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MST3K Successfully Crowdsources Its Comeback (thenewstack.io)

An anonymous reader writes: At least three new episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 will be filmed, thanks to over $2 million in online contributions from fans. Responding to a Kickstarter plea by series creator Joel Hodgson, fans contributed over $1.5 million within just two days, and after five more they'd push Hodgson over the first $2 million threshold. "We've got movie sign," Hodgson posted on Twitter, noting that for each additional $1.1 million raised over the next 20 days, three more new episodes would be filmed. And this Thursday he'll be hosting a grateful online marathon of classic episodes on Thanksgiving Day, a tradition which dates back nearly 25 years, when "Mystery Science Theater 3000" first began its 8-year run on Comedy Central and the Sci-Fi channel.

6 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. Cost of "donating" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    As someone who is really interested in helping this project (and has looked at it previously) the one negative I have to say is that many of the options to help are quite expensive. This is of course, fine on some level as there are a lot of choices.. -However-.. The fact that in order to simply view the episodes you are supporting you have to contribute a minimum(!) of 100$ is a bit off putting.... to say the least.

  2. Re:Question for fans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Could someone explain why this apparently costs so much per episode to make?

    Let me assist with this helpful infographic! https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/004/893/621/f596d3d17d6aaa5aecb66b755ecbea3e_original.gif?v=1447300148&w=680&fit=max&q=92&s=955ed3cdcf0c129451bf0b7b858302df

  3. Re:Question for fans by Dan+East · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So according to that, each episode costs $250k to produce. Sounds about right. Remember they have to license the rights to each movie, in addition to paying all the staff (including the editing).

    --
    Better known as 318230.
  4. Re:Question for fans by cayenne8 · · Score: 3
    Hey...at least we have one day of GOOD TV actually worth watching coming up!!!

    ;)

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  5. Nostalgia is a dead end by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I enjoyed the hell out of mst3k, but some things are better left alone. It's really hard to recapture something that's very specific to a time and a generation.

    Seeing new mst3k episodes is kind of like watching a Guns'n'Roses reunion tour. It's not going to be anything like seeing them back in the day and it all feels a little seedy and desperate with a fat, bald Axl Rose and the once-rocker audience now checking their smartphones and Apple Watches to text the nanny that they're going to be a little late.

    If you're an artist and you've done something good, move on and do something else good. Don't try to recapture your glory days. Like Earnest T Bass from the Andy Griffith Show used to say, "I don't chew my cabbage twice".

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  6. I'll pass since none of the originals are doing it by Cito · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Brand new voices for the robots,

    New host, kid from Nerdist?

    wtf?

    I don't want some millennial sjw/PC bullshit,

    bring back the original voices or stick with rifftrax and don't bring it back.

    The original anti-political correct crew was best. I'm not supporting this fake mst3k, and yes it's fake if it's new host, all new robot voices, it's not mst3k.