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!
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Three things to WATCH OUT FOR during this summer's MST3K LIVE TOUR… and only one of them is SNAKES!
almost 7 years ago
– Tue, Jun 27, 2017 at 09:09:00 PM
Dear MST3K Revival League,
First, thanks so much to all of you who took some time to share your thoughts about the new season after the last update. There were some really thoughtful suggestions and comments, and there's a lot there to unpack and respond to. I don't want to rush through all of it, or ignore it, so I probably won't be able to really dig in and respond until we finish the live tour later this summer, but once that's done, we'll get at it.
Also, speaking of the live tour, I also promised that in this update, I'd introduce you to the wonderful comedian who will be stepping into the voice of Tom Servo while we're on the road, since Baron will be staying in Los Angeles to prepare for his first child.
Finding a Replacement Servo
One important thing for you to know is that I didn't actually find the actor who will be filling in as Tom Servo myself. Just like I did when we were casting the roles of Crow and Servo for the new episodes, I put the question to the cast, because there needs to be easy, natural chemistry between the people who will be performing together.
So, when we realized Baron wouldn't be able to join us this summer, I immediately thought it would be a good idea to put the question to the group that would actually be on the road: not just me, but Jonah, Hampton and Rebecca (who will be on the tour as both Gypsy and Synthia). We started talking amongst ourselves, and honestly, a perfect candidate came up almost immediately:
It didn’t take long before everyone agreed that TIM RYDER should perform Servo with us out on the road!
Now, if Tim's name looks familiar to you, it's probably because he was already in every episode of Season 11, as one of Kinga's main Boneheads. Like the rest of our cast, he also contributed to the new season as a writer, and was one of the writers who worked on the scripts for the two new "episodes" that we'll be performing on the live tour – so he already knew the material!
And you know, even though Tim didn't get a chance to speak out loud in the new episodes (the Boneheads don't do a lot of talking), he's a really funny guy. In fact, he's a long-time alumnus of Chicago's famous "Second City" comedy troupe and a veteran of two well-known Second City ETC shows, and still appears regularly on the mainstage and in the casts of their wildly popular touring shows. So, he's already an old hand at the touring life, and as a performer and improviser, I believe Tim is simply at the top of his game.
But the most important thing, really, is that the rest of our cast feels so strongly that Tim is the right fit. When the idea first came up for Tim to step in for Baron, I pulled Jonah aside to make sure he felt it was the right fit, and he didn't hesitate. In fact, he said, "More than anything, it needs to be friends up there riffing, which makes Tim the perfect choice!" And as you probably know, Jonah was the guy who picked Baron and Hampton to begin with, so I'm happy to defer to him -- and I'm very excited about what this means for our Watch Out for Snakes team!
So yeah, if you're able to join us for the live show this summer, you'll want to watch out for Tim. And as long as you're watching out...
Did someone mention snakes?
You'll probably want to start watching out for them, too, because they're a really important (and fun!) part of the show we've been planning.
About six months ago, once we started thinking about re-riffing Eegah and using “Watch Out for Snakes” as a tour concept, I started wondering about some splashy visual applications using snakes. And, for some reason, I began to fixate on the idea of spring snakes.
If you've never heard of them, spring snakes were a novelty item from the turn of the last century, built around a coiled spring and packed tight in a can of fake peanut brittle or nuts. After all, who can resist the pleasure of opening peanuts or peanut brittle that come out of a suspicious metal can! And when they do, would they really be all that surprised when a giant snake jumped out of the can instead?
Classic novelty spring snakes!
Anyway, whether they're surprising or not, spring snakes are the kind of whimsical idea that just felt right for our first Mystery Science Theater Live tour.
(They also pack small and play BIG, so they’re perfect for the road!)
So, Seth Robinson, one of my creative managers and an Associate Producer on the show, who also designed many of the props for Season 11, started to do some research, both to find out where we could get a lot of spring snakes, and also to answer the timeless question, "What exactly is the 'state of the art' when it comes to spring snakes in 2017?”
I should tell you that, to fulfill the idea I was thinking about for the show, we need close to 300 spring snakes, with at least two different lengths and diameters. I called everyone I knew in the novelty business, and then the magic business, and also ordered just about every spring snake we could still find on the web, and I'm sad to tell you: spring snakes are not what they used to be. It turns out that 2017 is not a good time to be a spring snake, my friends.
