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Bring Back MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000

Created by Joel Hodgson & Team MST3K

You did it: you brought back MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000! Thanks to you, MST3K will be able to shoot FOURTEEN NEW EPISODES next year, including a new holiday special!

Latest Updates from Our Project:

We've got SIX MOVIE SIGNS!!!
over 8 years ago – Tue, Dec 01, 2015 at 11:27:21 PM

Dear MST3K Revival League,

Big news! Yesterday at 5:02pm EST – ten hours sooner than I predicted – we reached another important moment in Mystery Science History:

We've passed our second goal of $3.3M. And you know what that means...

Thanks to you, we'll now be able to make at least six new episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

There's a lot to say and share, so I've been busy working on a longer update. I probably won't be able to send that until tomorrow, but I didn't want to wait until tomorrow to share the good news, or to say "Thanks" for everything you're all doing.

It's been such a crazy month that I sometimes forget to stop and breathe, or I kinda lose track of how amazing this whole thing is. I mean, just look what we've all done together in the last 21 days… and we've still got nine more days to see if we can get all the way to a full twelve episodes. Good thing we've still got a few more surprises planned to help us get there!

Anyway, all that stuff can wait till tomorrow.

Tonight, I just wanted to send a quick update to say the most important thing: thanks, everyone.

More in the morning.

Cheers and Thanks,

Joel

Can we reach 6 EPISODES by midnight? 4 Updates from the Future. Plus… meet our next NEXT new Mad!
over 8 years ago – Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 11:32:41 PM

Dear Friends of MST3K,

Happy Cyber Monday! 

You know, I've always liked that name. It's kind of like, for this one day each year, we're all living… in the future. 

So, to celebrate Cyber Monday, I'm going to share some updates about the future!

  • We WILL reach our next goal by midnight: $3.3MM and 6 NEW EPISODES! 
  • When we do, all backers $85+ WILL get thanked in the credits of a new MST3K!
  • By tomorrow, we'll introduce more new ADD-ON REWARDS. 
  • Plus… you WILL meet our next next new Mad... right now!

FUTURE UPDATE #1

Before 11:59pm PST, we'll pass our second goal of $3.3MM, letting us make at least six new episodes of MST3K next year!

This one is pretty obvious, huh? We've got just over $100K left until we reach that next goal of $3.3M, and that's way less than you MSTies raised during the previous challenges. If we keep pushing today, we can totally do this. And actually, I've got three more future updates that might help us get there even faster.

FUTURE UPDATE #2

When we reach $3.3MM, you'll get our next BONUS REWARD: we'll include all Kickstarter backers* who pledge $85 or more in the end credits of a new episode of MST3K.

There's been a little bit of confusion about how your Kickstarter pledge works with our "Add On Rewards", so we'll update our Add-On Rewards FAQ today to explain it better… but it's pretty simple: 

  • If you pledged $85 or higher here on Kickstarter, you'll be able to get this bonus reward too. Check to see what pledge level you've selected here on Kickstarter, since that can be different from the total amount of money you've contributed. Basically, if your rewards include downloads of ALL NEW EPISODES, you'll get the bonus "Thank You Credit" too!
  • What you spend on Add-On Rewards at MST3K.com does not count toward your pledge level on Kickstarter. When you get Add-On Rewards, you're basically just buying the items you want. Whatever you spend on Add-Ons will count toward our final goal of $5.5MM, but it won't change your pledge or reward level here on Kickstarter. 

(If you have more questions, be sure to check the FAQ. If that doesn't help, send us a message here on Kickstarter or email [email protected].)

Also, while we're talking about Add-On Rewards...

FUTURE UPDATE #3

By tomorrow, we'll release more Add-On Rewards, including exclusive new items that you've been asking for!

As soon as our new Add-Ons are available, I'll send another update to let you know… but if you want to customize your rewards to get just the items you want – or you want more than one of something – you'll be able to choose exactly what rewards you want. It's "a la carte," as the French say.

Anyway, I've got one more big update – and this is the one I'm most excited about.

FUTURE UPDATE #4

Meet our next next new Mad.

Last week, when I announced Felicia, Hampton and Baron, I also teased one more new character we're planning for MST3K: a new Evil Henchman. Since then, I've been watching all of your guesses, and there have been so many good suggestions that we'd need a whole army of Evil Henchmen to use them all.

