MTV Airs Marathon Weekend of RETROMTV: THE REAL WORLD Today

To kick off the explosive premiere of MTV's "The Real World: Portland" airing on Wednesday, March 27 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, the newtork will take fans on a trip down memory lane and introduce a whole new generation to the pioneer of reality TV when the RETROMTV: The Real World marathon weekend begins tonight, March 22 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The marathon weekend will feature the entire first, third and twelfth seasons of the series ranging from the groundbreaking New York season to the emotional and awe-inspiring San Francisco cast all the way to the salacious sin-city scandals that happened the first time in Vegas. Additionally, viewers will get exclusive sneak peeks from the new season of "The Real World: Portland" and hear insider commentary from MTV's own Snooki, Nikki Glaser and Sara Schaefer, numerous comedians, Real World alums and Challenge veterans on their favorite and most memorable "Real World" moments that have solidified the series as a pop culture staple.

The Real World: New York - Airs Friday, March 22 at 8:00 p.m.

In 1992, the first season of "The Real World" spawned a new era of television by launching the modern reality TV genre with its fresh documentary/soap opera formula. Seven diverse young people moved into a New York apartment in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. All seven pursued their own dreams in the big city--a model, a dancer, a writer, a rapper, a rock singer, an artist, and a singer--we witnessed their triumphs and failures. A flirtation developed between two of the roommates Eric and Julie, gay cast member Norman embarked on a serious relationship, and racial tensions heated up between Kevin and the roomies. The series' first vacation blurred the lines between cast and crew when one of the directors ended up in bed with a cast member and went from behind the scenes to an on camera boyfriend.

The Real World: Las Vegas - Airs Saturday, March 23 at 2:00 p.m.

"The Real World's" drama-packed 12th season was set in the world's most infamous and decadent destination playground, Las Vegas. Marking a break with tradition, the season's seven strangers found their new home in a spectacular three-bedroom high-roller penthouse suite in Las Vegas' hippest luxury hotel, the Palms Resort and Casino. With the desert fun-zone of Las Vegas as their 24-seven stage, the cast embarked on a sexy five-month journey, which included two cast romances--Steven and Trishelle and Alton and Irulan. The Palms Resort and Casino, in addition to being their home base, also employed this season's seven with jobs as club promoters. The cast also had the opportunity to gain new perspective on one another on a thrilling international vacation to Australia.

The Real World: San Francisco - Airs Sunday, March 24 at 8:00 a.m.

Season 3 of "The Real World," based in San Francisco is one of the most recognizable seasons and catapulted into the national spotlight because of cast member Pedro's battle with AIDS/HIV during the season. For the first time, the majority of the cast members came from places other than the city in which they were to live. With four out of the seven members from outside the Bay Area, finding jobs became a major task for the housemates. Romance was also a huge issue throughout the season, resulting in engagements for two of the seven strangers. And of course, who could forget that lovable (or not-so-lovable) Puck, who got tossed out of the house.

To cap off the "RetroMTV: The Real World" marathon, tune in to an all new season of "The Real World: Portland" on March 27 at 10:00 p.m. In the premiere, seven strangers move into their Portland loft and amidst some initial flirtation, animosity sets in between the sexes, culminating with one roommate exploding when the boys bring girls home. It's only the beginning of what is sure to be the most explosive season yet.

Can't get enough of "The Real World: Portland?" Coming soon, MTV.com will reveal exclusive Spycam videos from inside the house and "Meet the Cast" videos. Beginning, March 27^th, fans will have access to full episodes and sneak peeks. Sound off on Twitter and Facebook with the official 'Real World' hashtag #realworld and on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/realworld.

About MTV:

MTV is the world's premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy, Grammy and Peabody award-winning content Built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. MTV's sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online HUB MTV.com is a leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

About Bunim/Murray Productions:

Bunim/Murray Productions is the leading producer of innovative entertainment content. The Emmy Award-winning company is widely credited with creating the reality television genre with its hit series The Real World (28 seasons for MTV). BMP continued to innovate with the first reality game show, Road Rules (MTV), in 1995; the first reality sitcom, The Simple Life (E!), in 2003; and the first reality soap opera, Starting Over, in 2003. Bunim-Murray's current programming includes The Bad Girls Club, Love Games and Best Ink (Oxygen), Keeping up with the Kardashians, Kim and Kourtney Take Miami and Mrs. Eastwood & Company (E!), The Real World and The Challenge (MTV), and Project Runway and Project Runway All Stars (Lifetime). Bunim/Murray Productions has also produced films, including Pedro (MTV) and the Emmy Award-winning Autism: The Musical(HBO). Based in Van Nuys, CA, Bunim/Murray Productions was founded in 1987 by Jonathan Murray and the late Mary-Ellis Bunim, who were inducted into the Television Academy of Arts & Science's Hall of Fame in 2012. The company joined Banijay Group in 2010.

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