But, since we couldn't find what we were looking for "out of the can," we had to get creative! During our research, we found a very nice builder of custom magic props in Ohio who was willing to consider our request, but could only make snakes in the "traditional size", which is about 3" across and 4' long. The problem is, I also wanted a jumbo snake that would be about 8" across and 10' long -- almost 250% of the normal size. But, our friend in Ohio wouldn't have been able to make the snakes we needed in time for the tour, so we had only one choice left:
We decided to commission our own 100% custom spring snakes, manufactured to our precise and demanding specifications!
Each of the new MST3K "Watch Out for Spring Snakes" is custom-wound, in two sizes, and has a custom designed and printed "skin" on the finest quality cotton, with an unusually high thread count. Ordinary spring snakes are usually covered in cheap plastic, that feels similar to the material used to make garbage bags. So, I guess what I'm saying is, these will be some of the finest spring snakes anywhere in the world, which feels like the right thing for MST3K.
When we started designing the snake skins, we tried to base them around the iconic Japanese Koinobori Carp Streamer Kites. You might have seen them before, even if you didn't know that's what they were called, but just so you know, the kites look like this:
It's a pretty neat look, and it works well for snakeskin. But also, if you look closely at the pattern below, you’ll see Kinga had her way with them, dropping in the MST3K logo along the spine as well as her Kinga brand, the unique bonehead skull:
I'm really pleased with how they look, and I guess Kinga is too, because she let us move forward with making them. And now, our offices are warehousing over 300 of these snakes:
Some of our new spring snakes will be used for the live shows, but some are also being reserved for a very innovative (and Kinga-approved) novelty product we'll be offering at the official merch table during intermission and after each show.
So, you know, watch out for those too!
Some big news about Eegah!
Finally, one other "big" development for our live shows that you'll want to watch out for: with the help of our friends at the Cinema Preservation Alliance and The Film Detective, we have successfully located the original camera negative of the film that gave our "Watch Out for Snakes" tour its name, the infamous 1962 caveman epic, Eegah, which came from the late Mike Vraney of Something Weird Video.
If you love cheesy old movies as much as I do, this news will electrify you just as much as the improved, pristine image of Arch Hall Jr. does in the comparison below:
I'm told an original camera negative is the "holy grail" of classic film finds, so we are really just so grateful to have a fresh high definition scan from the best possible source. Simply put, our Eegah show will be the finest-looking and clearest-sounding Eegah experience available in almost 50 years!
As you can see from the shots above, this Eegah looks nothing like the version you probably remember from the original Mystery Science Theater 3000. The image is crisper, the color pops like a classic restored film and naturally, we’re hoping the vintage cheese is just that much more aromatic.
And, if you're also getting tickets for our other show, don't worry: our “Super Secret Surprise” movie is a bright and colorful film that has also been digitally scanned from a gorgeous 35mm print. So, both movies will be a polychromatic sight to behold.
Anyway, there you go: between Tim Ryder, our custom spring snakes, and a fresh new print of Eegah, you've got three more big reasons that I'm so excited about how our MST3K LIVE: WATCH OUT FOR SNAKES tour is coming together.
If you haven't already gotten tickets to come join us at your nearest show, I hope you'll still consider it, and maybe get yours right now. I'd love to have you there.
Cheers and Thanks!
Joel
Hello friends! Renowned society bot Tom Servo here with a request that you help spread the word about the live tour on Twitter and Facebook.
Here’s a suggestion you can copy-and-paste, but by all means, get creative:
I’m excited and apprehensive to #watchoutforsnakes on the #mst3klive tour this summer! Get your tickets now: http://mst3k.com/tour
A Deeper Look at MST3K LIVE! Your LAST CHANCE to Grab Add-On Rewards! PLUS: Rewards Update!
almost 7 years ago
– Fri, Jun 16, 2017 at 11:38:32 PM
Dear MST3K Revival League,
Joel here. I hope your summers are off to a good start, and that you've been staying out of the heat and enjoying all of the new episodes of Mystery Science Theater.
Now, I know some of you are pacing yourselves and haven't watched all of the new season yet, but I also know that some of you have already watched all of the new episodes at least a few times each… so, it seems like a good time to finally ask: what do you think, sirs?
I'd love to know what your favorite new episodes, riffs and host segments are from the new season, so I hope you'll take a moment to let me know in the comments.
(And don't forget, if you're able to watch the episodes on Netflix, please do! We're still waiting to hear whether we'll be renewed for another season, so it's important to keep reminding our partners at Netflix that you want to see more episodes – and the best way to do that is to keep watching, leave reviews on Netflix, and remind your friends to do the same.)
