Mystery Science Theater 3000 is set for another revival. RiffTrax and Shout! Studios are teaming up to produce four new episodes of the sci-fi comedy series. The episodes are planned for release by the end of 2026, nearly four decades after the show first aired.
The project is being funded through a Kickstarter campaign launched by RiffTrax. The campaign set a $20,000 goal but quickly passed it, with the current amount far surppassing $1.5M. Fans responded with heavy support, signaling continued demand for the long-running franchise.
Original cast members Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett are returning to their familiar roles aboard the Satellite of Love. Nelson will again host, with Murphy and Corbett voicing Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot. Mary Jo Pehl is also returning as Pearl Forrester. The group will also serve as creative leads. The new episodes will be released under the title Mystery Science Theater 3000: The RiffTrax Experiments. Nelson said the return has energized the team and added that he missed performing alongside the puppet characters.
Production is scheduled for the spring and summer in Minneapolis, where the show originally began. The first new installment is expected to debut later this year on the RiffTrax website. The revival will follow the same format that made the series famous, with jokes layered over low-budget science fiction films.
Mystery Science Theater 3000 premiered in 1988 and ran for 11 years across three networks. It later returned through revivals on Netflix and the Gizmoplex platform. The titles of the four films selected for the new episodes have not yet been announced.
The Kickstarter page states the episodes will be produced regardless of the final total. The campaign notes that funds help cover set construction, movie licensing, post-production work, robot updates, and crew pay. The $20,000 goal was chosen to mark the 20th anniversary of RiffTrax.
As of this week, the campaign has drawn 12,711 backers and raised $1,578,859. The fundraiser runs through March 16 and still has more than a month remaining. Analysts say strong funding often leads to higher production quality. Past crowdfunding efforts show the scale of fan support. In 2015, series creator Joel Hodgson raised $6.3 million to revive the show after 15 years off the air. That campaign led to 14 new episodes that later premiered on Netflix.
A second campaign launched in 2021 raised $6.5 million. The funds paid for 13 episodes, 12 shorts, and the launch of the Gizmoplex streaming platform. The latest campaign suggests the fan base remains active and willing to spend as entertainment companies lean more on direct funding models.
***
English (US) · 