$1.8 millionMST3KKickstarter brings in (almost) everyone from the old show

Fans of the beloved cult classic, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K), are well aware that change is a hallmark of the series. From its inception, the show has experienced significant shifts in its cast and crew, a trend driven by its status as a perennial bubble show based in the Twin Cities, far from the mainstream comedy scenes of New York and Los Angeles. The original run of MST3K, which spanned ten seasons, frequently featured a rotating lineup of performers both on-screen and in the writers' room, with few staying for more than a season or two. Joel Hodgson, the series creator, embraced this element of transformation during the show's Kickstarter-funded revival on Netflix in the mid-2010s, introducing a fresh cast and a largely new writing team. This trend of rotation continued into the show's post-Netflix era, known as the 'Gizmoplex' phase, where new performers appeared from episode to episode. Hodgson's approach emphasized that as long as the iconic silhouettes and puppets were present to riff on bad movies, the identity of the performers was secondary. However, longtime viewers also remember that many of the casting shifts sparked heated debates and controversies among fans, particularly in the online Usenet groups that served as the community's gathering place. In hindsight, despite the changes, the show maintained a consistent quality, especially in its jokes, from seasons three or four onward. Yet, viewers often established strong attachments to their favorite performers and the specific eras of the show they cherished most. The challenges of crowdfunding fatigue and dissatisfaction with the ongoing changes in the revived series contributed to the struggles of its third crowdfunding campaign in 2023.