Anyway, I thought I'd check in and say hello. Things have been pretty busy for our whole team, as we put together all of the details and fun surprises we've got planned for this summer's MST3K LIVE tour, and Ivan's team has been hard at work preparing the last parts of your Kickstarter rewards – so, how's about some updates?
Countdown to the MST3K LIVE Tour!
Part of the reason we've been so busy is because the first shows in our "MST3K LIVE: Watch Out For Snakes!" tour are coming up fast. In just a couple weeks, we'll start our full tech and dress rehearsals, so that we have a chance to run through the show with our sets and props and costumes. And then, on July 6, we'll have our first show in Boston!
That’s right, I said it: we open in Boston! That’s about as show business as it gets.
Now, I know a lot of you are already planning to come out and join us, because the ticket sales have been really strong so far. If you've already got your tickets, I really can't thank you enough, and I can't wait to thank you in person at the show. Or, if you don't have your tickets and we'll be coming to a theater near you, I hope you'll grab some now, while you still can!
And remember, we actually have two completely different shows for the tour, and in most cities, we're doing one performance of each. Like I said last time, one of the shows will feature Eegah! – but with 100% new riffs! – and the other is a "Secret Surprise Film", which I think I'll probably end up revealing just after our first performance, since I'm sure word will get around fast. Anyway, if you have the chance to see both shows, I recommend it.
Now, before we get into the new stuff, there's one other thing I want to tell you about MST3K LIVE, just so you know exactly what's happening. If you've already watched the "teaser video" we released for the tour, you might have noticed a line that said "Robot voices subject to change without warning or notice." That's because, while we always knew this was a possibility, we didn't get "official" confirmation until this week.
But, now that we have, here's what you should know:
Baron Vaughn, our third and latest Tom Servo, will not be able to join us for the upcoming tour. But, you should also know that Baron isn't able to come on the tour for the very best possible reason: he's becoming a father!
That's right: Baron is expecting his first baby this fall. And, as you know, our live tour is six solid weeks on the road without a break. So, we all agreed that it's important for Baron to stay in LA in order to prepare for the baby's arrival. It would have been really fun to have him on the road with us, but I think this is the right thing to do, and the best way for us all to proceed.
The good news is, we also have a wonderful stand-in that our whole cast agreed was a perfect fit to voice Servo on the road, and who was actually already a writer and performer on the show in the newest season. I'll introduce you to him in the next update, but we're very excited about it, because he's a very funny – and talented – guy.
(And no, it's not Kevin Murphy.)
And don't worry: Baron will be back in his spot, riffing as Tom Servo when Season 12 starts up, Lord willin' and the creek don't rise. But for now, I hope you'll join me in congratulating him on his big news, and agree that this was the right decision for him and for MST3K LIVE.
A Sneak Peek at MST3K LIVE!
Anyway, whether you're able to join us for this summer's tour or not, I thought I could share a little "sneak peek" to help you see why I'm so excited about live tour.
The first thing to tell you is that MST3K LIVE is more than just riffing. See, the really interesting creative challenge this time around has been figuring out how we can bring the entire MST3K experience to life on stage, and to take advantage of the live format to do things we can't do in our regular episodes. So yeah, the touring show is more than just riffing a movie: it's 100% new material and riffs with a giant screen, but we'll also have brand-new sets and props, host segments and invention exchanges, and a lot of other neat surprises that I don't want to give away in advance.
But yeah, I promised a sneak peek at what we're working on, so today, I thought I'd show you the direction we're working on for the traveling set for this first edition of MST3K LIVE!
Setting the Stage
Now, in my mind there are four locations or “settings” that I feel are essential to the full "MST3K experience." So, that naturally meant we needed to translate those four settings to the stage show. One location is the Mads' base on Moon 13, but the other three – the Bridge, the Doorways and the Theater – are all parts of the Satellite of Love.
Working with my vision team at Alternaversal, we spent weeks trying to imagine just how we could accomplish this in a practical, portable form. We burned through quite a few brain cells – and quite a few dry-erase markers – in the process. (Come to think of it, maybe there's a connection between losing brain cells and dry-erase boards?)
Anyway, I’m proud to tell you, what we figured out is so elegant, I can’t quite believe it:
. If you look closely at this whiteboard sketch, it’s a hybrid design that includes a movie screen, a rear projection screen that behaves like a green screen, and a puppet stage. It also allows for video visits from Kinga and Max via “jet-screen.” That means that it can cover all of our locations in a single stage piece!