But I have to tell you, I feel pretty wonderful about our new Evil Henchman. In fact, it's not much fun to just tell you, so I'll let him introduce himself:

View Video

So yeah, as some of you already guessed...

Patton Oswalt has agreed to join MST3K as the Forrester's newest Evil Henchman... TV's Son of TV's Frank!

You know, the funny thing is that when we launched our Kickstarter, I hadn't even approached Patton about being on MST3K… but I had thought a lot about getting him involved.

I first became aware of Patton around fourteen years ago, when he was doing "commentary" for the MTV Awards – live in the room during the event! I realized right away he was a kindred spirit, and damn funny too. Since then, obviously, he's bloomed into this amazing comedy/internet dynamo, and I've gotta tell you: I've seen a lot of stand-ups over the years, but – no lie – Patton really is one of the best ever. And just as important, he's a very fun, articulate and witty soul – just the kind of person who we've always tried to bring onboard for MST3K.

That's probably why, when I started putting together my dream roster of special "guest writers" for the next season of MST3K, the idea of Patton kept coming back to me. I knew he was a Mystery Science Theater fan from way back – he even moderated our 20th Anniversary Reunion panel at San Diego Comic-Con)--and I thought he'd be terrific at writing riffs. Then I started to wonder if he might be a good fit on camera, too.

Remember last week, how I said my creative process usually starts with visuals, and then I work backward? Well, in this case, I first imagined Patton dressed up like TV's Frank. I figured maybe he'd be Frank's son, or at least a clone. But yeah: the idea of Patton wearing black lab assistant's garb, with a big mound of silver hair and a spitcurl...? It was just really funny to me, in a visual / cross-referential / meta kind of way.

Anyway, like I said, I wasn't able to connect with Patton before we launched our Kickstarter. (That's one reason his silhouette wasn't in the teaser graphic when we started, and why he's not in the videos with Jonah, Felicia, Hampton and Baron.) After the campaign took off, we started emailing again. I tested the waters by seeing if he'd be interested in being a guest writer for an episode, and he was really enthusiastic.

So, I decided to just go for it, and here's what happened:

I took “OH MY GOD” as a yes. We started working out the details, and I asked a graphics friend to create an image that sort of cloned Patton into someone who would look like Frank's son. I think the image turned out great. Then, last week, after we talked a little more, Patton said, "I want to be called something like 'TV's Son of TV's Frank.'" So I guess that's what we're going to call him.

Anyway, even though we won't start working on contracts until after the Kickstarter ends, it seems pretty safe to say that Patton will be on board with us, on camera AND as a special guest writer too!

Plus, if your rewards include a SIGNED MST3K POSTER ($300 and up), now it'll include Patton's autograph. Just think of all the time you'll save by not standing in line at Comic-Con!

Now, aren't you glad you stuck with me to see where all this was going?

So yeah, that's my first-ever update from the future. What do you think, sirs?

Remember: the Turkey Day Challenge and our Turkey Day/Black Friday/Cyber Monday specials both end at 11:59pm PST tonight. So you can still get our "87 classic episodes for $150" deal and help make sure you get more new episodes of MST3K. Something old and something new. Sounds good, right?

In the next update, I'll have more details about our new ADD-ON REWARDS, plus some details about how you can VOLUNTEER TO HELP with some fun surprises we're planning for the final week of our Kickstarter campaign. But until then...

KEEP CIRCULATING THE URL!

Cheers and Thanks,

 Joel

Tom Servo, official Cyberman. You heard Joel's big news! Now help us make sure all of your friends hear it, so that we can hit our next goal before midnight. (Plus, ladies, once we reach six episodes there should be enough Tom Servo for all of you.) Sound good? Helping is easy.

Just post one (or all) of these messages to Twitter & Facebook right now: 

STILL GOING! Turkey Day Challenge and Deals EXTENDED THROUGH CYBER MONDAY! Plus: MST3K reruns all weekend.
over 8 years ago – Sat, Nov 28, 2015 at 10:52:14 PM

Hello MST3K Family & Friends!

I hope you had a wonderful Turkey Day. Did you get enough to eat? I hope so. And then, if you’re like me, you ate just a little bit more, to send a message to your body that it was, indeed, Thanksgiving.

