Mystery Science Theater 3000

A stranded spaceship pilot captured by mad scientists survives a blitz of cheesy B movies by riffing on them with his funny robot pals.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989-1999) is a United States cable sci-fi comedy series created by Joel Hodgson for Comedy Central, later continued on Syfy. Joel Robinson (Joel Hodgson) is a stranded spaceship pilot held captive by mad scientists who force him to watch an endless parade of cheesy B movies aboard the Satellite of Love. To keep his sanity he builds robot companions Crow T. Robot (Trace Beaulieu) and Tom Servo (Kevin Murphy), and the trio riffs on every film in real time, cracking jokes at the screen while the scientists scheme in the background. Each episode is a self-contained movie night built from the same cramped set, puppetry and deadpan banter, with the captive crew's warm camaraderie giving the show its heart. Its tone is irreverent, breezy and gently absurd, with a cult following that loves its low budget charm. Fans of Rifftrax, Red Dwarf and Futurama will find similar resonance in its mix of genre parody and affectionate sci-fi silliness across ten seasons and 176 episodes.

Acclaimed as a clever, endlessly rewatchable riff on cheesy B movies, praised for its quick wit and affectionate robot characters.

• Rifftraxshared tones of irreverent riffing and cheesy sci-fi parody, with a captive host and robot companions
• Red Dwarfshared sci-fi B movie parody with a cheerful trapped protagonist and robot companions
• Futuramashared sci-fi comedy tone with quirky low budget space adventure and a lovable robot sidekick
• The Rocky Horror Picture Showshared riffing on campy genre films as a standing comedic format

Created by

Joel Hodgson

Release Date

1989-11-25

Episode runtime

92 min

Rating

8.6 / 10 (233)

What is Mystery Science Theater 3000 about?

A stranded spaceship pilot and his robot friends are forced to watch terrible B movies and riff on them to survive.

What is Mystery Science Theater 3000 like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mystery Science Theater 3000 as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is Mystery Science Theater 3000 violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Mystery Science Theater 3000.

What did critics think of Mystery Science Theater 3000?

Acclaimed as a clever, endlessly rewatchable riff on cheesy B movies, praised for its quick wit and affectionate robot characters.

Which shows are like Mystery Science Theater 3000?

Shows with a similar feel include Rifftrax, Red Dwarf, Futurama, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

How long is Mystery Science Theater 3000?

Mystery Science Theater 3000: 10 seasons, 176 episodes.

Is Mystery Science Theater 3000 still running?

No, Mystery Science Theater 3000 has ended.

Where can I watch Mystery Science Theater 3000?

In United States, Mystery Science Theater 3000 streams on fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus.