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 and Olson 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 crowd funded return in 2017.) MST3K’s influence on film commentary and social media is worthy of the book’s consideration…. [F]or devoted and loyal MST3K fans.

Library Journal

It began as a public access show in Minneapolis in the late 1980s, and while it grew to become a cult phenomenon on cable TV and streaming, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) never lost its lo-fi, DIY aesthetic. The premise is silly, but simple: in an ongoing science experiment, a human, trapped on the Satellite of Love (SoL) is forced to watch bad movies. Alongside his robot companions, the human copes with the cinematic atrocities by riffing at the screen, reacting to the movie with comments on the quality of the production, pop culture references, puns, and a winning combination of high- and low-brow comedy. Here, Foy and Olson trace the history of the show and the rotating cast on the SoL, identifying the key characteristics of the early Joel years versus the Mike years and the Jonah years, and the struggles to keep MST3K on the air. The authors also dig deep into the work the cast of MST3K did to write wryly funny commentary on such movies as The Horror of Party Beach, Hercules Against the Moon Men, and, perhaps most famously, Manos: The Hands of Fate. They contend that the riffs are not just jokes; they also taught fans how to read and respond to media. The book ends with an appendix of key episodes, which will lead existing fans and new fans alike in search of the comedic magic of MST3K.

Booklist

Mystery Science Theater 3000: A Cultural History is a terrific resource for anyone who wants to think (as well as laugh) along with Mystery Science Theater 3000. It provides a succinct history of the show in its many iterations and gives context for what inspired it—and for many of the things MST3K has inspired in turn. But more importantly, it explores what this show actually is. What does it mean when we gather with our friends (or our home-made robot buddies) to watch "bad" movies, and what does it mean to talk back to them? What strategies can we use to interrogate and have fun with these movies? What happens when a movie gets riffed—to the movie, to the audience, and to our relationship with the culture we live in? And what makes our favorite riffs so satisfying? Thank you, Matt Foy and Christopher J. Olson, for laying out a framework for thinking about our favorite cowtown puppet show—and for making us laugh about love (and cultural theory) again.

Chris Piuma, cohost of “It's Just a Show”

Appropriate for fans and scholars, this thoughtful and comprehensive study positions Mystery Science Theater 3000 within its cultural, sociopolitical, and artistic contexts, illuminating the ways in which the show responds to and transforms media across its many iterations.

Shelley Rees, editor, “Reading Mystery Science Theater 3000: Critical Approaches”

Mystery Science Theater 3000 is known for its alchemical magic, spinning golden comedy from junk movies. In this delightful book, Foy and Olson riff spectacular on the origins, success, and influence of the highly memetic show, proving their thoughtful, accessible, and meaningful book is gold from the start. Highly recommended, and you can push that button, Frank!

Paul Booth, professor of media and popular culture, DePaul University

Sharp, smart, engaging, and comprehensive. A must read for Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans and pop culture scholars alike. Hi-Keeba!

Blair Davis, author, “The Battle for the Bs: 1950s Hollywood and the Rebirth of Low-Budget Cinema”