Last December I tol you how MTV finally cracked the Middle East with the premiere of MTV Arabia (see MTV Arabia).

At the time our satellite television company, Orbit didn't carry it.

Luckily Orbit changes the channels every few weeks, and we get it now.

It's a little bizarre, because as soon as I turned it on, I realized that I haven't watched MTV for years. Since Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno was on, actually.

Thus in my mind "The Inferno" is the pinnacle of MTV programming. Actually, if Jonny Mosely was the host of "The Inferno" it would have been perfect (he instead hosted the previous year's "The Gauntlet"). Why he never got his own tv show after that season, I'll never know. He was one genial dude.

Interestingly enough, "The Inferno" was the last time the "Real World" was pitted against the "Road Rules" on the "Real World/Road Rules Challenge". That year Road Rules crushed the Real World team, and I think someone realized that the Road Rulers are, by their very nature, more athletic and outgoing while the Real Worlders are, generally, lame.

Now apparently they just get a bunch of former cast members from both shows and mix them all up.

Huh.

Like I said, I haven't had MTV for years.

Until now.

Sadly, MTV Arabia doesn't have a "Real World" or a "Road Rules" yet. Imagine what a mix of characters you could get from Dubai though? Locals, expats, workers ... wow, you could blow some minds! (Not to mention probably get some people kicked out of the country!)

Nope, so far I've only seen music videos. Generally an Arabic rap, then several Western songs, then another Arabic song.

Oh, and they have cool little channel ID bumpers like MTV used to be famous for. So that's cool.

Not as cool as Bug Helmet from "The Inferno", though, but really what is?