Then, after we figured out a lot of the physical mechanics of a road-worthy SOL, we created a composite mock-up to give us a better idea of the scale I was talking about:
. And, while I can't show you photos of the finished set just yet, this is a pretty neat cardboard prototype model of the set, which our set designer – Aaron Somers – built in his studio in Brooklyn:
. If you look, you'll see that Jonah and the bots actually move through the doorways on the left and right to sit on the other side of the rear projection screen, so that their silhouettes are projected live during the movies. Also, during the movie, the lights go down on the rest of the set. As you can imagine, the effect will be really cool.
Anyway, that's a little peek at the main set we're working on.
In the next update, I'll also give you an "inside look" at one of the more crazy and innovative props we've been designing, and of course, introduce you to the next guy to voice Tom Servo. And if you've got other questions about the tour – or anything – you'd like me to talk about in future updates, feel free to let me know in the comments below.
Now, I've got to get back to work, but before you go, I've asked Ivan to give everyone an overdue update on how your remaining Kickstarter backer rewards are coming along. So, I'll turn the rest of this update over to him.
And remember, I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of you at the live show – so if you already got tickets, I hope you're excited… and if you've been holding out, be sure to get your tickets soon, before we run out of seats!
Cheers & Thanks,
Joel
Hey Everyone!
While Joel and his team have been getting ready for the live tour, my team has also been finishing up work on your final Kickstarter rewards.
We've been in touch with a lot of you directly to answer questions and to check in about the higher-level rewards, but now we've also put together a comprehensive "Reward Status Update," telling you what else you can expect, when, and what to do if you run into problems.
If you have ANY Kickstarter reward questions, please read the rest of this update first!
Here are the important things you need to know:
1. Here's a full schedule of timing for all rewards.
2. Here's a list of what has already been sent out:
JULY 2016 - Digital Membership Card & Certificate - Digital Wallpapers & Ringtones
- Classic Bonus Episodes
- Rifftrax Bonus Rewards
SEPTEMBER 2016
- Set Visits and Set Tours
- Appear in an Episode
- Be A Producer / Be A Writer
DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017 - Official T-Shirts - Official Hoodies - Collector's Postcard Set
- Physical Membership Card & Seal
- Thank You Postcards from Set
FEBRUARY 2017
- Advance Screening Events
APRIL 2017 - Thanks on MST3K.com - Livestream "Preview" Screening
- The First New Episode (DOWNLOAD via VHX)
- The Entire New Season (DOWNLOAD via VHX)
- Personalized Voicemail Messages
- Personalized Video Greetings
- Your Name in the End Credits - IMDB Credits
MAY 2017 - Official Sticker Sheets
- Coffee/Tiki Mugs
- Official Keychains
- MST3K Mission Patches
- Official Posters (signed + unsigned)
- "Satellite of Love" Art Prints
- Group Dinner with Joel & the Cast
- Group Dinner with Joel and Rick & Morty
JUNE 2017 - Original Crow & Servo Robot puppets - Original Invention Exchange props
If you didn't receive rewards from the list above... and you're sure that they were included with your reward level... and you're sure that you filled out your BackerKit reward survey last year... please email our Backer Support team at [email protected].
We'll get back to you ASAP!
3. Here's a list of what has not been sent out yet:
The Collector's Box Set: Season 11 (DVD / Blu-ray)
The Collector's VHS: Episode 1101
MST3K MIMOBOT® USB drives
Mystery Gifts
Art of MST3K Wall Calendars
Bring Back MST3K: The Coffee Table Book
If you're still waiting on any of these rewards, please don't worry: we're still working on finishing up the final bonus materials for the DVD set, and designing the coffee table book. We're also still waiting for a few of the items to arrive from China, which takes awhile. Our current estimate is that all remaining rewards will be shipped out in OCTOBER 2017, but we'll let you know if there's any change in the timing.
(No matter what, we guarantee you'll have everything before the holidays, in case you're giving anything as gifts.)
4. If you have problems, let us know!
When you send out rewards to 35,000+ people, there are always going to be a few hiccups. So, if your mug broke in the mail, or one of your rewards was missing or wrong, don't worry: our Backer Support team is here to help get everything fixed up for you! Just email [email protected], let us know what happened, and we'll get back to you ASAP.
And finally, for those of you who have been asking for a chance to order more t-shirts and posters, good news…
. While we can't make more of all of the Kickstarter rewards, we are going to do one more production round for T-SHIRTS, HOODIES, POSTERS and MIMOBOTS, and there's still time to order the CALENDAR and the COFFEE TABLE BOOK before we send them to press – but this is the absolute last chance to grab these Kickstarter exclusives:
So, if you want to get the second t-shirt design, or need to order a larger size, or wish you had gotten the #WeBroughtBackMST3K hoodie, now's your chance – but it won't last much longer, so be sure to grab your final Kickstarter rewards now!
