Numbnut Central
"Everything's, uh, going blurry."
MST3K Cancelled by Comedy Central
...and Saved by the Sci-Fi Channel
Last updates: 8-Feb-1997 Sci-Fi Channel Ads
29-Jun-1996 MST3K Saved by the Sci-Fi Channel
21-Apr-1996 MST3K: The Movie links
4-Apr-1996 The ad from Variety and news stories on the ad
29-Mar-1996 Fund drive a success; full-page ad to appear in 4/1/96-4/7/96 Variety weekly
Numbnut Central
"Everything's, uh, going blurry."
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Related pages on this site:
Sci-Fi Channel's MST3K Print Ads
MST3K Rescued!
Variety Ad Fund Drive a Success
Important Links
Call For Donations For a Full-Page Ad in Variety
A Letter and Pledge From Jack Perkins, 12/21/95
A Seemingly Unrelated Message From Kevin Murphy
The Save MST3K FAQ
Roger Ebert's "Movie Answer Man" Column, 12/17/95
TV Guide Jeer, 12/23/95
Tom Shales on Comedy Central and MST3K, 12/24/95
1993 Variety Ad in MST3K's Honor
Eminently Pressable Buttons
A nice photo of the cast and writers of MST3K
MST3K target movie posters, stills, and ads
Boston and other 'Bot Bashes
Introduction
My very special holiday greeting for the decision-making people at Comedy Central and Viacom, who decided to give Best Brains and Mystery Science Theater 3000 their walking papers a few weeks before Thanksgiving:
"May your soul be forever tormented by fire and your bones be dug up by dogs and dragged through the streets of Minneapolis."I included the above quotation in my initial letter to Comedy Central when I heard they had cancelled MST3K. This page is devoted to the efforts to save this television show -- yes, it is just a show, but a damned good one, so it's worth it. Please visit the links I've placed here and join the effort yourself.- Garrison Keillor
Sci-Fi's MST3K Print Ads
8-Feb-1997 Update: First-run episodes of MST3K are now airing on the Sci-Fi Channel at 4 and 11pm on Saturdays. I was pleased to see Sci-Fi's print ads for the show. I believe this is the first time a network has actually promoted MST3K outside of its own broadcast signal. Good on ya, Sci-Fi. Click on any of these thumbnails to see a larger version of each ad with the text:
MST3K Saved!
29-Jun-1996 Update: The Sci-Fi Channel has signed Best Brains to produce 13 episodes of MST3K, and they will air beginning in February. Sci-Fi has an option to order up to 60 more episodes as well. I heard the news on Monday morning, June 24, from a USA Today reporter who called to get my thoughts on the show's rescue. I was quoted in the article entitled "'Mystery Science Theater' resurrected" in Tuesday's USA Today. Here's a text version and here's a scan of the print article.
On May 11, a week before the last new episode for Comedy Central aired, TV Guide wrote on the taping of the last episode for Comedy Central and the ongoing efforts by fans to save the show. That article, "The Bots Go Bye-Bye" (which also quoted me), is available here in text form or as a scan of the print article (with two pictures).
Variety Ad Fund Drive a Success
29-Mar-1996 Update: Comedy Central, after deciding conclusively not to order new shows, let Best Brains out of the exclusivity clause of their contract last week. This means the show can be produced for another network right now. Plus, the Variety ad fund drive was a success and I placed the ad this week. The full-page ad appears in the 4/1/96-4/7/96 issue of Variety weekly.
4-Apr-1996 Update: The ad appeared in Variety, which hit the stands on Monday. It's a good, strong-selling issue to be in, since it's the post-Oscar issue with plenty of "thank you" ads from the studios. Our placement was very good - page 31, right across from the complete list of Oscar winners.
A Reuters News Service reporter interviewed me last week for this story on the ad, which went out on their wire Monday afternoon. The Reuters news summary of the top ten entertainment stories for April 1 also references this, and the Notable Quotes does, too.
Jim Abbott of the Orlando Sentinel called me Monday for a story he was writing on the ad, but I haven't seen that yet. A publicity person from Gramercy Pictures also called and said they loved the idea and that they hope to further publicize the ad as part of the movie's release.
You can find Variety at Barnes & Noble, Borders Books, other book superstores, larger newsstands, and some public libraries. Below is a scan of the actual ad, pretty darned close to the draft version I had pasted up. If you want to see the actual ad at about the size it appeared (10"x14"), click on the one below. That will bring up a 387K GIF version in which you can read all the names.
