Mystery Science Theater 3000 Reboot Hits Kickstarter

The creator of the cult comedy TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000, Joel Hodgson, has announced the launch of a Kickstarter campaign to produce new episodes of the show. The plan is to make three 90-minute episodes to start, followed by a full 12-episode season if the crowdfunding campaign goes well.

After getting its start on local TV in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, MST3K aired on Comedy Central for six seasons and on Syfy for three seasons before finally being pulled from the schedule in 1999. The original series featured three characters -- a space-faring janitor and his robot friends -- who provided a mocking voice-over commentary for B-movies they were forced to watch by the show's nefarious villains.

Hodgson, who played the original janitor, left the show during its fifth season, and he was replaced by Michael J. Nelson, one of the show's writers. With Nelson in the forefront, the show saw its most widespread success. After the end of MST3K, Nelson and fellow cast members Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy went on to produce Rifftrax, a show with essentially the same premise, minus the sci-fi/robot plot. Hodgson has remained involved with other MST3K veterans, including Trace Beaulieu, and has long been interested in reviving the original series.

Hodgson hopes to be able to produce the rebooted series indefinitely. He says that the cast will feature a mix of cameos by veterans and an entirely new central cast. There's no word on whether Nelson, Corbett and Murphy are interested in the new project.