That should cover everything, but if you've got other questions, you know how to reach us -- just drop an email to[email protected], and we'll get back to you as soon as we can!
Til next time,
Ivan
NEXT UP: The MST3K LIVE TOUR starts in July... and backers can get exclusive tickets TOMORROW at 10AM!
almost 7 years ago
– Mon, May 15, 2017 at 11:49:04 PM
Dear MST3K Revival League,
Last week, I hinted that we had something in the works that I was hoping to tell you about soon. And now that we've got all the details worked out, I wanted you to be the first to know.
This summer, we'll hit the road and visit 29 cities as part of the official Mystery Science Theater 3000 LIVE TOUR!
See, we don't know how long it will be until we hear if Netflix wants us to make another season of Mystery Science Theater 3000, but now that we're back, we want to keep things moving. In fact, we've actually been back in "the writer's room" for the last few weeks, working on the scripts for our live shows, which is one reason things haven't slowed down.
But listen, since you're the ones who brought back MST3K, I also wanted to make sure you have the chance to get tickets for the live tour before anyone else. So...
Tomorrow at 10am, I'll send a private update that will let backers get exclusive ticket access until 10pm.
Today, though, I want to tell you a little bit more about what we've got planned for the tour, and also give you a little background on why this is so important to me.
MST3K LIVE: The Watch Out for Snakes! Tour 2017
First of all, you should know that the tour actually features two separately ticketed, completely unique shows, with Jonah and the Bots riffing a different feature film for each – so if there's more than one show near you, you can actually get tickets to both and see two completely different shows!
For SHOW #1, we're revisiting (and re-riffing) one of our favorite classic MST3K films – Eegah – starring Arch Hall Jr., and Richard Kiel. But, like I said, we'll have all new riffs and sketches!
For SHOW #2, we don't want to spoil the surprise and tell you what it is, so let's just say that it's a Secret Surprise Film! All I'll tell you is that it's a truly weird sci-fi thriller, and it's never been featured on MST3K.
Got all that? Good!
Also, while these new shows will feature Jonah and the Bots, I'm happy to report that I'll be joining them on the road as emcee, producer and director – so you'll get to see me too, and I'll have a chance to tell you a little bit more about where I think MST3K might go next.
Right now, these are the shows we've got scheduled:
AUG 12 - Atlanta, GA (Eegah @ 7pm / Secret Surprise @ 10pm)
And you know, so far we've made plans to stop in just these 29 cities… but if there's enough interest, maybe we'll be able to add some more, and come to a town near you!
Don't forget: tomorrow at 10am, you'll be able to get tickets to all of these shows, exclusive to backers for 12 hours.
And, now that you know what we've got planned, I want to tell you a little bit about how we got here, and why it's so important to me.
The Benefits of an MST3K LIVE Tour
As I think I've told you before, when we launched our #BringBackMST3K Kickstarter, I had been thinking about how to bring back MST3K for quite a while. What I might not have told you yet is that I had a few different ideas about how to bring it back, and Season 11 wasn't the only one.
Actually, the idea of "Mystery Science Theater LIVE" has been on my mind for a long time, because I think that getting MST out into the "real world" actually has a lot of benefits.
Obviously, it's a great way to develop and test new ideas in real time: we can find out right away what you think, and tinker around with anything that isn't working, even experimenting with small changes from show to show. It's a little bit like "rapid prototyping" the entire show to find out what works, and what still needs more love!
It also helps our cast "fine tune" their performances, because they can get reactions in real time. This was one of the neat surprises about having a lot of backers visit us on set during production, too. I think I told you how much it helped Jonah get into his new role, to have an excited and supportive crowd on set enjoying his performance. Also, keep in mind that most of our new cast have spent a lot of time doing stand-up, so they get that whole "give-and-take" thing that happens with a live audience.
But also, on a more tribal level, doing a live show gives us all a chance to gather together in a huge theater, with hundreds of other people who are also intensely interested in hearing what a robot puppet will say while watching a cheesy old movie. That was really one of the best parts of our "Revival League Pre-Screening Tour" – getting the chance to meet so many of you in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles – because there's something that's just so different and special about sharing the MST experience in "real time" with a thousand people who love it just as much as you do. I'm excited to do more of that, and for more of you to be part of it.
