‘MST3K’ Creator Hints at Online Reboot
Thanks to Mystery Science Theater 3000, laughing at terrible movies has become a pop-culture institution. Now, 15 years after its last cancellation, the series might be revived for a new generation of snarky critics with an “online incarnation.” In Wired‘s recent MST3K oral history, creator and original host Joel Hodgson hints at a possible series update, which would “feature a fresh (and as-yet unannounced) host and cameos from many MST3K alumni.”
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“I’ve talked to a bunch of fans about their lives and what MST3K means to them,” Hodgson says. “I’m overwhelmed by how people took to that show. It really affected them. I thought if enough people still love it, maybe we can bring it back.”
The creator-host then explains why the show, with its gradually shifting cast, has always been “built to be refreshed with new people and new ideas.”
“It’s like Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle as it applies to MST3K: If it doesn’t change, it’s not the same show. And fortunately for us, as long as there are movies, there are always going to be cheesy movies.” (Brace yourself, Tommy Wiseau.)
For the unacquainted, the cult-classic series features a man and his robot accomplices who are held prisoner by an mad scientist and subjected to psychological torture by watching the worst films ever made (including such gems as 1996’s Manos: The Hands of Fate). The prisoners offer hilarious commentary on the films as they’re aired, cracking jokes at plot holes and suspect acting.
It’s a great time to be a fan of terrible films: According to Satellite News, the original series will return in rerun form to Retro TV, starting Saturday, July 5th.