2/25/07
Well, here we are, ready to embark on the amazing journey that will be known as
Mystery Science Theater 3000. As I have recently come into possesion of what I call the 'elusive
Season K through
Season One episodes' (thanks to the undaunting efforts of my good friend Scorpiuscat), I would like to rewind the clock a little bit and lay down some foundation of history as to how this talented group of people came together to create the beloved series.
As I'm sure most of us know by now, MST3K is the brainchild of one
Joel Hodgson. What one might not know is, a consumate performer (even in his youth) Joel was named Green Bay, Wisconsin's
'Junior Magician of the Year' while barely into his teen years. He would entertain family friends and schoolmates with his
Folderol Magic Review. Later he began to attend college but found that performing made his focusing on studying too difficult. In 1981 he won a campus comedy contest which will lead him to headline the grand opening of the Minneapolis
Comedy Gallery club.
After winning the
Twin Lakes Comedy Invitational in 1982, Joel moved to Los Angeles, California. He began working the comedy club circuit and was an immediate success, catching the eye of numerous talent agents. He eventually appeared in a number of
HBO comedy specials. Shortly thereafter he found himself on a flight to New York for an appearance on
Late Night with David Letterman.
While in New York, Letterman introduced Joel to
Lorne Michaels and the cast and crew of
Saturday Night Live (where he would make a few appearances, as well as repeat appearances on Letterman's show).
Two years later in 1984, Joel was already put off by the Hollywood "system". It was only after a series of unfortunate dealings with the
NBC network and programming chief
Brandon Tartikoff that Joel returned to Minneapolis, stating that he was quitting comedy.
He performed a series of menial jobs until he was lured back to comedy, helping his friend
Jerry Seinfeld write an HBO comedy special. In 1987, Joel began to teach a class for aspiring comics and met
Josh Weinstein.
Joel decided to return to his 'stand-up' career and made his comeback at the
Ha-Ha Club in Minneapolis that same year. His
Gizmonic inventions were now the centerpiece of his act, and were created at what he referred to as the
Mystery Science Lab (which was actually warehouse space next door to a film production studio where
Jim Mallon was employed).
Mallon had also attended college, worked a number of jobs, and even directed a low-budget "slasher" flick for
Troma Studios titled "Blood Hook". Mallon and Hodgson met, became friends and talked about possibly working together in the future. Joel eventually meets actor/stand-up comic
Trace Beaulieu. Mallon (about a year later) becomes production manager of Minneapolis UHF TV station
KTMA 23. Also working at the station was
Kevin Murphy. After Mallon and Murphy's daily duties at the station were completed, the pair was allowed to use the station's equipment to make their own comedy specials.
In 1988 the studio asked Jim to find a way to fill a two hour Sunday night time slot. Joel and Jim return to KTMA with a rough proposal about a show with "a guy trapped on an orbiting satellite watching bad movies with two robots". Joel enlists Trace and Josh to help him make a demo tape. Mallon enlists Kevin for help also, asking him to do everything from camera work to lighting to writing.
The group creates and films a very primitive 'movie sign' door sequence and then, in the theater, Joel and two
Bots 'riff' on about a half hour of the sci-fi film 'The Green Slime'. Of course, very early versions of
Crow (voiced by Beaulieu) and
Beeper (rapidly revamped into the character of
Tom Servo) are the bots and despite the early sophomoric attempt, Jim convinces the studio to give them a shot at creating a show.
And so, with a liitle foundation laid down...
Let the experiment(s) begin!
Experiment # K00 ~ THE GREEN SLIME (1968)
Original Air Date: N/A
Genre: Drama/Sci-Fi
Studio: Toei (Japan)/MGM (United States)
Starring: Robert Horton, Lucianna Paluzzi, Richard Jaeckel
Directed By: Kinji Fukasaku
Theatrical Running Time: 88 Minutes
Tagline: "The Green Slime are Coming!"
Film Synopsis:
The astronauts and crew of 'Space Station Gamma III' are called into action to stop a rogue asteroid before it collides with the Earth. When accidentally brought back to the station by one of the scientists, a green slime mutates into one-eyed, tentacled monsters that multiply, fed by the astronauts laser-based weaponry and technology.
Intro: N/A
Invention Exchange: N/A
Host Segments:
Host 1: N/A
Host 2: N/A
Host 3: N/A
End: N/A
Stinger: N/A
Items of Note:
~ This half hour demo tape contains only a portion of the whole film and some base host segments. It was never broadcast. The early 'movie sign' hallway segment and the opening 'host segment' are featured on the 'MST3K Scrapbook' tape (available from BBI).
Personal Notes: No fan copy is known to exist.