In a lot of ways, I also think there's something really fitting about bringing MST3K to a live stage. As many of you know, when I was a kid, I performed magic and ventriloquism, and in college, I started performing live stand-up. All of these experiences really informed the creation and vision of MST3K, so the chance to come full circle and bring it to the stage is really satisfying. And, it will also give us some amazing opportunities to have the show do things it's never done before.
Now, I know that some of you might rather we just get started on Season 12, but the truth is, there's nothing we can do to get started on more episodes yet. We don't have an official order for Season 12 yet, though we're very hopeful that it will come – especially if we all keep watching the new episodes on Netflix. But I promise, as soon as we hear anything about the next season, I'll be sure to tell you right away.
Until that happens, though, the live tour is a really wonderful way to keep expanding the world of Mystery Science Theater. So, don't think of this as a distraction from Season 12, but more like "spring training": during the off-season, the live tour will give our team a chance to keep writing and riffing, and will give our new cast more time to discover and grow into their parts. And, while it'll still be a lot of work, it'll also be – you know – FUN!
So, long story short, we think MST3K LIVE: The “Watch Out for Snakes" Tour, is going to be the movie riff jam of the year.
And remember: Tomorrow morning at 10am, you'll get first dibs on tickets, so I hope to see a lot of you later this summer!
Cheers and Thanks!
Joel
We Got Love from Lin-Manuel *and* Rotten Tomatoes! PLUS: Riffing STRANGER THINGS!
almost 7 years ago
– Tue, May 09, 2017 at 11:42:29 PM
Dear MST3K Revival League,
Let’s try to savor this. Thanks to each of you, the re-jiggered MST3K has been in the world for almost a month, and now everyone knows what we’ve been working on for the last 18 months. I do hope you’re enjoying having it out and about on Netflix for all the world to see!
On a personal level, I’m really thrilled with how folks have responded. Also, thank you for all of your kind words and encouragement here on Kickstarter, and on Facebook and Twitter.
We’ve gotten some wonderful messages over the last few weeks, but you know, I think this might be one of the most exciting: a week after our Netflix debut, Lin-Manuel Miranda – Broadway luminary, and author of the smash hit musical Hamilton – tweeted this:
Also, I'm really happy that the press has been so kind and enthusiastic. Mostly, they seem pleased that we stayed funny, smart, didn’t go too dark or dirty and didn’t derail the brand along the way. Whew! Here's the most measurable scale, if you pay attention to this kind of thing:
That's right – even a month after the premiere, we're still scoring 100 percent on the Rotten Tomatoes "Tomatometer." (Which is actually pretty rare!)
Anyway, I'm not telling you all of this to brag, but because I want you to understand how important it was that we made the new season the way we did – together. Like I said from the beginning, it was really important to me that we bring the show to all of you first. And because we did, we had the freedom and the time to really do things right, and to find our way back into the world of Mystery Science Theater. So yeah:
The important thing to remember, when you see all of these good reviews and fun feedback, is that you made this possible.
I know I've said it before, but I'll never forget that, and I really can't thank you enough.
MST3K + Stranger Things
If you didn't see it yet, we teamed up with Netflix to shoot a fun little clip to celebrate the launch of the new season. As you know, we don't usually riff on great movies, but we made an exception just this once to let Jonah and the bots spend a few minutes riffing another great Netflix show, Stranger Things:
This came together pretty quickly, but I think it's a lot of fun, and I hope it'll help some new folks discover what we do on Mystery Science Theater.
Thanks, David – we're really big fans! You know, Mitchell never got that kind of response from Joe Don Baker. Maybe this means our time has finally come!
The last couple years have been an incredible (and sometimes) scary adventure. And now, thanks to you believing in the next MST3K, even more interesting things starting to happen. I’m excited to start revealing some of those developments as we go, because we've actually been busier than ever this month, getting to work on the next big chapter in the return of MST3K.
That's something I can only hint at right now, which could be a live MST3K tour. (Hint, Hint.) But listen, if everything goes according to plan, I'll be able to tell you more about that next week.
Also, there are a lot of updates to share about your Kickstarter rewards, our plan to set up a "weekly viewing schedule" for the new season, and your last chance to buy some more Add-On Rewards. So. I've asked Ivan to write a separate update, and send that to you tomorrow, so you don't miss something important.
Cheers and Thanks!
Joel
Thanks to you... we've got MOVIE SIGN.
about 7 years ago
– Sat, Apr 15, 2017 at 12:57:51 AM
Dear MST3K Revival League,
This is a really big day, and I’m completely over the moon (the dark side) with your response to the new season. Thanks for being so patient and graceful with us throughout this process. I honestly couldn’t be more pleased on every level. And, of course..
