Mystery Science Theater 3000’s Newest Reboot, Explained

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Mystery Science Theater 3000, or MST3K, is making a comeback in 2026! Here’s what you should know about the show’s return. It originally started in 1988 as a local show on KTMA in Minneapolis, and quickly moved to Comedy Central the following year. Through all its different versions, MST3K has always been known for its funny, often sarcastic, style of humor.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) has a simple premise: a host is made to watch bad movies and provides humorous commentary, aided by two robot sidekicks. The show’s format has remained largely consistent over the years, building a dedicated following. A revival was announced in February, and information about it is now widely available online.

A Classic Host Returns For 4 New Episodes

Good news for fans! Four new episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 are on the way. Original host Mike Nelson will be back, reprising his role from seasons five through ten. He’ll be joined by fellow MST3K veterans Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett.

Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy are coming back to perform as Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo, the robot companions of Joel Hodgson’s character. For the past two decades, this trio – Hodgson, Corbett, and Murphy – has been creating the popular comedy project, RiffTrax. RiffTrax uses the same funny approach as Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K), but focuses solely on humorous commentary during movies without a continuing storyline.

Fan favorites Mary Jo Pehl (as Pearl Forrester), Trace Beaulieu (as Dr. Clayton Forrester), and Frank Conniff (as TV’s Frank) will all return. This focus on original cast members is a change from the new hosts featured in the show’s most recent three seasons.

Recent coverage of the MST3K: RiffTrax Experiments points to a deliberate return to the show’s classic, low-budget style, featuring intentionally silly sets and a homemade feel. A Kickstarter campaign to support the project was hugely successful, raising almost $2 million – far exceeding its initial $20,000 goal. Importantly, unlike past crowdfunding efforts for MST3K, the production of these new episodes isn’t reliant on the money raised.

MST3K Has Been Rebooted Many Times Before

One thing you can always count on with the Mystery Science Theater 3000 fanbase is that things are always changing. The show itself has gone through many transformations since it began in 1988. The move from local station KTMA to Comedy Central felt like a fresh start, and when Joel Hodgson was replaced by Mike Nelson in 1993, it was another big shift. Even after being canceled following its seventh season, the series was brought back by The Sci-Fi Channel.

After the original run of Mystery Science Theater 3000 finished its tenth season, the show was off the air for almost 20 years. It returned in 2017 with a new host and a refreshed format on Netflix, but that version only lasted for two seasons, ending in 2018. Then, after a few more years, a successful crowdfunding campaign brought back a thirteenth season, which featured a rotating cast of hosts.

Unfortunately, efforts to fund season 14 through crowdfunding didn’t work out, and Mystery Science Theater 3000 struggled for a few years. However, the newly announced MST3K: Rifftrax Experiments marks a promising new beginning for the beloved show, and it has a good chance of lasting for years to come. No matter how many times it’s been revived, dedicated fans will always come back for more fun.

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2026-02-16 00:18