Anyway, this year, I’m thankful for all of you — and to everyone who spent some of their Turkey Day with me, watching our Turkey Day Marathon. I was able to talk with some of you on YouTube and Twitter, and the whole thing was a lot of fun. Then, we all went to sleep stuffed with pie AND cheesy movies!

I know you're full, so I just have a few important updates to share today.

  • During our Turkey Day '15 Marathon, we passed $3MM to #BringBackMST3K!
  • We're now the second most funded Film & Video project on Kickstarter! Yipes! 
  • Turkey Day Challenge AND Holiday Sales EXTENDED until 11:59pm on Monday!
  • If we reach $3.3M before then, all backers at $85+ get listed in MST3K's credits! 
  • Want leftovers? Turkey Day '15 Marathon Reruns available all weekend long!

First, I'd like to share something I'm thankful for: during the final hour of our Turkey Day '15 Marathon, we passed the $3M mark. 

We're not up to our second goal of $3.3M and six new episodes just yet, but a few hours ago, we passed another important milestone:

With more than $3.11M raised, we're now the SECOND HIGHEST FUNDED KICKSTARTER for any Film & Video project ever!

That means we've passed Zach Braff's Wish I Was Here, which raised $3,105,473, and are second only to Veronica Mars, which raised $5,702,153. That's pretty amazing. Thanks to you, MST3K has joined the crowdfunding “big leagues”!

Plus, after we're done making the new Kickstarter episodes, I think it will do a lot to help us convince a television network or online platform to let us make even more new seasons of MST3K in the future. 

And it gets better: thanks to you, our "Turkey Day Specials" and "Black Friday Sale" have already raised another $85,000 (and counting) to help #BringBackMST3K! 

We're still working on how to get that added to the total here on Kickstarter, but here are two important things to know: (1) the money you spent on Add-On Rewards didn't count toward the Turkey Day Challenge, but (2) it does count toward our final goal of raising $5.5MM to make twelve new episodes of MST3K!

(There have been a lot of questions about how the Turkey Day Add-Ons work, so our team is posting some new FAQ about Add-Ons.)

And while we're talking about it, I almost forgot! 

I know I said the Turkey Day Challenge would end at 11:59pm on Thursday but hey... it's that weird weekend between Thanksgiving and the work week, so I decided, "Let's do something crazy!" Crazy Joel, that's what they call me. So...

We're extending the TURKEY DAY CHALLENGE until the end of Cyber Monday: if we reach $3.3MM by 11:59pm PST on Monday, all backers who pledge $85 or more on Kickstarter* will get to include a name of their choice in the credits of a new MST3K!

Like I said last time, I'm really excited about the bonus reward I promised you if we can beat the Turkey Day Challenge, so I want to give you another chance to get it. 

And in case you forgot, all reward packages at $85 and higher include digital downloads of all new episodes funded on Kickstarter (in HD and without DRM), so that you'll be able to see your name when it appears in the credits!

[*EDITOR'S NOTE: Remember, you'll only get the "Thank You Credit" bonus if you pledge for a reward package of $85+ here on Kickstarter. If you purchase the Black Friday Specials or Add-On Rewards at MST3K.com, your contribution will count toward our goal of raising $5.5MM, but it won't increase your pledge level or entitle you to additional rewards listed in the more expensive packages here on Kickstarter.]

Oh, and here's another important announcement I almost forgot!

We've also extended our TURKEY DAY / BLACK FRIDAY SPECIALS through Cyber Monday, so you now have until 11:59pm PST Monday to grab classic MST3K episodes for 50-87% off!

In case you haven't looked, here are our three big holiday offers:

Oh, and remember, these TURKEY DAY SPECIALS aren't like the rewards you get here on Kickstarter. With these deals, you'll be charged right away and we'll make sure to send them to you by December 11, when our Kickstarter ends. 

That means you've still got time to give the gift of MST3K for the holidays, so that you and your loved ones can have a very Swayze Christmas and help us make more new episodes for next year!

Okay, one more thing...

All weekend long, we're serving up leftovers... with reruns of the Turkey Day '15 Marathon!

I know that some of you couldn't join us on Turkey Day, because your new-age religion forbids it, but I don't want you to miss out on the fun. That's why, with the help of our friends at Shout! Factory TV, PlutoTV and Yahoo, I'm happy to say that you can keep enjoying the entire marathon, over and over, all weekend long!

