'A trip down memory lane': New documentary highlights history of MuchMusic

Rick Campanelli had been a fan of MuchMusic for a decade when he entered and won the MuchTemp contest in 1994 and earned the name Rick the Temp.

The former VJ had just graduated from university, with plans of becoming a gym teacher.

“I was about to teach kids how to throw a basketball through a hoop,” said Campanelli.

“I was going down that road and then I won this contest and I’m now going down this road over here.”

Campanelli says he spent two weeks in his parents’ basement working on his contest entry. When he found out he was the winner, he knew his life was about to change.

“I knew I was a part of something big.”

With shows like MuchOnDemand, Electric Circus, Rap City, and Intimate and Interactive, MuchMusic changed the Canadian entertainment landscape.

“It was a big ticket event and a big ticket TV station to tune into for pop culture, music and everything,” recalls Campanelli.

“As a teenager in the 80s, growing up in Hamilton, it was my go-to. It was my go-to watching Erica (Ehm), Steve Anthony, Michael Williams, Master T, Christopher Ward, they all paved the way for us VJs that came after them.”

A file photo of the MuchMusic building, located at 299 Queen Street West. (Source: 299 Queen Street West - The MuchMusic Experience Tour/Facebook)

As a music lover and a fan of MuchMusic, Campanelli says he was excited for his new career, but it took awhile before he was comfortable on camera.

“I was so bad and so uncomfortable, lacked confidence, that took a lot of time and I’m glad they didn’t throw me out right away. They let me blossom. They saw something in me, thank goodness,” he said.

Campanelli says he wasn’t the only VJ the company took a chance on.

“That’s the beauty of MuchMusic, they saw something in the VJs, because Erica Ehm, the same way, she was answering phones and they gave her a shot.”

Former MuchMusic VJs are pictured at the premiere of the documentary "299 Queen Street West" at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto. From left to right - Rick Campanelli, Denise Donlon, Steve Anthony, Sook-Yin Lee, Sean Menard, Erica Ehm, Michael Williams, Monika Deol, and Bill Welychka. (Source: 299 Queen Street West - The MuchMusic Experience Tour/Facebook)

"299 Queen Street West" is a new film that documents the history of the 24-hour music channel, which launched in the summer of 1984 during the emergence of the music video era.

“It takes you right back to the beginning. You learn so much, all the way up to the very heartbreaking end, when it all came crumbling down. But nothing lasts forever, all good things come to an end, but the whole story is told in this brilliant two-hour film,” he said.

Sean Menard, who is known for his film “The Carter Effect,” a documentary about former NBA star Vince Carter, directed “299 Queen Street West”. Campanelli says he was the best person to tell the story.

“You really do take a trip down memory lane when you see this film,” he said.

Wednesday night’s screening in Halifax was Campanelli’s sixth time watching the film.

“I picked up little things that didn’t occur to me each previous time I’ve screened the film. You laugh, you cry.”

The film, which is currently screening in select theatres across Canada, will be streaming on Crave in December.