Thanks to you, there are now 14 new episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000available on Netflix.
Like we promised, that also means that – if your rewards included downloads of the episodes – they're waiting for you to download now on VHX.
But listen, before I get into this update, I want to make sure everyone knows the score:
If you want to give Mystery Science Theater 3000 the best chance of getting a Season 12, the best thing you can do is to watch the new episodes on Netflix, if you're able.
After all, the more people who watch the new episodes, the safer the Netflix team will feel investing in more seasons and giving us more movie sign. (And you know, even if you're not a Netflix subscriber, you can still get a free one-month subscription to watch the new season.)
So, even if you do have download copies, I hope you'll save those away for a rainy day – like, if the rain knocks out your internet connection – and consider watching the new episodes on Netflix for now. I know we're not available on Netflix in every country, but if we're available in yours, I hope you'll help us out by voting for more seasons… with your eyeballs!
Anyway, I don't want to write too much today, because you've got a new season of Mystery Science Theater to watch. But like I said, this is a really big day, so there are just a few important things I want to say.
1. Thank you to all 48,270 members of the MST3K Revival League.
In November 2015, you took a really big chance, and you trusted me and the rest of our team. In fact, you trusted us so much that you didn't just help us bring the show back for three new episodes, or even the full twelve we were hoping for. You told us you wanted to keep going, and you're the reason there are fourteen new episodes of the show waiting for you to watch this morning.
And, just like I hoped, it's because of what you did on Kickstarter that we were really able to bring the show back exactly the way we wanted to.
No one made us change the look of the show, or riff on less cheesy movies. No one told us we had to "cast bigger names" or make the jokes more obvious. We got to make the show we wanted, which I think is also the show you wanted. And if we're able to make more seasons, we've set the mold. We've shown everyone that we had a vision, and it works, and we can keep going as long as there are more cheesy movies to riff. MST3K is forever, if you want it.
Also, you know, the Kickstarter campaign was really just the start. Over the past year or so, I've gotten to know and talk with so many of you – on Kickstarter and Facebook, on Twitter and Instagram, on set during production, at our screenings around the country, during some of our Q&A sessions. I didn't know what to expect, but it's really been amazing, and it made the experience of making these new episodes so different, and so much better than I hoped.
I don't know what will happen next, but here's what I can tell you: I'm really proud of the new episodes we made, and I hope you are too. I don't know yet if Netflix will decide to make more seasons – it's up to all of us to convince them that's a good idea! – but I don't think this season will be the end of MST3K. Now that we're back, there's so much more we all want to do. I really think we're just getting started.
2. Thanks to everyone who worked on the show.
There are so many people who worked hard and gave so much time and imagination and love to the new episodes, and I know I can't thank them all by name here.
(I hope, when you watch the new episodes, you'll spend some time watching the credits after each episode – not just to see your own names, but to see all of the other names of the amazing writers, crew, actors, and fellow backers who were part of making these new episodes happen.)
But, also, there are some people I really want to be sure to thank by name.
Our returning veterans:Bill Corbett, Mary Jo Pehl, Paul Chaplin and Beez McKeever for being part of the old show and returning to be part of the new season and show the new team how it's done;
Everyone at Shout! Factory, especially my partners in this venture: Richard Foos, Bob Emmer, and Garson Foos, for everything they did to keep MST3K alive and well on DVD and online, and for believing in the show and its fans enough to help me bring it back and launch the Kickstarter, because it simply would not have happened without them. Also, honorable mentions to Dave Mcintosh, Jordan Fields, Michael Ribas, Karrie Stouffer, "Weird Evan" Brown, and Sarah J. De Bruin;
Everyone at Netflix who loved our show enough to bring it to a new home, where we hope it will find a whole new set of cheesy-movie loving fans;
Everyone at Abominable Pictures who was responsible for our terrific production crew and post-production team in Los Angeles, especially Jon Stern and my lovely and talented co-director Rob Cohen; the wizards at Stoopid Buddy, who helped us update the world of MST3K with new models and animation, and at Aaron Somers Design Studio, who built the sets and stage furniture for the new Satellite of Love and Moon 13; Also, our brilliant production designer (who’s way out of our league), Guy Davis, for bringing my ideas to life, with charm and gravity, and the many other artists who helped us pre-visualize all of the new and updated designs you'll see in the new episodes;
My “vision team” atAlternaversal Productions: In some ways, my most heartfelt thanks go to my friend and business partner Harold Buchholz, Operation Manager Sharyl Volpe, Designer and Visual Assets Lead Seth Robinson, and co-producer and post-production supervisor Matt McGinnis. And, of course, all of these folks are writers on the show as well. These are people who have worked by my side almost every day for the past 18 months, and were just so important in helping me develop the vanguard ideas of the new MST3K.