  • If you want to reheat THE WHOLE MEAL tune into our channel on PlutoTV. 
  • If you want to reheat JUST YOUR FAVORITES, watch on demand at Yahoo.

Of course, neither of those include the new introductions I shot for each episode at Kickstarter HQ... so if you want to see those, I posted all of the new videos on our YouTube Channel.

Also, in case you didn't see those segments, we had a few fun surprises!

With the help of my friends at Kickstarter, we shared new Fan Letters for the first time since MST3K ended. (We also posted a lot more of your wonderful letters and artwork on our new Tumblr.) 

If you still want to share your stories and art, I love seeing them, and we'll keep sharing them... so email them to [email protected].

We also had a special surprise guest: a young woman named Ashley Holtgraver, from the very cool electropop band Freezepop. When Ashley was just 8 years old, we read her letter on MST3K! 

To help end this year's Turkey Day, a grown-up Ashley joined me to perform a new version of the MST3K theme song! Here, see for yourself:

Pretty great, huh?

Anyway, all of those turkeys we watched are still making me a little sleepy, so it's time for another Turkey Day Weekend tradition: a long afternoon nap.

While I do, I hope you'll remind your friends and family that if they join our Kickstarter now – or increase their pledge – we'll be able to make at least six new episodes of MST3K. Wouldn't that be something to be thankful for next year?

And remember: we've still got until 11:59pm Monday night, to beat the Turkey Day Challenge, so...

KEEP CIRCULATING THE URL!

Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving,

 Joel

Tom Servo, liberator of leftovers. I know, I know: you're full and it's too much work to get off the sofa. Well, what if I told you that you can help us Bring Back MST3K without lifting a finger? Okay, maybe just your finger…. but it's easy, I promise.

Just post one (or all) of these messages to Twitter & Facebook right now: 

HUGE Turkey Day Challenge & Reward Updates. Plus: Where to Watch Turkey Day!
over 8 years ago – Wed, Nov 25, 2015 at 11:19:40 PM

Dear MST3K Revival Leaguers,

Happy Night Before Turkey Day!

I hope you're somewhere comfortable as you read this, sipping a nice glass of wine, a mug of hot cider, or whatever sort of festive beverage you like best. 

If you're in an airport or train station, don't worry: you'll be there soon, and I think the legroom is a little better than it used to be.

Anyway: tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and there's so much left to prepare. 

Let's get to the update.

  • You beat the 72-HOUR CHALLENGE: six classic episodes unlocked! 
  • The Turkey Day Challenge: can we get to $3.3M by midnight tomorrow? 
  • If we do, all backers (at $85+) get THANKED IN MST3K's CREDITS!
  • More chances at SOLD OUT REWARDS! 
  • NEW 100% DIGITAL PACKAGE: all the episodes, no extra stuff! 
  • NEW REWARDS and BLACK FRIDAY SPECIALS!
  • All the details for tomorrow's TURKEY DAY MARATHON!

First, in case you didn't already hear the news...

Together, you beat the 72 HOUR CHALLENGE in just 36 HOURS and unlocked the second BONUS REWARD!

You did it again, everyone. I gave you a challenge and you completed it in less than half the time allowed. Maybe that means I should make the challenges twice as hard?

But it also means that you unlocked BONUS REWARD #2, so anyone who pledges $35 or more will now get SIX free classic episodes to download and keep, bringing the "street" value of the $35 package to more than $60!

Don't worry, I'll pick some great episodes for you.

Anyway, now that you've beaten the 72-Hour Challenge, it's time for...

Our next goal is $3.3M, which is enough to make SIX new episodes of MST3K. To help us get there faster, and to add some extra spice to tomorrow's marathon, we've got a new challenge:

If we reach $3.3M before 11:59pm tomorrow, any backer who pledges for a reward at $85 or higher will get their name – or a name of their choice – in the end credits of the new MST3K!

You know, this is secretly my absolute favorite reward that we've offered yet. It's actually something I’ve been wanting to do ever since we started talking about this Kickstarter. I also love the idea of adding it on Thanksgiving, because it’s really in the spirit of the holidays. Let me explain what I mean.

I’ve met so many of you over the years, and heard your stories about what MST3K means to you, and the big thing I’ve learned is that your memories aren't just about loving MST3K, but more so, about the people you love that you’ve shared MST3K with over the years: your parents, or siblings, or kids, or that one strange friend who just so totally "gets" your sense of humor.

