Generations of hardcore fans of a beloved cult comedy show have managed to raise millions to see it return to the small screen.
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A Kickstarter campaign to bring back the beloved sci-fi comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) has just raked in nearly $3 million. The campaign promises new episodes of the beloved show about a crew of space-adrift wisecrackers forced to watch cheesy movies by mad scientists, featuring the return of 1990s-era host Michael J. Nelson, along with Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett, and robots Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot.
Other MST3K mainstays, including Trace Beaulieu, Mary Jo Pehl, and Frank Conniff, will also return. Beaulieu will resume his role as art director, a position he held for the show’s first seven seasons.
In a message shared on the campaign page, Nelson, Murphy, and Corbett expressed their amazement at the fan support. “We’re just in awe here,” they wrote. “Think about how much has already been accomplished these past 43 days: we uncovered original bots to use in these episodes, we brought back a very exclusive club, hung out not once, but twice, and a whole lot more.”
The trio promised that this was just “the first step in a long and wonderful journey.”
The trio also posted footage unpacking the classic wisecracking robot puppets from the show.
“Why am I crying so much?! 🥹,” one rager fan commented.
‘Mystery Science Theater 3000’ Fans Span Back to the 1988 Version of the Beloved Comedy Show
MST3K has been around the block more times than a satellite in a decaying orbit. It premiered on a local Minnesota station in 1988 before getting picked up by The Comedy Channel (which later became Comedy Central), where it aired for five seasons until its 1996 cancellation. Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie dropped in 1996, with The Sci-Fi Channel then revived the show for three more seasons before canceling it again in 1999.
Meanwhile, this isn’t the first time MST3K has passed the hat to make a comeback. A 2015 campaign resurrected the show for its 11th season on Netflix in 2017, followed by another season in 2018. Then, in 2021, fans opened their wallets again for 13 more episodes on creator Joel Hodgson’s Gizmoplex platform.
Despite its many lives and near-death experiences, MST3K has managed to cultivate a dedicated fan base from all generations and walks of life—fans willing to shell out major cash to keep the beloved show afloat… or, more accurately, in orbit.