(And that's not just for Season 11, but for all the wonderful things we still have in the pipeline, too. Captain Beefheart said “You have to see it, before you see it.” Thank you to my Alternaversal Team for helping me see it, and then helping me explain it to the rest of the production staff and cast);
And, of course, my producer, campaign director, and friend, Ivan Askwith, who has become so important to MST3K's backer and fan experience, and has so much to do with our position in the larger online world. It’s his critical and imaginative thinking that powers so much of the integrity and warmth that you’ve all gotten to experience over these last 18 months.
3. Now we can finally start to talk!
I know that, from the beginning, I told you I wanted to bring all of you behind the scenes of the new season, and over the last year and a half, I tried to choose some interesting details I could share without spoiling any of the fun we were planning for you. We talked about…
But, as we went along, I also told you that there was more I wanted to wait and share with you once the new episodes were released, when we could all talk about them.
So yeah, the really neat thing is that now we can start to talk about some of the new stuff we've been preparing for you ever since the Kickstarter campaign ended, and to show you a lot of exclusive "just for backers" material from behind-the-scenes.
We'll do some of that here on Kickstarter, so that you don't miss it, but we'll also start doing more of it over on the new MST3K.com website, in backer-exclusive posts. So, if you haven't visited and activated your exclusive "Revival League Member" account, I hope you will soon, because I don't want you to miss anything.
And actually, thanks to our new online supervisor and series writer, Lesley Kinzel, there are already several new updates waiting over there for you, including the first “Chat with Joel”, where we talk about trying to do right by all of you backers, and how people find meaning in MST3K. There's also a playlist of songs that helped shape my ideas for the new season, and a long list of press coverage, linking to many of the wonderful interviews and articles Mystery Science Theater has gotten over the past few weeks. We're already working on the first behind-the-scenes post to share with you next week!
Plus, on top of that, we're also finishing up work on the bonus materials for the "Season 11 Collector's Set", which will include a full-length documentary about the Kickstarter and making the new season, and the "Making The New MST3K" coffee table book, which will have over 50 pages of new concept art and photos that we haven't shared yet.
So, anyway, there's a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff we can finally start to share with you, and now that you've seen the new show, I think it'll be a lot of fun to show you how we got here.
4. Another version of the theme!
One last thing for today: if you watched our Turkey Day Marathon during the Kickstarter, back in 2015, you might remember that we did all of the host segments from Kickstarter HQ. You might also remember that during the "Fan Mail" segment, I introduced you to a grown-up fan whose letter we read on the show when she was a child, named Ashley Holtgraver. And, you might also remember that, at the end of the Turkey Day Marathon, Ashley played a new version of the Mystery Science Theater theme that she had written for the Kickstarter:
Now, I felt like a lot of you really enjoyed that – and I know I did – so when I realized what a big day this was going to be, I asked Ashley if she maybe wanted to do one more song for us, and she was nice enough to record something last night.
So, here's a little something to help celebrate today's big occasion:
Thanks so much, Ashley. It means a lot.
I know there's a lot more to talk about, but there's also a lot of new MST that needs to be watched! So, we'll have another update early next week, and I'll make sure Ivan gives you an update on when you can expect all of your remaining Kickstarter rewards.
Also, for those of you who wish the new series had been released one episode at a time, we're putting together a suggested viewing schedule to help members of the Revival League watch each new episode together over the next 14 weeks. So, look for that next week too.
Oh, and if you read this in time, Jonah and Felicia and I are going to be on the MST3K Facebook Page this afternoon at 6pm PACIFIC for a Facebook Live Q&A, so come join us!
Today, finally, the world of MST3K is healthy and back to spinning in its lovely lopsided orbit. As you have witnessed, this is no small feat, but I hope you understand the process was made manageable by your care and interest. I'm grateful and astonished. Thank you for making all of this possible.
Cheers & Thanks,
Joel
Hey everyone, listen. I know it's a big important day, but we've got to stay focused on what's really important: making me the eventual Ruler of Everything. So, for old time's sake, how about sharing one more post for me on Facebook and Twitter. It's easy! Just copy and paste this message:
WE'VE GOT MOVIE SIGN! 14 NEW episodes of #MST3K just hit @Netflix, thanks to 48,270 @Kickstarter backers. #WeBroughtBackMST3K