If you've shared MST3K with someone special, this is a nice way to show it: if we beat the Turkey Day Challenge, we'll list a name of your choice in the end credits of a new episode of MST3K. I like to think of it as a virtual dedication stone, except it’s really really tiny.

There are no rules, just so long as it makes sense to you: it can be your name, a family member, a pet's name… It can be someone you used to watch MST3K with, but who is no longer on the planet... or, conversely, it could be someone who hasn’t even been born.

Anyway, I think this reward is really special, and from all of the stories you've told me, I hope you'll use it to thank someone special to you.

The Turkey Day Challenge isn't going to be easy – it'll mean raising over $500K before Friday morning – but I think we can do it. And remember, tomorrow's Turkey Day '15 Marathon is a great way to introduce MST3K to your unsuspecting family and friends!

4 Big Updates About Rewards

We've got FOUR BIG UPDATES related to our Kickstarter rewards.

1. More chances to get SOLD OUT REWARDS. 

If you missed out on a reward that you really wanted, take another look – we just added more slots to several of the "sold out" reward levels. After all, making more episodes means we also have more chances for you to appear on MST3K, be a producer or writer, or keep the actual Servo or Crow used in an episode. It's a Thanksgiving miracle!

2. New 100% DIGITAL REWARD: all the new episodes and no physical rewards. 

After Update #2, when I explained that a lot of the funds we raise are spent on creating and sending out Kickstarter rewards, a lot of you asked for a pledge level that gives you all of the new episodes (and the classic "bonus reward" episodes), but doesn't make you pay more for shipping, or send you any physical stuff, like t-shirts or coffee mugs. So, we just added this reward:

It might not look like it costs a lot less than EXPERIMENT 100, but remember: there's no extra charge for shipping, which means it's at least $25-30 less expensive!

3. New rewards coming tomorrow! 

We've also been reading all of your reward suggestions, and you've given us some really neat ideas. We'll try to add several more before the end of our Kickstarter, but starting tomorrow morning at 11am EST, we're planning to add these new rewards:

• EXPERIMENT 0847: We're adding an MST3K CHICAGO PREMIERE SCREENING!
• EXPERIMENT 2500: Bring a guest for a GROUP DINNER WITH THE CAST!
• EXPERIMENT 7777: Keep one of the NEW INVENTIONS featured in the next season!
• EXPERIMENT 9999: Bring up to 5 guests for a PRIVATE DINNER WITH THE CAST!

4. We're offering three special BLACK FRIDAY DEALS. 

When the marathon starts tomorrow, we'll also launch something new we've been preparing over at MST3K.com – a new store where you can get "Add On Rewards", if you want more rewards that aren't included in your Kickstarter rewards, or just want to get some extras.

Next week, we'll add a lot of new options, but for Turkey Day and Black Friday, we're offering three TURKEY DAY SPECIALS. 

  • Download CLASSIC MST3K EPISODES for $5/EPISODE
         (50% off!) 
  • Download THE CLASSIC MST3K COLLECTION: 87 EPISODES for $150
         (50% off!) 
  • Get an AUTOGRAPHED MST3K TURKEY DAY SET for $100
         (Autographed by Joel!)

Plus, if you grab these now, we'll deliver them to you by December 20! 

And remember: these ADD-ON REWARDS and BLACK FRIDAY SPECIALS can't be claimed on Kickstarter. You'll only be able to get them on MST3K.com!

MST3K TURKEY DAY '15 MARATHON:
ALL DAY TOMORROW!

Finally, no matter what you're doing or where you're spending Thanksgiving, I hope you'll "carve out" a little time to join us tomorrow for our all-day MST3K marathon. Here's a quick reminder:

WHAT
The MST3K TURKEY DAY '15 Marathon! 
6 classic episodes of MST3K 
with new introductions from Joel

WHEN
Livestream starts at 12pm EST / 9am PST.
On Demand is available all weekend.

WHERE
Livestream at mst3k.com, PlutoTV or YouTube,
or Watch On Demand on Yahoo

HOW
Using all of your favorite digital devices!
See the complete list of options.

PLUS...
Be sure to join us on Twitter and Facebook all day
using #BringBackMST3K for more riffing, announcements,
and a whole lot of good conversation.

