So you want to know about MST3K, eh?

Well, this is it in a nutshell. (Okay, a very big nutshell.) You can find everything you're looking for in the index. Just click on the "Back to top" link to go to something else. Anything following an asterisk (*) is more or less biographical. If you want to know anything else about the show, BUY THIS BOOK!

In 1988, the concept for Mystery Science Theater 3000 was conceived by Joel Hodgson, with gentle prodding by producer Jim Mallon. The idea was that two mad scientists shoot a man into space, so they can observe him watching bad movies. You see, if one of these movies was bad enough to make Joel break down, they (the mads) would unleash it on the public in order to take over the world. Joel's defense against the bad movies is to make fun of them with his robot buddies, Tom Servo and Crow, while Cambot films. There is another 'Bot, Gypsy, but she doesn't watch the movies. Odd enough for you?

When Jim Mallon first approached Joel Hodgson to do a show, it was for a small cable channel located in Minneapolis, Minnesota called KTMA. Operating on a shoe-string budget, they took old movies from the KTMA supply, and, well, "MSTed" them. That is, added their own comments about things happening in the movie, thereby heckling the heck out of it. The sets were cheap, the 'Bots were drastically different from today, and there was no Deep 13. There was just Dr. Forrester, Dr. Erhardt, and their hapless victim, Joel Robinson.

After the first season, the cable channel Comedy Central picked up the show. It carried MST3K until Season 7. During these years, many changes took place. First, Dr. Erhardt was pronounced missing after Season 1. He was replaced by TV's Frank. Joel Robinson escaped the SOL via an escape pod in Show 512: Mitchell. Having to find a quick replacement, the Mads shot temp-worker Mike Nelson up to the SOL to continue their experiment. When Frank was assumed to Heaven by the white angel Torgo in Show 624: Samson vs. the Vampire Women, Dr. F was forced to continue the experiment alone. That is, until his mother, Pearl Forrester, came to live with her son and help him run the experiment. At the end of Season 7, Dr. F cut the Umbilicus (connecting the SOL and Deep 13) and sent the SOL flying into deep space for 500 years.

The Sci-Fi Channel picked up the show at the end of Season 7. Since being flung into space for 500 years, many things had changed for Mike and the 'Bots. They found themselves orbiting over Earth once more, but it was now "a planet where apes evolved from men." It seems Mike's relatives were to blame for that. Pearl Forrester, having been cryogenically frozen and rethawed, was now the apes' Lawgiver. Mike involuntarily helped the apes blow up their planet, and sent Pearl and Professor Bobo (a mountain gorilla) flying into space in a VW Widowmaker. They trailed the SOL until crash-landing onto the planet of the Observers. These Observers kept close tabs on Mike, the 'Bots, Pearl and Bobo, until Mike blew up that planet as well. An observer, Observer, escaped with Pearl and Bobo. They continued through different worlds and planets and ages, all the while sending Mike bad (now entirely Sci-Fi related) movies. Finally, Pearl crashed the Widowmaker into a castle, which turned out to be the Forrester ancestral home. They redecorated a bit, now send Mike movies from the comfort of home. During Season 9, Pearl tried with little success to take over the world. The Observers came back and tried to pick up Observer/Brain Guy, but were sent on their way.

Joel Robinson (played by Joel Hodgson) was a janitor at the Gizmonics Institute before being shot into space. A creative genius in his own right, he made the 'Bots to keep him company and to watch the movies with him. He was able to escape the SOL in an escape pod hidden in a box of hamdingers. *Joel was the show's creator and first host. He left in Show 512: Mitchell to pursue bigger and better things in Los Angeles. JOEL WILL BE APPEARING IN SHOW 1001!!!!!

Mike Nelson (real name), also the head writer, was called upon to fill Joel's shoes when he departed. He was a temp-worker in Deep 13 when Joel escaped, making him the perfect solution to the Mad's problems. He has a really big face, and is pretty easy-going. *Before become host, Mike had numerous roles as movie characters in the host segments. For example: Glen from The Amazing Colossal Man, and in Manhunt in Space as Winky. He was also 'Jack Perkins' in the Mystery Science Theater Hour segments. Mike's wife, Bridget Jones is also a writer on the show.

