Mystery Science Theater 3000: A Cultural History

Mystery Science Theatre 3000 (or MST3K) has entertained and amused B-movie fans for 36 years. The TV show’s comedic premise was unique: Creator Joel Hodgson played a janitor who was trapped in an orbiting satellite where he was forced to watch low-budget movies with robot companions and make humorous comments about the films. MST3K’s popularity grew from the odd movies it maligned and exalted and the multigenerational appeal of its humor. Foy (communications, Upper Iowa Univ.) and Olson (English and digital media, Dickinson State Univ.; The Greatest Cult Television Shows of All Time) track the creation and travails of the series as it changed networks, hosts, and thematic direction. (It survived nearly 20 years before being canceled and making a crowdfunded return in 2017.) MST3K’s influence on film commentary and social media is worthy of the book’s consideration, but readers might find that Foy and Olson tend to overstate the show’s importance.