As usual, that's a lot of new information to digest… especially when you're probably saving up room to digest an entire Thanksgiving dinner! But I really do hope you'll leave some room to join us tomorrow for the marathon. It's going to be a lot of fun.

And if you want to help us beat the TURKEY DAY CHALLENGE, remember…

KEEP CIRCULATING THE URL!

Cheers and Thanks,

Joel

Tom Servo, crowdfunding pilgrim here. You're probably busy mashing potatoes right now, but... how about a break? Take 30 seconds to help us out now, and we could have six new episodes of MST3K waiting on the table by next Turkey Day! It's easy.  

Just post one (or all) of these messages to Twitter & Facebook right now:

  • Save room to join @JoelGHodgson for the #BringBackMST3K Turkey Day Marathon, tmrw at Noon ET / 9am PT! Live at http://mst3k.com/turkeyday

Meet The Next Mad, Crow & Servo of MST3K. Plus, a 72-HOUR CHALLENGE!
over 8 years ago – Mon, Nov 23, 2015 at 11:41:09 PM

Hello Again, MST3K Revival Leaguers!

I know – it's been a few days since the last update. Things just keep getting busier around here! 

I've been hard at work preparing the dishes for this year's MST3K TURKEY DAY MARATHON, so I hope you're planning to save some room on Thursday to join us for an extra-large helping of cheesy movies.

Anyway, we've now got just 18 days left in our Kickstarter, and there's a lot to talk about... So let's get right into this morning's update, huh?

  • NEW CHALLENGES: Just 72 HOURS to reach $2.75M before Turkey Day '15.
  • NEW BONUS REWARD: More classic episodes free if we get there, plus… 
  • MAJOR BONUS REWARD, if we reach $3.3M before the end of Turkey Day '15!
  • PLUS, BIG NEWS: Joel's pick for MST3K's next Mad, Crow and Servo!

Turns out, there's a lot of math involved in running a Kickstarter campaign. In case you haven't been obsessing over the numbers as much as I have, here's an important one:

This Thursday isn't just Turkey Day 2015, or MST3K's 27th birthday… it's also exactly halfway through our Kickstarter. 

To make sure we can reach all four of our goals by December 11, I want to make sure we don't fall behind. So, since last week's "24 Hour Challenge" worked so well that you MSTies reached it in just 12 hours, today I've got a new challenge for you:

If we reach $2.75M before the MST3K Turkey Day '15 Marathon begins, we'll add another bonus reward – free downloads of three MORE classic episodes – for all pledges at $35 and up!

How's that for a little Turkey Day deal? If we can raise half the money we need for our full season by the halfway mark of our Kickstarter – 12pm EST on Thursday – we'll add another $30 worth of free classic episodes to the $35+ reward levels. That means the $35 package will now include $60 worth of free episodes!

Pretty cool, huh?

So if you're still at a lower level, or haven't gotten around to pledging yet, TODAY is a great time to INCREASE YOUR PLEDGE to $35 or higher. And remember: no matter when you pledge, you still won't be charged anything until our Kickstarter ends on December 11.

Then, if we can reach $3.3M – our second goal – before the Turkey Day '15 Marathon ends, we've got a much bigger bonus reward for you… and it's something that a lot of you have been asking for!

I don't want to get ahead of myself, so I'll tell you about that challenge in another update this week. Hardcore MSTies, I'll just give you a little hint: if you help us make the newest episodes of MST3K, you might just get to see the oldest episodes of MST3K.

And to help you beat those two challenges, we'll also be releasing some NEW REWARD PACKAGES tomorrow morning, and opening up more chances to get some of the rewards that are already sold out. So, be sure to check back tomorrow!

Last Monday, I introduced you to Jonah Ray, who I'm hoping will be the next host of MST3K, and a lot of you seemed pretty happy about it. And, since I'm terrible at keeping secrets, I thought maybe today I'd go ahead and confirm a few more casting rumors I've seen out there.

Oh look, everyone! It's another video!

Now remember, it's like I said in the video: we can't sign final, official agreements with anyone until the Kickstarter ends and we know how many episodes we'll be making… but you know, things are looking pretty good. Anyway, as you saw in the video, this time I've got three future MST3K cast members to introduce!

Let's do these one at a time, huh?