Dr. Clayton Forrester (played by Trace Beaulieu) is the originator of the 'experiment'. He controls the experiment in Deep 13, one of the sub-basements of the Gizmonics Institute. With his trademark wild and lightning-streaked hair, lime green glasses and lab coat, Dr. F is the epitome of evil and purveyor of deep hurting. He ran the experiment until he let the SOL loose at the end of Season 7. *Trace also was the original voice of Crow T. Robot. He now lives in LA and writes for the new AFV.

Dr. Larry Erhardt (Josh Weinstein) was Dr. Forrester's first assistant. He was pronounced missing after Season 1. *Josh was the first voice of Tom Servo.

TV's Frank (Frank Conniff) assumed Dr. Erhardt's place after Season 1. As Dr. F's assistant, Frank is always being killed, maimed, etc. He was taken to Second-Banana Heaven by the white angel Torgo in Show 624: Samson vs. the Vampire Women. *Frank is now a writer for Sabrina the Teenage Witch. FRANK WILL BE APPEARING IN 1001!!!!!

Pearl Forrester (Mary Jo Pehl) came to live with her son Clayton after Frank left. She is your typical overbearing mother. After Dr. F stopped the experiment at the end of Season 7, she vowed to continue it, for all the pain and suffering Mike and the 'Bots had caused him. (She wasn't around when Joel was host.) After her death, she was cryogenically frozen and brought back to life 500 years later by the ape civilization. She has continued sending Mike bad movies, all the while chasing him through the cosmos. *Mary Jo is a writer for the show.

Professor Bobo (Kevin Murphy) is a mountain gorilla, son of Koko, and heir to the lineage of Frodo, Gogo and Chim-chim. He unthawed Pearl and named her the Lawgiver of the Ape civilization on Earth. When Mike destroyed the planet, he stowed away in Pearl's Widowmaker. He likes to torment Observer. *Kevin is a writer and also the current voice of Tom Servo.

Observer (Bill Corbett) is an all-knowing being, who has evolved beyond the need for a body (even though he has one). He joined Pearl and Bobo after Mike destroyed his planet as well. Also called Brain Guy, he has the power to send Mike the movie with his mind (ooh!). *Bill is the newest addition to the cast, and is the voice of Crow T. Robot.

Cambot films the show. The only time he is ever seen is in the Robot Roll Call.

Gypsy (voice by Patrick Brantseg) is the long purple thing. She is the only female on the ship, and controls the higher functions of the SOL. She doesn't watch the movies with the guys, except when she begs Joel to sit in with the guys in Show 412: Hercules and the Captive Women. She finds it's not as interesting as she thought. She loves Richard Basehart. *Gypsy was voiced by producer Jim Mallon until he handed the role off in Season 8.

Tom Servo (voice by Kevin Murphy) is the squat little red guy with a bubble gum machine head. He has an excellent singing voice. Tom's smarter than Observer, and he is also more culturally aware than Mike or Crow. *Tom's original voice was Josh Weinstein until he left after Season 1.

Crow T. Robot (voice by Bill Corbett) is the little gold reindeer. He is quite ascerbic in his comments. He has had many crushes, including Kim Catrall and Estelle Winwood. His favorite movie is Road House. By the way, the 'T' stands for 'The'. *Trace Beaulieu was Crow's original voice until he left after Season 7.

Deep 13 is a sub-basement of the Gizmonics Institute. This is the lair where the Mads control the experiment and other twisted ones.

Castle Forrester is Pearl's ancestral home. Assuming the Forrester heritage, Pearl now attempts to take over the world and torture Mike with bad movies in the comfort of home.

The Satellite of Love, or SOL, is the dog-bone shaped spaceship orbiting the Earth. It is where Mike and the 'Bots live. They are constantly trying to escape, but it seems Joel took the last and only escape pod when he left.