Here's the contributor list and disclaimer, which you can't quite read in the above graphic:
The MST3K moon logo and ShadowrammaTM silhouette are the property of Best Brains, Inc. and are used with permission. This ad is an independent effort by fans that is not sponsored by or affiliated with Best Brains. This effort was organized by Mike Harney (mharney@usa1.com) and is dedicated to the memory of my mother, Anna Harney, who passed away on February 29th, 1996. May the wind be always at your back and may the sun shine warm upon your face, Mom.
Karen Anderson
Jennie Andreasen
Anonymous
Atomix Corp.
Becky Banfield and Douglas
Jerry Beck
Tim Bland
Leonard Bottleman
Jody Bowman
Nancy Brindley
Pete Brown
Dwight Brown
Matt Brown
Eric “Peeps” Bryant
Frances Buffington
Robert Bukoski
Cheryl Bulbach
David Burton
Ardith Carlton
Debra Caruthers
Bob Church
Comedy Tech
Brian Connelly
Jim Connolly
Chris Cornell
Suzan Costantini
Mike Czaplinski
Steve Dafoe
Todd Draper
Paul Duca
Ray Dunakin III
Robert Duncan
Leslie Durkee
Lindsay Edmunds
Laura Farron
Jeff Feindt
Lloyd Alan Fletcher and
Anne L. Le Maistre
Kristen Floor
Tavia M. Fortt
Funny Farm Radio Hollywood!
Ellen Fried and Ron Ghosh
Pam Gaffney
Matt Garretson
Sheryl Gere
Joan and Michael Goswell
Geoffrey
Here's the main problem: The show has been cancelled by Comedy Central, but they retain rights to the show through 1996, including the entire period Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie will be in release by Gramercy Pictures (it opens April 19th). [Note: As of mid-March, this is no longer true. Best Brains has been freed of the contract by the Great Satan, Comedy Central.] Best Brains will also be releasing an episode guide and a CD-ROM during this period. To a cynical person, it might appear that Comedy Central is trying to squeeze all of the benefits out of MST3K with almost none of the costs.
It should not be difficult for the show to sign with another network, but by contract, Best Brains, the production company, is forbidden to produce new episodes for any other network until January 1997. Put plainly: They are out of work now that the final episode for Comedy Central was taped on December 22. Although the show is in syndication on local stations in many cities, Best Brains will not receive income from this or the other projects for many moons. Comedy Central must be pressured to either order new episodes or drop the "no competition until '97" clause of the contract. In the succinct words of someone on Comedy Central's forum on CompuServe: "Comedy Central: Sh!t or get off the pot."
Important Links
Visit Jamie Plummer's Save Mystery Science Theater 3000 page and other related web pages.
Visit the official MST3K web site on the Sci-Fi Channel
Visit TV Guide Online's The Revenge of MST3K site.
Visit the Shell Answer Man.
(Not really. It's the FAQ and news page, maintained by Chris Cornell and Brian Henry.)
The name says it all. Read it and weep, Doug Herzog. As MTV's Kurt Loder said on "The Week in Rock" the weekend of the movie's opening, "Astonishingly, 'Misty' was abrubtly cancelled earlier this year by Comedy Central, a decision for which someone no doubt will pay very dearly." Doug Herzog used to be Loder's boss and is responsible, as the new president of Comedy Central, for the cancellation of MST3K.
Listen to George Scott's thoughts
Call for Pledges
The following call for pledges has been posted on MST3K-related forums and interest areas on all the major online services and the Internet newsgroups. Not only did I write it, but I believe in it. I'm pledging $150 to get the ball rolling.
12/22/95, 7am update: In the three days since this was released, I've received more than $2,600 in pledges, including a $150 pledge to match my own from Jack Perkins (yes, Jack Perkins of "Biography"), who has often been lampooned on MST3K. He is the hands-down winner of the "Good Sport of the Year" award. Please help if you can.
12/26/95, 9am update: I'll be updating the amounts tonight as soon as I do some more data entry into the pledge database and run a total, but I estimate we're at about 75% of the required amount now. Thank you to everybody who has pledged and encouraged this effort.
1/2/96, 9am update: We're now at about 95% of the goal of $4,500 (the cost of the ad). Our aim is to get pledges for 120% of the that goal, to account for inevitable no-shows that occur when the time to donate comes in pledge drives like this. When we're at 120%, I'll put out the call for donations via e-mail. Any funds left after the ad is paid for will either go towards similar efforts or be donated to an education-oriented charity we'll ask Best Brains to choose.