First, I'm hoping that Felicia Day will join us as "Kinga Forrester," MST3K's next Mad… and Dr. Clayton Forrester's daughter!

Since Felicia is kind of "nerd royalty," a lot of you might already know her: she was in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, she created a killer web series called The Guild, and launched the YouTube channel Geek & Sundry.

Actually, you know, I'll come back to Felicia in a minute. First, I want to tell you a little bit about Kinga Forrester, who is also new to MST3K.

When I started imagining the next season of MST3K, I knew we'd need the next Mad to be someone worthy of the Mad title and someone who could live up to the great work of Trace, Josh, Frank and Mary Jo. But I also thought we needed a new "flavor" – something that would lead to new situations. So, right away, I knew that I wanted the next Mad to be someone who could be both comedic and threatening... and if possible, both at the same time!

I also knew, from the start, that the next Mad should be a woman.

Part of that inspiration came from seeing what Mary Jo Pehl did with the role of Pearl Forrester. As Pearl, Mary Jo – or MJ, as we called her – could be funny in so many different ways… but while she was a woman, the humor never came from Pearl being female -- that just happened to be a great coincidence, and a tribute to how great MJ was in that part. And I know her performance stuck with a lot of you too, because any time we did appearances for MST3K or Cinematic Titanic, there was always a long line of folks waiting for their turn to lavish praise on her!

So, ever since I started thinking about the future of MST3K, I think I've known the next Mad needed to be another formidable woman in the Forrester family line.

I don't want to give away too much about Kinga's character yet, because I think we'll have a lot of fun with that during the new season, so I'll just tell you two important things:

The first thing I realized about Kinga was that she needed to have red hair. I know that might seem sort of superficial, but it’s part of the way I work, off a series of visual cues: I have to “see” it first, and then I work backwards to make sense out of it. The red hair came to me because I've always felt the Forrester clan were from Scandinavian backgrounds – mainly because MST3K has such deep roots in the Midwest, and especially Minnesota. (Plus, the Swedish usually aren’t portrayed as super villains, and I think it’s time we did something to fix that.)

The other thing I knew was that the next Mad should be someone who could be threatening, and could have moments of true irrational rage. (Those kinds of people scare the sh*t out of me, but they're also so much fun to write for!) I think I started to imagine Kinga as a character like Alice's Queen of Hearts… to the point where I actually started describing her to others as Queen Kinga, even though she's not married.

At the same time, I had no idea who should play Kinga. A few times, I would look online for actors that seemed to fit the description in my head, but none of them seemed right.

And then, one day, I came across Felicia Day.

I don't remember where I first saw Felicia, but I remember knowing right away that there was something really interesting about her: both the way she looked and the way she behaved. She was beautiful, and yet, so capable of being character-y too: I suppose that makes her "adorkable." Anyway, I checked out her seminal webseries, The Guild, and was just delighted. She was like a geek Mary Richards from The Mary Tyler Moore Show! And then I saw her in Dr. Horrible, and again, I was just so impressed.

Even after that, though, I wasn't 100% sure. I didn't know if she'd be interested, and I've never really gotten in touch with anyone I don't know to join the MST3K cast. (For example, the entire old cast of MST3K lived near each other in Minneapolis.) I don't really start my process by calling agents and whatnot, so I just didn't pursue it.

And then, about 6 or 8 weeks ago at the Salt Lake ComicCon, I got a message from my booking agent, saying, "Did you know that Felicia Day really wants to meet you?" Interesting. So we met in the green room that afternoon, and she was funny and sweet. She's kind of a goof, but there's also this manic side to her that will let her do "crazy." So, I sent her a message over Twitter:

(How's that for a historic document?)

Things moved quickly after that. We started making plans to tape the Kickstarter video, I had a costume designer get to work on her MST3K suit, my people started talking to her people, and that's about it. Now, the situation is the same with Felicia as everyone else: we haven't got any formal deal in place yet because we weren't sure how this Kickstarter would turn out, but I feel like it's probably going to happen.

After she said she wanted to join MST3K, I also got around to reading her new book, You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost): A Memoir. It's a great read, and I felt like it might be an easy way to understand her more. (Plus, now I can finally do my George C. Scott impression from the movie Patton when I see Felicia: “You magnificent bastard, I read your book!” You should too!)

