Joel Hodgson Tours America in His Final Live Shows With 'Mystery Science Theatre 3000' (kqed.org) 13
With some help from his robot (puppet) friends, TV's Joel Hodgson will heckle the movies "Circus of Horrors" and "No Retreat, No Surrender" live in San Francisco today -- before heading out to 26 other American cities (including Austin, Denver, Boise, and Salt Lake City).
It's a final farewell tour for Joel, as local media outlets try to find an appropriate appreciation for his legacy:
These days, the act of reacting is everywhere. Twitter is essentially one giant stream of people's snappy takes on current events. An entire cottage industry of YouTube reaction videos thrives. Twitch allows you to watch thousands of people around the world narrating video games. Go back in time, though, and you won't find too much in the way of reacting-as-entertainment. That, is, except for Mystery Science Theater 3000, the quirky, groundbreaking TV show that premiered on a small Minnesota TV station in 1988... It predated even DVD commentary tracks, and presaged the way we consume entertainment today.
That's San Francisco's local PBS station KQED, reminding readers that these really will be Joel's final live shows: Hodgson is calling it his last Mystery Science Theater tour -- he's been on and off the road since the show was crowdfunded to resurrection on Netflix in 2017 -- and, in a short phone conversation from the road, he says he means it. "I'm turning 60 next month," Hodgson says. "My whole job now is to work with the brand and get it ready for the next guy."
That "next guy" is new host Jonah Ray, who stars in the new Netflix episodes. ("He's just a natural, positive force, and he's amazing in that role," Hodgson says.) But fans will always be particularly attached to Hodgson, who has had three decades of understanding the nerdy cult around the show. On tour, he meets many fans face-to-face, "and they're all super-sweet," he says. "You get a few people who are a little socially awkward, but I'm awkward in my own way, so it kind of works out...."
if Hodgson is sad about this being his final tour, he doesn't show it. "I'm pretty happy, and I'm totally thinking about the end of it, for me. You kind of age out of it at a certain point. I'm not going to be one of those guys that's so attached to it that they do it until they take him out in a box."
In 2008 Hodgson answered questions from Slashdot readers.
"I've been a fan so long, I can't even remember when," posted CmdrTaco.
These days, the act of reacting is everywhere. Twitter is essentially one giant stream of people's snappy takes on current events. An entire cottage industry of YouTube reaction videos thrives. Twitch allows you to watch thousands of people around the world narrating video games. Go back in time, though, and you won't find too much in the way of reacting-as-entertainment. That, is, except for Mystery Science Theater 3000, the quirky, groundbreaking TV show that premiered on a small Minnesota TV station in 1988... It predated even DVD commentary tracks, and presaged the way we consume entertainment today.
That's San Francisco's local PBS station KQED, reminding readers that these really will be Joel's final live shows: Hodgson is calling it his last Mystery Science Theater tour -- he's been on and off the road since the show was crowdfunded to resurrection on Netflix in 2017 -- and, in a short phone conversation from the road, he says he means it. "I'm turning 60 next month," Hodgson says. "My whole job now is to work with the brand and get it ready for the next guy."
That "next guy" is new host Jonah Ray, who stars in the new Netflix episodes. ("He's just a natural, positive force, and he's amazing in that role," Hodgson says.) But fans will always be particularly attached to Hodgson, who has had three decades of understanding the nerdy cult around the show. On tour, he meets many fans face-to-face, "and they're all super-sweet," he says. "You get a few people who are a little socially awkward, but I'm awkward in my own way, so it kind of works out...."
if Hodgson is sad about this being his final tour, he doesn't show it. "I'm pretty happy, and I'm totally thinking about the end of it, for me. You kind of age out of it at a certain point. I'm not going to be one of those guys that's so attached to it that they do it until they take him out in a box."
In 2008 Hodgson answered questions from Slashdot readers.
"I've been a fan so long, I can't even remember when," posted CmdrTaco.
Is it being recorded? (Score:2)
If it isn't being recorded - it's a bit like having a last season of Doctor Who - but only showing it at a limited stage show.
Bit of a shame.
I understand the reasoning though - seems like the agreements with streaming services fell through - so the money was in showing it live.
Really odd that no other teams have found a good way of making this same format work in a non-cumbersome way. It's such a good casual mix of comedy and 'chill' movie watching.
Ryan Fenton
Re: (Score:2)
There's a few teams still at it, like Mike Nelson and some other MST3K peeps on the Rifftrax team. They put on a good show, though I wish they'd riff more blockbust
Re: (Score:2)
I didn't realize until recently, but PlutoTV has a contant live-tv stream on both MST3K and RiffTrax (note, has ads like broadcast tv):
http://pluto.tv/live-tv/mst3k [pluto.tv]
http://pluto.tv/live-tv/rifftrax [pluto.tv]
I kind of like the Hodgson-era stuff they show a bit more than the new stuff on Netflix.
Re: (Score:2)
All I get is "We’re sorry, but Pluto TV is currently unavailable in your location."
Too bad, I might have started a new listening habit at work : (
The MST3K hosts aren't reacting (Score:3)
Nearly since its inception, they've had a team of writers watch some '60s monster movie schlock several times, as they meticulously script and pace out every dialogue to be uttered by the hosts and puppeteers.
That said, MST3K is my favorite show of all time. Too this day I still listen to episodes in the background while I'm coding or exercising.
Re: (Score:2)
Too this day I still listen to episodes in the background while I'm coding or exercising.
Hell yes, I have MST3K and Rifftrax on in the background all the time. It's oddly comforting. And to my delight (and utter surprise) it turned out my wife loves the show as well.
Lyrics? (Score:2)
and he's amazing in that role
La la la
The new, new guy (Score:2)
Given that Netflix cancelled the Jonah Ray version, maybe it's time for a new NEW guy.
I've been Team Joel forever. Mike Nelson can kiss my script for Hamlet. Never saw the Netflix version.
Re: (Score:2)
Californians bearing gifts (Score:2)
Great show, interesting story (Score:1)
I always loved the show since the beginning, and the story behind the scene is interesting. A lot of passion went into it.
My dad and I watched it all the time, so it has some significance to me that way too!