from the is-this-the-new-way-to-save-a-series? dept.
At least three new episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 will be filmed, thanks to over $2 million in online contributions from fans. Responding to a Kickstarter plea by series creator Joel Hodgson, fans contributed over $1.5 million within just two days, and after five more they'd push Hodgson over the first $2 million threshold.
"We've got movie sign!" Hodgson posted on Twitter, noting that for each additional $1.1 million raised over the next 20 days, three more new episodes would be filmed. And this Thursday he'll be hosting a grateful online marathon of classic episodes on Thanksgiving Day, a tradition which dates back nearly 25 years, when "Mystery Science Theatre 3000" first began its 8-year run on Comedy Central and the Sci-Fi channel.
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Various web sites report that 14 new episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K for short) have been made available on the Netflix streaming service. Older episodes can also be seen on Netflix. Each is 90 minutes long, and has intermissions. During the show, fictional characters—including puppets—give humourous running commentary while a B movie is shown.
A trailer advertises the new episodes; another video advertisement shows MST3K's treatment of the beginning of an episode of Netflix's Stranger Things.
According to the show's official site, the new season is permitted to be seen in "the U.S., U.K., New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, and Canada."
Coverage:
Rotten Tomatoes
The Colorado Springs Gazette
comicbook.com
New York Times
Gizmodo
Related stories:
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Revival Ending Campaign With Star-Studded Telethon
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Successfully Crowdsources its Comeback
Joel Hodgson Wants to Bring Back MST3K
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 24 2015, @12:14AM
Good for them! Hope it turns out well for them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 24 2015, @12:31AM
After all, it's more of the same in terms of yet another old once-beloved show rebooted to try and make more money of us with it? Does it matter that it's being spearheaded by the series creator instead of the network shills this time? And even then what was the format of this particular show? Warmed over B, C, and D grade science fiction movies with puppets instead of Siskel and Ebert? So we're going to reheat the once-already warmed over content and make it new yet again? Oh I bet this time it will be done with CGI robots ala the Star Wars Digitally Enhanced original trilogy? Everything is better with CGI!
No offense intended at Joel directly but this constant rebooting is getting old. We should all just stop watching and go outside and become a society again rather than mindless sheep. Look forward to the "Just-go-the-hell-outside" social movement to take off!
(Score: 2, Insightful) by nitehawk214 on Tuesday November 24 2015, @01:14AM
Few people other than Comedy Central management wanted MST3K to go away in the first place. If they are bringing back something overwhelmingly popular, which has no current replacement, why would anyone be against it? Sure, maybe it isn't your cup of tea, and you don't plan on watching the new show, but why be outraged over something other people are enjoying?
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 24 2015, @02:18AM
Original AC here:
Outraged isn't the word I'd use, and certainly not about this show in particular. The only reason I even commented on this particular TV series reboot is that like many I DID watch MST3K, when it was on the air the first time. So it's a bittersweet thing. YAY they'll bring it back... BOO they (meaning TV networks not Joel) are out of ideas still and are rehashing old stuff over and over, ad nauseam. *cough* Star Wars *cough* Star Trek *cough* Terminator *cough* Even Hunger Games is just a warmed over concept with a female protagonist. Sorry if an overall disapproving opinion of the entertainment industry and their inability to innovate sounded outraged.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 24 2015, @04:18PM
You will be a very bitter person with your bar set to high because at some level there hasn't been anything new in entertainment for decades (for TV) and even longer for literature.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 25 2015, @06:13PM
With that logic, Shakespeare already exhausted all available ideas.
(Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Tuesday November 24 2015, @02:31AM
Cinematic Titanic [wikipedia.org] had Joel, and ended a couple years back.
RiffTrax [wikipedia.org] has Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett and is ongoing.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by CaTfiSh on Tuesday November 24 2015, @01:24AM
I can agree that many spend far too much time and are far too occupied with television. I can also agree that many rehashes are made simply because there is an existing fanbase on which to capitalize, but in this case, the original creator has absolute control.
MST3K was a product of its time. It featured movies we had all seen at drive-ins and the late Friday night "fright fests" that most local stations had. Intermixed with that were witty retorts and obscure, trivial comments that no one person got 100% of the time. It was a lot like what happened when friends got together to watch some awful VHS tape that someone had rented.
What will be interesting for me is to see if he can still manage that with a new generation. Joel is around my age so, we shared a common upbringing with three network television stations and attending the movie theater was an event. Today, cultural exposure is much more wider and varied. I haven't watched television much in the past 35 years. But then again, maybe it just means more material, with a plethora of internet memes to throw in, and people's obsession with social media to poke fun at.
At any rate, Joel was the creative force behind its original popularity and perhaps by now he has enough of a grasp of what the magic was to bring up a new incarnation which will entertain a new generation. I dunno, but I'm willing to give it a go.
(Score: 2) by JeanCroix on Tuesday November 24 2015, @02:29PM
(Score: 4, Funny) by Nerdfest on Tuesday November 24 2015, @12:34AM
Apparently Felicia Day will have a part. That may be of interest to some here. Not me of course, I don't totally have a thing for her.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Tuesday November 24 2015, @03:30AM
Yes! She is nerdy hot! :)
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 3, Interesting) by boxfetish on Tuesday November 24 2015, @04:06AM
I used to think she was hot. Then I saw a couple of her web shows where she plays old video games with her brother who looks EXACTLY like her. Totally creepy. Now I can't look at her without seeing him so the "hot" factor is gone gone.
Not to mention you see her everywhere nowadays. Not saying she is a deal-breaker, but for me she adds nothing to the project.
Add that to the fact that neither Joel nor Mike will be hosting, the "new" host is a blasé hipster, and that Frank, Trace, Kevin, Mary Jo, etc. will most likely not be involved, and I don't have much interest.
A lot of people seem to be excited about it, though, so I hope they raise the 5.5 million it will take to make a whole season (12 episodes).