VH1 will air 'I Love the '90s,' reality series 'The Surreal Life'

By ANDY EDELSTEIN
NEWSDAY
You gotta love VH1.
The pop-culture-as-detritus channel has two new shows coming up that prove once again that this younger sibling of MTV is Very Happening.
First up will be its weeklong tribute (July 12-16) to the decade past, "I Love the '90s." It follows in the well-worn steps of the highly popular "I Love the '70s" and "I Love the '80s," which the channel often reruns. Sure, E! plunged into this nostalgic muck a couple of months ago with its "101 Reasons Why the '90s Ruled," but the VH1 salute will have its own charms. Look for everyone from Missy Elliott and Coolio to Warren Moon and Venus Williams offering their takes on the fads, fashions and trends of the decade.
And speaking of bad nostalgia trips, VH1 has rescued the reality series "The Surreal Life" from permanent cancellation and will air a brand-new third edition of the former WB show in the fall. VH1 has announced the lineup of footnotes, wannabes and has-beens who will live together, and it's quite a crew: former New Kid on the Block Jordan Knight, Public Enemy's Flavor Flav, "American Idol" season-one rejectee Ryan Starr, "Red Sonja" star Brigitte Nielsen, ex-"Full House" resident Dave Coulier and "Love Boat" goddess-Xavier Cugat squeeze Charo.