If you’ve been enjoying Netflix’s reboot of Mystery Science Theater 3000, you’re apparently in the minority, as the series has just been canceled.
The critically-acclaimed reboot season ran for just two seasons after debuting in 2017, and featured an all-new cast compared to the series’ older iterations. Comedian Jonah Ray served as the host, taking the role once occupied by series creator Joel Hodgson and, later, Mike Nelson. Robots Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo returned but were voiced by newcomers Hampton Yount and Baron Vaughn, respectively. And actors Felicia Day and Patton Oswalt starred as the series’ new mad scientist and henchman, Kinga Forrester and Max.
While news of the series’ cancelation is certainly disappointing, it doesn’t necessarily mean this is the end of the road of MST3K. It doesn’t even mean it’s the end of this iteration, as Hodgson revealed on Twitter that a third season of the reboot series could be taken to another network or streaming service, writing, “If you didn’t see the backer update, I announced today that #MST3K is not doing a third season for Netflix. It’s not the end of MST3K, it’s just the end of the first chapter of bringing back MST3K.” That sounds like a pretty strong suggestion that MST3K will definitely be back, it’s just a matter of figuring out where and when.
So while we mourn the loss of Mystery Science Theater 3000, we can also take solace in the fact that the series is only taking a break, and will likely be back skewering more terrible movies before you can say “Movie sign!”
