24 Hours of Foo is a live television special that aired on the American cable channel MTV2 on June 11 and June 12, 2005. The broadcast was hosted by the rock band Foo Fighters, who took over the network’s programming for an uninterrupted 24‑hour period.
Overview
The special was conceived as a promotional event for both MTV2 and the Foo Fighters. It followed a similar format to the earlier MTV2 special 24 Hours of Love, which featured Courtney Love in 2002. During the two‑day broadcast, the Foo Fighters—Dave Grohl, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel, and Taylor Hawkins—served as hosts, curators, and participants in a series of music‑video blocks, live performances, and on‑air events.
Broadcast Content
- Programming Control: The band was given full editorial control over MTV2’s schedule, selecting music videos, arranging guest appearances, and organizing live segments.
- Live Performances: Highlights included a one‑hour full‑band concert by the Foo Fighters at midnight, a 30‑minute acoustic “Unplugged” set earlier in the evening, and a live episode of Headbangers Ball hosted by Dave Grohl, featuring interviews with Suicide Girls.
- Special Events and Guests: The broadcast incorporated a variety of activities, such as a drum circle in Times Square (featuring Stewart Copeland), science experiments with Rob Cockerham of Cockeyed.com, an on‑air wedding, a trivia game with comedian David Cross, and appearances by MTV personalities and comedians including Gideon Yago, Janeane Garofalo, Amy Poehler, Fred Armisen, and Robert Smigel (as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog). MTV2 VJ Jim Shearer acted as master of ceremonies throughout the event.
Reception
Contemporary coverage noted the novelty of a band commandeering an entire television channel for a day. While some viewers criticized the limited variety of music featured, others praised the special as an ambitious example of MTV2’s capacity for live, event‑driven programming. The event remained a unique instance of large‑scale live broadcasting on MTV2 until the network’s later special Human Giant 24 in 2007.
Legacy
24 Hours of Foo is documented in media archives and referenced in entertainment databases such as IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. It is recognized for its integration of music performance, celebrity interaction, and interactive segments within a continuous live broadcast format.