“MST3K” revival heads to Netflix

Revival of cult ’90’s series arrives in 2017

The Mystery Science Theater 3000 reboot branded about for the last year has now found a home: Netflix.

Beginning in 2017, the streaming service will air new episodes of the former Comedy Central and SciFi (now SyFy) movie-mocking series. The news was announced during a MST3K panel at San Diego Comic-Con Saturday night.

So far, no details were announced on if all episodes would be released on Netflix at once (like most new Netflix shows), or once or twice at a time. Already, some classic episodes are available on Netflix (where yours truly has watched the show and rented the DVDs…you remember DVDs, right?) in addition to Hulu, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.)

The drive to bring back the cult classic began last fall with a Kickstarter campaign – raising $5.7 million, breaking a record set by the Veronica Mars movie funding drive. Social media was involved in the campaign to bring back the show, with an online telethon featuring classic episodes. Original series host Joel Hodgson kicked in $600,000 more, ensuring a fourteen-episode season as Shout! Factory acquired full rights to the show (they already had the rights to distribute the show on home video.)

Speculation on who would be cast in the new show was finally confirmed: Jonah Ray becomes the new B-movie victim trapped in space, following in the footsteps of Hodgson and former head writer Michael Nelson. Felicia Day and Patton Oswalt star as the new tormentors – the descendants of Dr. Forrester and TV’s Frank. And the Bots have new voices in Baron Vaughn and Hampton Yount.

Elliott Kalan, former head writer of The Daily Show is serving in the same capacity in the new MST3K. The writing staff also includes former Community showrunner Dan Harmon and former Community star Joel McHale, who’ll headline a new CBS sitcom this fall, The Great Outdoors.) Making cameo appearances are original series cast members Bill Corbett (who is also joining the writing staff), Mary Jo Pehl, and Kevin Murphy.

Hodgson is co-executive producer of the new MST3K.

Coming soon on T Dog Media: a list of movies and/or TV shows yours truly recommends aqs material for new B-movie victim Jonah Ray to suffer through. You will love it! Or else!