The show's working title was going to be Pandemonium before it was determined that the word "Pandemonium" seemed too big and complicated for Nickelodeon's target audience. The show was initially hosted by Molly Scott and Keith Diamond, who was on through July 1989 at the latest. Total Panic replaced Nick Rocks, which aired on the network from 1984 to 1989, as the network's primary outlet to showcase music videos.