy by the balls. Even though it still has its flaws, such as its lack of diversity in hosts, Viceland still has time to improve and become a very powerful and successful network for hopefully decades to come. Here is the link to how and where to watch Viceland: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/how-to-watch-viceland. If you do not have cable, Viceland offers many free episodes on their website; therefore, there’s no reason not to check out this fantastic network.
