Quebec Music Video Channel MusiquePlus Is Returning for a One-Night Only TV Special
The upcoming special 'MusiquePlus en Rappel' will look back on the history of the iconic Francophone station as well as featuring performances from contemporary artists like Naomi, Soran and Aswell.
MusiquePlus en Rappel
A classic Quebec channel will be brought back to life this September, for a one-night-only celebration.
MusiquePlus, the Francophone counterpart to MuchMusic, is returning in the form of an upcoming hour-long TV special, MusiquePlus en Rappel, which is set to air this fall.
The channel, originally broadcast from 1986 to 2019, shone a spotlight on music videos and rising Canadian talent. The Bell Media special produced by Zone3 will look back on the station's heyday, as well as featuring performances from contemporary musicians like singers Naomi and Soran and hip hop artist Aswell.
Bringing back the format of MusiquePlus' old showcase, Artistes du mois, or Artists of the Month, the special will be filmed at Montreal's Société des arts technologiques in August and hosted by TV and social media star Chloée Deblois. Fans can sign-up to attend the live filming.
Like its English Canada counterpart MuchMusic, MusiquePlus was founded by Moses Znaimer, alongside Pierre Marchand, and is now owned by Bell Media. MusiquePlus officially stopped broadcasting in 2019 when it was rebranded as Elle Fictions.
Though music video channels like MusiquePlus and MuchMusic are no longer staples of pop culture, the nostalgia for them has a strong pull.
The MusiquePlus revival follows the 2023 documentary focusing on MuchMusic, 299 Queen Street West, which saw packed screenings in Toronto and Montreal last fall (the latter of which counted former MusiquePlus host Sonia Benezra in attendance). That documentary was also set to air on Crave, before it was removed from the Bell Media streamer's schedule amidst a copyright dispute related to music footage.
MuchMusic has had its own next-generation revival as a Bell Media TikTok channel. Both formative and influential parts of the Canadian music industry over the last few decades, there is clearly life left in MuchMusic and MusiquePlus.
MusiquePlus en Rappel will debut on Crave, Noovoo and Noovoo.ca on September 3 at 8 pm EST.
Aya NakamuraMarion Gomez/Billboard France