The 'Riffs': N/A
Rating: N/A
Joel and his band of 'MerryMen' immediately set about to put some polish on the project, given their meager resources. They create the first model of the
Satellite of Love and immediately re-think 'Beeper'. The character just doesn't click with everyone and was quickly given a voice and re-named
Servo (voiced by Weinstein). The premise was re-thought and now Joel's character became
Joel Robinson, a janitor at
Gizmonic Institute who was tricked into boarding a rocket ship just before it was shot into space. Now trapped, he is forced into watching bad movies for the Institutes' research.
One other problem remained however, what to call the show. Joel matter of factly states 'Mystery Science Theater 2000', but being so close to the Millennia, the group decides to advance it 1000 years to the year 3000.
The series premiered with a 'double-feature' on
Thanksgiving Day 1988 with very little fanfare. Probably only a few thousand people watched, and even fewer understood it. Complaints flooded KTMA about the jerks that were ruining the film, but a few people 'got it'. There were definitely early struggles. The station paid the whole group about $250 dollars per episode. Everything about the production was crudely devised. The sets, the bots', the wardrobe. Everything. And the station executives demanded that the theater silhouettes be very small and placed at the bottom right of the screen, fearing complaints from viewers that the movie was being obscured.
However, the group persevered on and thus on 'eggshells and wobbly legs' was born MST3K.
Experiment # K01 ~ INVADERS FROM THE DEEP (Orig.1964-1965)
Original Air Date: November 24, 1988
Genre: Supermarionation/Sci-Fi/Adventure
Studio: AP Films for ATV and ITC Entertainment
Starring: (Voice Talent) Don Mason, Robert Easton, Lois Maxwell, Ray Barrett
Directed By: Various
Theatrical Running Time: Approx. 88 Minutes
Tagline: "Stand by for Action!"
Film Synopsis:
The crew of the 'Stingray', flagship of the World Aquanaut Security Patrol (WASP) defend the Earth (circa 2065) against an evil aquatic civilization.
Intro: N/A
Invention Exchange: N/A
Host Segments:
Host 1: N/A
Host 2: N/A
Host 3: N/A
End: N/A
Stinger: N/A
Items of Note:
~ The movie is actually four 22 minute episodes of the BBC television series 'Stingray'.
~ Stingray was the first 'Supermarionation' show to be filmed in color.
~ Yes, that is THE voice talent of Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny) from the 'James Bond' series of films.
Personal Notes: No fan copy is known to exist.
The 'Riffs': N/A
Rating: N/A
Experiment # K02 ~ REVENGE of the MYSTERONS (Orig. 1967)
Original Air Date: November 24, 1988
Genre: Supermarionation/Sci-Fi/Adventure
Studio: AP Films for ATV and ITC Entertainment
Starring: (Voice Talent) Ed Bishop, Jeremy Wilkin, Cy Grant, Sylvia Anderson
Directed By: Various
Theatrical Running Time: Approx. 88 Minutes
Tagline:N/A
Film Synopsis: N/A
Intro: N/A
Invention Exchange: N/A
Host Segments:
Host 1: N/A
Host 2: N/A
Host 3: N/A
End: N/A
Stinger: N/A
Items of Note:
~ The movie is actually four 22 minute episodes of the BBC series 'Captain Scarlet'.
Personal Notes: No fan copy is known to exist.
The 'Riffs': N/A
Rating: N/A
Experiment # K03 ~ STAR FORCE: FUGITIVE ALIEN 2 (1978)
Original Air Date: November 27, 1988
Genre: Sci-Fi/Action/Adventure
Studio: N/A
Starring: Tatsuya Azuma, Miyuki Tanigawa, Choei Takahashi, Tsutomu Yukawa, Hiro Tateyama
Directed By: Various
Theatrical Running Time: Approx. 102 Minutes
Tagline: N/A
Film Synopsis: (See 'Experiment #318' "Yeah, I know it's a 'cop-out'.
"BITE ME!"")
Intro: N/A
Invention Exchange: N/A
Host Segments:
Host 1: N/A
Host 2: N/A
Host 3: N/A
End: N/A
Stinger: N/A
Items of Note:
~ The movie is actually two episodes of the Japanese television series 'Sutaurufu'.
Personal Notes: No fan copy is known to exist.
The 'Riffs': N/A
Rating: N/A
Much thanks to Christopher Cornell and Brian Henry and their "Almost but not Quite Complete History of MST3K" for the historical data.
The opinions expressed herein are those solely of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect those of 'Jonja.net' nor it's owner. MST3K, it's characters and situations are copyrights and trademarks of Best Brains, Inc. and no infringement is intended.
We do reviews and updates of projects of Sci-Fi movies, television, and books. As well as Horror, Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Anime.
Please feel free to sign up and post your own comments. We would love to hear your opinions, and feel free to join in on our collection of over 500 free flash games and compete with other users for the high score. We also have a great chess system that allows users to compete against one another online.
