Creator of Mystery Science Theater 3000 Starts Kickstarter Campaign to #BringBackMST3K

pastemagazine.com ^ | November 10, 2015 | Eric Van Allen

[Morgana]

In a not-too-distant future, you could be watching brand-new episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Joel Hodgson, the creator and original host of MST3K, has turned to Kickstarter to campaign for a new season of the cult-classic movie-riffing series. Returning to the line-up are the original bots, Tom Servo and Crow, to mock and joke through each unbearable film.

The asking price? $2 million is the initial goal, which will allow the team to shoot three brand new episodes of MST3K. Each additional $1.1 million after that will allow them to shoot another three episodes, up to 12 episodes.

The goal of all this isn’t just to bring Mystery Science Theater 3000 back for a single run, however, but to prove to the world that fans want the show back in the hopes of getting picked up by another network. In the Kickstarter campaign pitch, Hodgson writes:

If we want a lot more MST3K, we need to work together to prove that there’s still an audience out there that wants MST3K – and that this isn’t all some pitiable delusion – so that we can find a network or online platform who will agree to pick up the show and keep it going… hopefully for another 200+ episodes.

[21twelve]

My wife and I still use various terms from MST3K - although I can’t remember the episodes - other than Trumpy from the POD people. (Hmm. With a name like Smuckers you know it’s good. Said while some guy was getting stuck in a pile of goo.)

McCloud!!!!

[Trillian]

Haha.. I still do that at night sometimes.
Good night Chief, good night McCloud!

[21twelve]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJkzmgPUBhQ

[r_barton]

If they do MST3K to The Wizard of Oz, I’ll kick in $5. ;-)

[SamAdams76]

I believe most if not all of the original episodes can be found on YouTube.

It was a great show and definitely for geeks (like me). MST3K was like a highbrow version of The Three Stooges. You needed a college level education to get many of the references. Also it's purely a guy show. I haven't met a woman yet who liked that show. So I would watch it after the wife went to bed.

The show could easily have gone another 10-15 years. However, I think after an over 15 year hiatus, it would be very difficult to bring the show back without losing much of the "vibe" that it once had.

Good luck to him though, I'd love to see the project succeed.

[Seruzawa]

My wife loves MST3K. I am a fortunate man.

[pbear8]

I haven't met a woman yet who liked that show.

Now you have.

[Skooz]

MST3K is the only thing worthwhile in the history of television.

I hope Joel pulls it off.

[MichelleWSC3]

I loved MST3000 use to watch when it first came out, and continued until Hodgson left. Wouldn’t mind another season

[MD Expat in PA]

Also it's purely a guy show. I haven't met a woman yet who liked that show. So I would watch it after the wife went to bed.

I am a woman and I love MST3K. I own several MST3K on DVD. I remember my husband (now ex-husband) coming into the living room to find out why I was laughing so much, tears streaming down my face. He asked me what I was watching and what was so funny and I said, "sit down and watch this with me" (I think it was one of the "shorts") and he didn't get it and thought it was stupid. FWIW, he didn't like Ren & Stimpy or The Three Stooges or The Marx Brother's or South Park either.

[Trillian]

:)

[SamAdams76]

I loved the shorts as much at the movies. It's amazing how some people get it and some don't. Last New Year's Eve, I played the short that MS3TK did on hygiene, a classic 1950s school-scare film, and half the people were rolling on the floor and the other half drifted into the kitchen to refill their drinks.

Glad that there's women out there that appreciate the show. None in my family that I know of.

[Zman516]

Unless they can get Trace Beaulieu back, it’s probably not worth the effort.

[MD Expat in PA]

If they do MST3K to The Wizard of Oz, I'll kick in $5. ;-)

It would probably be way too expensive what with copyrights (if they could even get them) and the longer run times compared to the cheesy B movies which had pretty short run times, but I've always said I'd love some see some more modern movies get the MST3K treatment. Think about what they could do with Titanic, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012 , Armageddon or Avatar.

[Empireoftheatom48]

My female college computer science teacher loved the show, I had to write a term paper and used some MST3K metaphors! Got an A on the paper and the course!

[PfromHoGro]

BTT

http://mst3k.com/finalcountdown/watchnow/

[Plummz]

After start-up costs (building sets & props,etc), it will be about $250k an episode, including rights to the movie being mocked.

8% goes to kickstarter fees. 25% goes to all the giveaways (T-shorts, DVDs, other crap) to kickstarter backers.