Mystery Science Theater 3000 Season 1: Prologue

Dr. Larry Erhardt and Dr. Clayton Forrester

In 1989, Joel Hodgson and Jim Mallon took to New York City to market the show they had worked on for a year at KTMA-TV23 to Ha! and The Comedy Channel (later known as Comedy Central).  While Ha! passed on the show, The Comedy Channel signed the show to a one year deal.  Joel, Jim, Trace Beaulieu, Kevin Murphy, and J. Elvis Weinstein then parted ways with KTMA and created Best Brains Inc.  MST3K benefited from a bigger budget by building new sets, creating new Bots, new credits, and filming a new door sequence (the six doors that open and close when Joel and the Bots enter or exit the theater).

You can read more about the history of the show at mst3kinfo.com

If you are reading these chronologically, I should inform you I decided to start with MST3K's first season on The Comedy Channel.  I will at some point go back and watch the KTMA episodes, but I am starting here.  And yes, this was actually the second episode that aired, but it was the first episode shot, so I am watching it first.

The first season of Mystery Science Theatre 3000, is, in my opinion the weakest of the show's run.  There are obvious reasons for this, which I will get into details in my end-of-season wrap up post.  But, if you are going to be watching along with me, please understand these are far from the greatest episodes of a really spectacular show.