1/25/96, 7am update: We have pledges for more than enough to pay for the full-page ad in Variety. The call for donations is underway; I've nearly finished e-mailing the 150+ pledgers. If you've pledged already and don't receive e-mail with instructions from me by tomorrow (Friday), 1/26/96, please contact me. The address for donations is:The Save MST3K FundWhy money orders only? Because every bounced check on deposit would cost the fund $20, thereby nullifying someone else's donation of $20. That would be a shame. Money orders are available for a small fee at your bank or post office.
P.O. Box 4081
Westford, MA 01886Note: Money orders only, please, made out to Mike Harney/The Save MST3K Fund. Please include your name as you wish it to appear on the contributor listing.
Any funds left after the ad is placed will be used towards similar ads or will be donated to a charity to be named by Best Brains.
Last Saturday, a reporter from TV Guide interviewed me for a half-hour regarding people's efforts to save the show, including the deluge of faxes, letters, and phone calls Comedy Central has been withstanding, plus things like the Variety ad. He said the article, originally on the taping of the "final" episode but being expanded to include these efforts, was slated to appear in the issue dated 2/3, due out next week. He also contacted Comedy Central for their comments.
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW TO SAVE MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 A CALL FOR PLEDGES FOR A FULL-PAGE AD IN VARIETY WEEKLY For simultaneous release to Internet newsgroups and the major online services on December 18, 1995. Contact: Mike Harney CompuServe: [obsolete] On Internet: [obsolete] Alternate: [obsolete] A group of long-standing fans of MST3K, representative of the MST3K- related Internet newsgroups and the MST3K-related forums and interest areas on the major online services, has come up with a high-exposure way to help save the show. That idea is this: A full-page ad in Variety, the widely-read and highly respected entertainment trade weekly, in support of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and the good people at Best Brains. The ad will tell fans everything they can do to fight Comedy Central's cancellation of the show. Just as important, it will also serve to inform advertisers, the advertising agencies who advise them, and cable systems nationwide exactly how viewers of the program feel about the network's decision. For the moment, we'd simply like to ensure that we can raise the cash required for the ad. From reactions in the two weeks since the cancellation was announced, we believe we can easily do this in a matter of a few days. After the holidays, the call for the actual donations will be sent out to those who have pledged, and the ad will be placed as soon as the total funds are collected. The price of the ad is $4,500. Ideally, so that we can be done with this trial balloon quickly, we're seeking pledges of $50 each. That means only 90 people on the online services and the Internet newsgroups have to donate towards the ad. If you believe you can contribute $50 towards this ad shortly after the holidays, please reply to this message via e-mail only. If you can afford something smaller, let us know how much you would be able to afford. If you can't afford anything, please don't create hardship for yourself by pledging; your moral support and encouragement are just as important as the money. Thank you very much for your help. Mystery Science Theater 3000 is the property of Best Brains, Inc. This is an independent effort and is not sponsored by Best Brains in any fashion.A Letter and Pledge From Jack Perkins
I received this letter in e-mail from Jack Perkins on 12/21. He has kindly granted his permission to use it to publicize this cause. My letter to him that prompted this reply follows that. This is the real Jack Perkins, folks. He's been a member of the CompuServe ShowBiz forum for about a year now.
