Netflix Sci-Fi Comedy Series Revives Fan Favorite Classic
If you grew up in the 1990s and enjoy the under-appreciated art of the “so bad it’s good” movie-viewing experience, you’re no doubt familiar with the cult classic series Mystery Science Theater 3000. The show, which originally aired in the late 80s through the 90s, centers on a human host and a pair of quick-witted robots as they barrel through the fun, humorous, and bizarre world of B movies, providing laugh-out-loud commentary and other interesting insight into the Hollywood machine along the way. If you’re a fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000, then you’re in luck, as the series was revived by Netflix in 2017, before running for several additional seasons.
Hodgson’s Long Quest For Revival
Revival efforts for Mystery Science Theater 3000 began all the way back in 2010, long before Netflix was involved with refreshing the series for a whole new audience of home viewers.
The show’s original creator and host Joel Hodgson sought to revive the series after it achieved cult status, especially as viewers online began hyping the original series as a masterpiece around the time of Mystery Science Theater 3000‘s 25th anniversary.
As a result, Hodgson worked tirelessly to acquire the rights to the series which had been sold to numerous entertainment outlets, with the intention of shopping a revival to a number of streamers and networks.
Hodgson Gets The Rights
In 2015, Hodgson successfully purchased the rights to the show for a seven-figure sum, with the assistance of executives at the distribution company Shout! Factory. From there, he launched a Kickstarter campaign to independently fund new episodes, and demonstrate the value of the project to any interested streamers.
The $5.7 million in Kickstarter funding and subsequent 14 home-grown episodes caused the Mystery Science Theater 3000 revival to get major attention from Netflix, who officially renewed the series for a 6-episode season.
Jonah Ray
If you check out Mystery Science Theater 3000 on Netflix now, you’ll see that the show is listed under two distinct banners accessible from the show’s home page.
The section labelled ‘The Return’ offers each of the 14 episodes funded with the originally Kickstarter money, while the section labelled “The Gauntlet” showcases the 6-episode run that was funded by the streamer itself.
While The Gauntlet is a brief season, it still serves as one of the best in the show’s illustrious run, with stand-up comedian Jonah Ray taking center stage as the new host.
Before signing on for the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Netflix revival, Ray was best known for creating and starring in the comedy showcase series The Meltdown With Jonah And Kumail, alongside Silicon Valley star Kumail Nanjiani.
New Writers And VFX
Episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 produced by Netflix are notable for the sheer number of big names attached to the project behind the scenes, including writing credits for Rick and Morty creator Dan Harmon, as well as Joel McHale, Rob Schrab, Dana Gould, and many others.
The practical effects for the Netflix iteration were assisted by the Jim Henson Company, which provides a homely, hand-crafted vibe to the project that perfectly carries the torch of the original.
Stream It Now
GFR SCORE
If you’re interested in catching the latest iteration of Mystery Science Theater 3000, you can catch both modern seasons of the show on Netflix today. Just be sure to bring some friends with you, since you won’t want to stomach B-movies like Atlantic Rim on your own.
