MST3K To Leave The Air Forever

TELEVISION
1

For those of us who look forward to Saturday mornings with the crew of the Satellite of Love, here is a small snippet of info from someone who took notice.

====================
Here be the link

Nov. 13 / 5:00 a.m. PT

IN THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT FUTURE—Calling my fellow MSTies. After “Mystery Science Theater 3000” stopped airing new epides in 1999, we were able to console ourselves with one weekly rerun, every Saturday on the Sci-Fi Channel.
The reruns were only from the three Sci-Fi Channel seasons — none from the early Comedy Channel/Comedy Central/KTMA days — but they were better than nothing. (And some of those episodes, including the hilarious Track of the Moon Beast,” were among the show’s best.)
But time’s running out: If you haven’t been recording the episodes, you’d better start. Satellite News, perhaps the best MST3K site out there, reports what’s long been rumored: “The contract extension between Best Brains and Sci-Fi Channel expires at th, but this end of January, 2004. That means MST3K will leave the television, perhaps forever, at 11 a.m. Eastern and Pacific time, on January 31, 2004.”
This next bit is a message from me to Comedy Central: Come ON, guys! I hate to break it to you, but “Crank Yankers” is not in the least bit funny. Ditto “Kid Notorious.”
How about giving them and a few other lame programs a rest and running your old “MST3K” episodes, just once a week? You can even run them at 4 in the morning — we have VCRs and TiVos, we can deal. I just want to see “The Incredible Melting Man,” the Gamera movies, and shorts like “Why Study Industrial Arts?” again, and for newer viewers to be exposed to them for the first time.
Sure, I have a batch of my old tapes, and some of the old shows are available for purchase on DVD or videotape. But not nearly enough of them are out there yet.
Based on this history of the conflict between Best Brains, the company behind “MST3K,” and “Comedy Central,” I bet this will never happen, but wouldn’t it be wonderful?
I know, I know, it’s just a show, I should really just relax.

==========================

I can’t believe I’ve been watching this show for the better part of my life. I’m serious, that fucking show’s been on for over ten years…it’s heading towards fifteen methinks. That means I was at the very least 12 when I first saw it. Either way if there is one show that I’m actually sad will no longer be on the air in some form or another, it’s this one.

Anyone else as obsessive about this show as I am?

2

Yes, dear God, I love this show. Gladly, I have many eps on tape so I watch those. If only I had the money, I’d gladly pay to have more season of this marvelous show. “This is where the fish lives.”

3

Leave it to the geniuses over at Comedy Central. The damn suits over there apparently believe it’s better to not make any money as opposed to some money. Therefore, we will never,ever get to see the first few seasons in re-release anymore. God, I hate those people. Those episodes will sit in a can and rot, then 30 years from now, someone (working in the morgue at Comedy Central) will open up one of the cans, watch one on a whim and say 'Hey! these were really good shows? I wonder why the company never issued these for sale?"

Idiotas!

4

This begs the question: Will I be 60 and still be watching Mitchell?

5

Yeah, MST3k pretty much has been a fixture in my life since 7th grade. If I’m at home, I put on my old tapes instead of music when I work. I still kick myself for not having the foresight to tape any of season 6 and 7.

-MSTie #16486.

Addendum: Although, honestly, I’m not going to miss it because I haven’t had cable for about three years. I do wish I could finally get the few Sci-Fi ones I don’t have on tape, though. I swear I’ve tried to record The Legend of Boggy Creek II three times, and every time something goes wrong.

6

I got into the show about a year before it left CC. Been watching it non-stop since then whether it was Sci-Fi, bootlegs, or the official DVD releases.

And while it’ll be sad to know it’s not on anymore…it has run its course on Sci-Fi. Most of the best episodes from that era are now expired rights wise and what’s left is rarely their best moments.

I don’t know if CC will pick the show back up - it’s all about rights which may or may not be worth it - but I do imagine that we haven’t seen the last of the Rhino DVD releases.

Can’t wait for the new “Sci-Fi Era” box tomorrow.

I need my Blast Hardcheese fix…

7

The new dvd set will have Space Mutiny.
I am quite happy.

8

I’ve been a fan of the show for a long time, since it was on Comedy Central. I’ve been watching this since I was young.

I need to start buying the dvds.

9

“We put our faith in…BLAST HARDCHEESE!”

“Oh, you mean my Grandma-daughter.”

“The Death of Rick Springfield…”

“Da-Da-Da-Da…CRAP!”

“Shake it Ralph Macchio!”

“All right now we move on to Sherry’s Birthday Party…”

ALL TIME GREAT EPISODE.

Then again so is “Overdrawn at the Memory Bank”

“My nuts!”

10

[Image, link, or media — original content no longer available]

11

The rights are what are holding any extensive DVD release as well – some enterprising bastards snapped up the rights to the original films once they hit MST, so what was once public domain now has a copyright holder waiting for a big check in order for these things to see the light of day.

12

Hold on! We’ll be reaching speeds of THREE!

13

I have all of the Sci-Fi episodes on tape, as well as 30 or so from the old lot. This is still the most original show ever produced, and easily the funniest to me.

I want a special edition of the MST3K: The Movie, with a commentary track over the normal commentary track!

14

The only MST ep I don’t have a copy of on any format that I want is Experiment 615: Kitten With A Whip.

I’d like them on DVD, sure. But I won’t lose sleep over them…

15

I can talk to you Mr. Tree…

16

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank: christmas at the borg cube.

17

“The Incredible Melting Man” happens to be my favorite episode, though “Laserblast”, “Escape 2000”, and “The Outlaw Gor” are also classic. The point is, these need DVD releases, especially if it’s never ever going to air anymore. They should really try and get the rights (though I’m unsure what that would encompass) to all of the episodes because they’d have little trouble selling them.

On a side note, I to am very pleased to see “Space Mutiny” coming, as that is a killer episode. Punch Killfist? Gold.

18

Quote:
Originally posted by Swykk : Kubb Icon On a side note, I to am very pleased to see “Space Mutiny” coming, as that is a killer episode. Punch Killfist? Gold.

Got my subname from that episode. I’m planning to get Vol. 4 of the MST3K Collection. Girl in Gold Boots, Overdrawn at the Memory Bank, Hamlet and Space Mutiny. I have them on VHS, but it’d be nice to have archival quality.

19

A few moments of rememberance:

From the CC era:

Gypsy singing while the crew lies around in greek robes. Joel feeds grapes to Crow.

During one of the Hercules episodes:

“LAST NIGHT!” (Slams head into harp) “LAST NIGHT!” (Slams head into harp)

Joel: "I think this is going to go on for a while… we’ll be right back. Crow do I have to peel these grapes? "

From the Sci Fi era:

“Get your whites thier brightest with a touch of satan.”

And the all time great running gags from the CC era:

“Just shaking the bushes boss!”

“Jimkata!”

“Hikeeba!”

“I’m Huge!”

Must purchase as many DVDs as possible.

20

“SWITCHER!”

And please…don’t get me started on ‘Incredible Melting Man,’ which was a Django Family classic BEFORE it was MST-ed. Definately want that one on DVD.

"Mike…I’ve written a short sketch about Burr Debenning.

Hi, what’s your name?

Burr.

Okay here…take my coat. Now what’s your name?

Burr…"

Other classic moments:

“He’s bursting with flavor!”

“We can repair her. We can make her…faster…stronger…better…”

“Burger King Command Center…”

“Oh I love you. Will you be Mrs. Turkey Leg Perry?”

“This is what it looks like behind Chili’s…”

There’s only really two…maybe three Sci-Fi era episodes I want on DVD at this point.

Namely ‘Incredibly Strange Creatures…’ and ‘Parts: The Clonus Horror.’

“Trust me…I’m Keenan Ivory Wynn…”

“She looks like Henry Silva in a wig…”

“James Galway owns that porn theater…”

My perfect CC era DVD box set would be:

  • City Limits
  • Santa Claus
  • Samson versus the Vampire Women
  • Incredible Melting Man