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Mystery Science Theater 3000

Name: Mystery Science Theater 3000
Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Released: 1989-11-25
Cast: Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett, Mary Jo Pehl, Patrick Brantseg

1989 | 10 seasons | 92 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Saturday Special

Why it’s a Saturday Special

Critics rank it among the best shows ever made and it's still drawing plenty of interest. A strong pick for the weekend.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it: Made for anyone who wants a laugh and sci-fi fans. If you loved Futurama, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood: Provocative satire that goes after everyone.
The pace: 10 seasons and 176 episodes: a long-haul commitment, hour-long episodes, about 270 hours in all.
What might put you off: Rated TV-PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
A big time investment at 10 seasons.
Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

A stranded spaceship pilot captured by mad scientists survives a blitz of cheesy B movies by riffing on them with his funny robot pals.

How it earned its rating

CriticsVery strong
Named among the best TV shows of all time by critics (on 6 all-time best lists)
AudiencesSolid
7.7 out of 10
AwardsBelow par
Nominated for 1 Emmy.
Reach & staying powerSolid
Ran for 10 seasons and reached a modest audience
Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 362K people sought it out in the past year