Anyway, here's what I gleaned from it: Felicia's secret power might be that she is fine being an outsider. And I also just think she can pull off being likable, intimidating and "crazy" all at the same time: a total wild card! As the next Mad, she's gonna need all that and more. 

I can't wait for you to meet Kinga.

But wait... there's more!

I'm also inviting comedians Hampton Yount and Baron Vaughn to become the next voices of Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo!

When it came time to think about casting the new voices of Tom Servo and Crow, I had a feeling that our best bet was to find some talented young comedians. That was how our original casts came together too, back in Minneapolis, and that seemed to work out pretty well. But for a while, that's as far as it went, because it's hard to cast Crow and Servo until you've got a host to put them with.

Once Jonah agreed that he wanted to become the next host, things started to move again. And since he would be the one in the movie riffing trenches with Crow and Servo, I felt it was important to let Jonah help find the right people. There had to be real chemistry to our choices, not just casting.

(Also, for you Mystery Science Historians, this style of "finding talent" has always been part of MST3K. When the show started, I invited Josh and Trace. Later, Josh saw Mike in a club and thought he was great. Once I hired Mike, he suggested Frank and Bridget as writers. Bridget suggested Mary Jo. So it goes.)

Anyway, Jonah told me to check out Hampton and Baron. I watched a ton of their videos online and thought they were pretty great, so the next time I was in LA – about a year ago – we went out to eat together and had our first "official meeting," which really just means that I picked up the check.

After that first meeting, I knew that I liked them both a lot, but I still hadn't decided. So, I asked them to do a "test session" on Skype, and gave them some lines to read as Crow and Servo. Just to see what they'd do with it, you know? And sure, they did great first reads on the respective characters, but it was the stuff between takes that kind of took my breath away. They were just so great at riffing off each other and so quick on their feet. I remember thinking it was like going down the rabbit hole and seeing a glimpse of the future MST3K. Then, when it came time to make our Kickstarter video, I asked them to help out.

During that shoot, I realized that Hampton did a killer impression of Trace's Crow, but I actually cautioned him against it, because it could make it harder to evolve the part later, when he'll need to do impressions and dialects – which is a pretty big part of the job. I also told both of them that it would take them some time to figure out their own versions of Crow and Servo. (If you watch anyone on MST3K when they start out, I think it takes at least a good 3 to 6 shows to get your movie-riffing legs. You just have to kind of feel it out once you're in the room.) 

Baron even called me after he saw the first Kickstarter video, to tell me he already has ideas for how he wants to tweak his Tom Servo. So maybe they'll sound a little different over time, but just watching them mess around on set, I know we've found the right people for the jobs.

Also, before I go, I'll tell you what I told Hampton and Baron: I don't want them to make "sound-alike" Tom Servos and Crows. The bots aren't like the Muppets: they've always been manifestations of the people running them. Kevin didn't sound exactly like Josh, and Bill didn't sound exactly like Trace. And the way I see it, the point of being a movie riffing robot is that you can do a bunch of voices and dialects – not just sound like the last guy.

Plus, personally, it always feel a bit hollow to me when you have to cast people who sound like the original character. I think it's much more important to have people have great comic instincts, the right chemistry, and who can be inventive with the character. With Hampton and Baron, we're getting all of that and more.

So, there you go. I've revealed both of the mysterious figures in that picture on our Kickstarter page, and I've spilled all of my casting secrets. Now you're all caught up with that leak that somehow appeared in Entertainment Weekly last week, after I told them everything in an interview. (I told you, I don't like keeping secrets.)

Anyway, now that everything is out in the open, we can update that picture. 

Here we go:

Oh, look at that. A new silhouette.

Maybe I do still have another secret I haven't shared yet!

Anyway, the next season of MST3K is starting to look pretty exciting, huh? That's why I hope we can keep up the pace and get to a full season of 12 episodes next year, and give the next cast a chance to show the networks – and you – what they can do.

Now, while I get started on your next update, I hope you'll join me in the comments to welcome Jonah, Felicia, Baron and Hampton aboard. And remember:

KEEP CIRCULATING THE URL!

Cheers and Thanks,

Joel

Tom Servo, internet sensation, here to remind you that we still need your help to spread the word and get MST3K back for a full 12-episode season. Lucky for you, spreading the word is simple!

Just post one of these messages to Twitter & Facebook right now... and not just the top one, people! 

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