FROM: Jack Perkins 71266,374 TO: Mike Harney 73473,531 DATE: 12/21/95 9:03 AM Re: MST3K cancelled; Perkins impersonations to cease Mike, I'll match your pledge of $150 to help save MST3K. Why? Not because I regularly enjoy the show because we don't even get it on the island we live on (primitive troglodytes, we!). No, I'll happily help out because from the tapes I've been sent now and then I do appreciate the distinctively intelligent writing and -- most of all -- absolutely love that white haired host-guy who shows up now and then on the program. Wish I could be more like him. Good luck to us all. (And him.) Jack Perkins (P.S. Use the above however you wish, Mike.)My original letter to Mr. Perkins:FROM: Mike Harney 73473,531 TO: Jack Perkins 71266,374 DATE: 12/19/95 1:59 AM SUBJ: MST3K cancelled; Perkins impersonations to cease Dear Mr. Perkins, In case you hadn't heard, Mystery Science Theater 3000 has been cancelled by Comedy Central. Viewers of the program, especially long-standing ones like me, have come to be in a rather feisty mood since Comedy Central announced the decision two weeks ago. The main problem is that Comedy Central retains rights to the show until January 1997. That means the production company, Best Brains, can't produce anything for another network until then. The layoff of most of the staff is imminent after they tape the last show for Comedy Central this Friday, December 22. Fans are trying to pressure Comedy Central into changing their minds. I remember that, a while back, you told me you enjoyed the show and even liked Mike Nelson's impersonation of that white-haired fellow. I wonder if you might read the attached announcement I wrote, which was released on pertinent forums on all the online services and the Internet tonight, and perhaps give us your thoughts on our efforts. I think it would be a great encouragement to the folks who are working hard to save the show if I could quote you on the ShowBiz forum. Thanks for your time. I appreciate it. Mike Harney MST3K & Best Brains Section Leader CompuServe ShowBiz Forum [Attachment: Call for Pledges]A Seemingly Unrelated Message From Kevin Murphy
Kevin Murphy (who plays Tom Servo, the little red guy floating above) may have said it best in an unrelated message he posted on the CompuServe ShowBiz forum a couple of years ago in reply to this trolling message:
#: 349537 S13/MST3K Sb: #What's the Deal? Fm: JACKSON HARVEY 73733,3007 To: All MST3K FANS Having read the hub-bub about this show, we finally sat down and watched it. Blech! It makes Beevis & Butthead look like Mort Sahl (sp?). "It's like watching a movie with three of your most annoying friends." Please explain the fascination. [Many earlier replies excised] #: 353095 S13/MST3K Sb: #352633-#What's the Deal? Fm: Kevin W. Murphy 71023,3506 To: JACKSON HARVEY 73733,3007 Dear Jackson: First of all, it doesn't mean you're a bad person simply because you don't like the show. It just means you have different tastes than the good people on this forum. Second, you must admit that launching a polemical salvo as you did on this forum was intended to get a rise and a lot of reaction. Otherwise, why would you take the time to do it? Popular culture, particularly in the case of so-called "cult" hits, tends to have its very loyal, even fanatical, followers, as well as fanatical detractors, much like sports fans and their favorite teams. And this is good; criticism is what keeps the arts lively. So we welcome your criticism and hope you don't take the backlash too personally. Now lick my salty underside, you weaselly little dickhead.As section leader in the forum, my normal duty would be to move such a message to the sysop section and tell the member that personal attacks are contrary to forum policy. Instead, in this case, since I had busted a gut laughing at it, I left the message in the MST3K section. Then I had that last sentence engraved on a tankard and sent it to Kevin.
The Save MST3K FAQ
Here's Matt Duhan's Save Mystery Science Theater 3000 Frequently Asked Questions file:
Save Mystery Science Theater 3000 Frequently Asked Questions This FAQ was created to help answer many questions about the announcement that Comedy Central plans to not continue airing Mystery Science Theater 3000. While much of the information in here is based on conversations with people directly involved, some of it is also personal opinion, and should be taken as such. The suggestions regarding what can be done are guidelines only, and are based on the opinions of myself and others involved. This FAQ should appear in all places where MST3K is discussed. If you are part of an online (or offline) MST3K discussion group and you do not see this FAQ, please put it there (but please e-mail me first, see below). The more widespread this document is, the better our chances of saving MST3K. This version is edited and modified by Matthew Duhan (fRiNgE@cybercom.net) based greatly on discussions with Jamie Plummer (jcp9j@fermi.clas.virginia.edu) and others. Great thanks go to Jamie Plummer (jcp9j@fermi.clas.virginia.edu) for organizing much of this, Julie Walker (juliewa@aol.com) for letting us know that we can make a difference, Chris Cornell (MSampo@aol.com) for helping out on the AOL areas, and Mike Harney for helping out on the CompuServe areas. We still need someone to help on Prodigy. If you can, please e-mail me at fringe@cybercom.net. Thanks. Extra special thanks go to Julie Walker, Jim Mallon, and all the people at Best Brains, Inc for providing a wonderful show and valuable information. And for allowing this FAQ to circulate and not giving up hope. _Mystery Science Theater 3000_, its characters and situations are copyright 1995 Best Brains, Inc. This publication is not meant to infringe on any copyrights held by Best Brains, Comedy Central or its employees. This FAQ is free to distribute not-for-profit as long as this notice remains intact. If you would like to reprint any part of this publication, please drop me a line, so I can add it to the FAQ. No part of this publication may be reprinted, in whole or part, for profit or in hard printed form without express written permission of the maintainer, Matthew Duhan (fRiNgE@cybercom.net). Last updated: December 10, 1995 Q: Just what the sam hill is going on here? A: According to a press release from Best Brains dated December 3, 1995, Comedy Central has decided not to continue with the television show Mystery Science Theater 3000. Q: WHAT?? Are you sure? A: Yes, unfortunately. The press release is real, and has been confirmed. Q: Well, where is this press release? A: Right here. PRESS RELEASE For immediate release. December 3, 1995 Contact Julie Walker 612-941-8024 Best Brains to tape last Mystery Science Theater 3000 for Comedy Central. The final episode of the Peabody Award winning series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST 3K) will be taped on December 22. The program which features Mike Nelson and robots Tom Servo and Crow lampooning the worst movies ever made, will finish its commitment for Comedy Central this month. According to Producer Jim Mallon, "Comedy Central has indicated to us that they will not be renewing the series." Contractually, Best Brains, Inc. which owns the copyright on the series will be free to negotiate for new episodes with a different network beginning in January of 1997. Fans of the series will have a feature film, book, CD-ROM, and a second convention to look forward to. In April of 1996 Gramercy Pictures will be releasing Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie which was shot last summer in Minneapolis. Also in the spring, Bantam Books will be publishing the Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Amazing Colossal Episode Guide, the definitive review of all the episodes and Voyager will be publishing a MST 3K CD-ROM . Over 4000 people are expected to attend the 2nd Conventio-con Expo- fest-a-rama which will be held on Labor Day in Minneapolis. The show which began on UHF station KTMA in Minneapolis in 1988 has shot 132 episodes in the course of its 7 season run. Over 60,000 fans have registered with its Info Club and some 2000 fans attended its first convention in 1994. In addition to the Peabody Award MST 3K has garnered two Emmy and six Cable Ace nominations. Q: Well, WHY did Comedy Central do this? A: We don't fully know. While executives at CC have cited "low ratings" as the reason, it is also believed that part of the decision was due to the fact that CC recently got a new president, Doug Herzog. And fans know that there has been trouble between CC and BBI several times in the past. Q: Well, what can I do about it? A: PLENTY! You can start by writing or faxing Comedy Central! Do NOT e-mail Comedy Central, as they ignore e-mail. Also, please try not to call, as we want to be as polite as possible, and calling can interrupt people. Let me repeat as this is important. BE POLITE! Q: Where should I write or fax? A: Write or fax to Doug Herzog, president of Comedy Central, asking him to reconsider his decision to cancel MST3K, and to pick up more episodes for season 7 (through December 1996). Above all, please be polite and courteous. Doug Herzog Comedy Central 1775 Broadway New York, NY 10019 Phone: (212) 767-4071 Fax: (212) 767-8590 Q: Is there anyone at Comedy Central that is for MST3K? A: We're not sure, but you can try e-mailing Vinnie Favale at vinnief328@aol.com. Q: Should I write other networks as well? A: For now, it is best to focus our efforts on Comedy Central. While BBI will be free to negotiate with other networks beginning in 1997, they (and we) would like more episodes in the meantime. The best way to do this is to ask CC to agree to purchase more episodes for 1996. Q: Should I mail/fax/e-mail Best Brains? A: No. BBI is swamped right now with letters of support. This plus filming season 7 episodes plus dealing with orders from the fan club plus other work is overwhelming them. Think about it, won't you? Thank you. Q: So what else can I do? Who else can I write? A: There are several other people you can write to try to convince CC to bring back more MST3K. We are working on a list, but first: Tom Shales Washington Post 1150 15th St., NW Washington, DC 20071 Q: What about organized events? A: These are currently in the planning stages. We are trying to set up a listserver that people can subscribe to in order to be notified of events such as a CC phone-a-thon or fax-a-thon. Details will be forthcoming. In addition, the possibility of boycotts are being discussed. Again, people will be notified when we have more information. Q: I think BBI should quit while they're ahead! They're money-grubbers, aren't they? Hasn't the show declined in quality? A: Not really, as with anything, the show overall is improving over time and evolving. Saying it's bad is your opinion, but many do not agree. And consider that if BBI were really just trying to make money, they wouldn't have had to lay off people recently, would have gone to a bigger network already, and wouldn't have asked us to help bring back MST3K. Q: Wasn't BBI the ones who wanted to quit? A: Absolutely not. BBI has said that they very much want to continue making Mystery Science Theater 3000. Q: Should BBI seek another network? A: That depends. If CC agrees to make more episodes, that will help. In the long run, however, I think that BBI can do better than CC, which consistantly has problems with the show. Q: Are any other networks interested? A: Yes, BBI has discussed the possibility of making MST3K with several other networks. According to the contract with CC, BBI is allowed to discuss options elsewhere, but no new episodes can be made until 1997. Q: Is there an online version of this information? A: Right now, the best place to check is Jamie Plummer's www page at http://fermi.clas.virginia.edu/~jcp9j/canceled.html. I will also be converting this document to HTML at http://www.cybercom.net/~fringe/savemst.html. Q: If I have a correction or additional information to add, who do I send it to? A: E-mail it to Matthew Duhan (fRiNgE@cybercom.net) with "FAQ" in the Subject: line. I will try to update this FAQ as often as possible, so be sure to check the Last Updated date at the top. Thanks to Best Brains, Inc., the authors of the First Amendment, and every MSTie everywhere! "Mystery Science Theater 3000," its characters and situations are © 1995 Best Brains, Inc. This publication is not meant to infringe on any copyrights held by Best Brains, Comedy Central or its employees. The information herein is subject to being wrong. This FAQ is free to distribute not-for-profit as long as this notice remains intact. If you would like to reprint any part of this publication, please drop me a line, so I can add it to the FAQ. No part of this publication may be reprinted, in whole or part, for profit or in hard printed form without express written permission of the maintainer, Matthew Duhan (fRiNgE@cybercom.net).
Roger Ebert's The Movie Answer Man
This item was in fellow CompuServe Showbiz Forum section leader Roger Ebert's Chicago Sun-Times "Movie Answer Man" column the week of 12/17/95. The column is also syndicated to 100+ newspapers.
I thanked Roger in the MST3K section when I read his column:Q. Comedy Central, the cable outfit that runs the great program "Mystery Science Theater 3000," has tentatively decided to cancel it. [Editor's note: It's definite. The last shows will be taped Thursday and Friday.] I know that you're not a TV critic, but MST3K obviously appeals to film buffs, too (as well as all intelligent, perceptive, good-humored and wonderful people everywhere). We must save this show! Jeff Feindt, Dayton, New JerseyA. MST3K shows spectacularly bad movies and superimposes the silhouettes of three futuristic critics (a human, an alien [MJH note: sic; Roger realized later he messed up], and a robot), who provide a running critique. There are those who devour every episode (Time movie critic Richard Corliss recently published a lengthy analysis in Film Comment magazine). Fear not, MST3K fans. The film version, "Mystery Science Theater: The Movie," is due out in April. If you want to protest the show's cancellation, write to Doug Herzog, President, Comedy Central, 1775 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. What I'm getting tired of is Comedy Central's endless tapes of stand-up comedians who seem required to stand up, by law, in front of the same brick wall.
#: 932493 S13/MST3K & Best Brains 17-Dec-95 13:45:28 Sb: #Movie Answer Man on MST Fm: Mike Harney 73473,531 To: Roger Ebert 73136,3232 (X) Roger, I just read your "Answer Man," courtesy of my friend Becky Banfield, who lives in Chicago. Your less well-known fellow section leader thanks you for the inclusion of the MST3K item and Comedy Central's address. There is 1 Reply. #: 933928 S13/MST3K & Best Brains 19-Dec-95 00:02:00 Sb: #932493-#Movie Answer Man on MST Fm: Roger Ebert 73136,3232 To: Mike Harney 73473,531 (X) Hope you get some support! If you're "less well-known," howcum you get more messages? There is 1 Reply. #: 933954 S13/MST3K & Best Brains 19-Dec-95 00:51:47 Sb: #933928-Movie Answer Man on MST Fm: Mike Harney 73473,531 To: Roger Ebert 73136,3232 <Hope you get some support!> I think we will. To help out the show and the good folks at Best Brains, we're placing a full-page ad in Variety after the holidays (see "FULL-PAGE AD IN VARIETY"). The pledges for the cost of the ad are pouring into my e-mailbox now. <If you're "less well-known," howcum you get more messages?> Well, I, uh...I'll have to get back to you on that. Trust me, though, you're very famous. It's in all the papers.
TV Guide Jeer, 12/23/95
TV Guide, in its "Cheers and Jeers" column for the 12/23-12/29/95 issue, had this to say:
JEERS To Comedy Central for canceling Mystery Science Theater 3000. