We’ve got movie sign!
Well, almost. Mystery Science Theater 3000 season 13 debuts at 8 pm EST on Friday, March 4th! But it’s going to look a little different this time, and not just because the beloved comedy series won’t be on the cable channels it called home from 1989-1999. Nor will it be on Netflix, like seasons 11 and 12.
No, season 13 will be streaming on the Gizmoplex, a streaming service designed especially for MST3K. Series creator Joel Hodgson announced the Gizmoplex at the start of the “Make More MST3K” Kickstarter from last year. According to Hodgson, Gizmoplex will serve as a home for all things MST3K. That’s where you’ll find not only Season 13 episodes, including Gamera vs. Jiger and the dreaded Munchie, but also all available episodes from previous seasons.
Although you can access the site today – or download apps for Apple, Android, and Roku devices – the Gizmoplex does not fully launch until May 6th, 2022. March 4th is the soft launch for those who backed the “Make More MST3K” Kickstarter at an appropriate tier. Those backers should have received an email from Joel Hodgson & Team MST3K that includes instructions for joining the Gizmoplex soft launch on March 4th.
For everybody else, it’s a bit trickier. Anyone who goes to Gizmoplex will see a “Buy” button, which allows them to purchase a 3-month pass. But you should not click that link! “Why?” you ask? Because it costs $1000! Actually, clicking the link simply brings up a message saying that you can’t buy a pass through Gizmoplex yet. However, you can still buy a 12-month pass for $135 through Kickstarter. The pass doesn’t activate until the site’s full launch on May 6th, but it is at a lower, introductory price.
Yes, that’s a new and convoluted process, even for those old enough to remember circulating VHS tapes.
Fortunately, the rest of Season 13 will be familiar to fans in all the best ways. Returning as host is comedian Jonah Ray as Jonah Heston from the Netflix seasons. He’ll be joined by the same voice actors for the bots during those seasons, including Hampton Yount as Crow, Baron Vaughn as Servo, and Rebecca Hanson as Gypsy and Synthia. We’ll also see the return of Felicia Day as Kinga Forrester and Patton Oswalt as her minion, TV’s Son of TV’s Frank. Host of the MST3K live shows Emily Connor (Emily Marsh) will be coming to the Satellite of Love, alongside Conor McGiffin (Servo), Nate Begle (Crow), and Yvonne Freese (GPC-2). And Hodgson will be zipping on his red jumpsuit for his triumphant return as Joel Robinson!
Whether you backed the show on Kickstarter or need to wait until May 6th, there’s still plenty of MST3K content to keep you occupied until you can watch the new season. Maybe check out this list of the best horror episodes or this list of the best giant monster episodes. And if the wait is driving you crazy, just repeat.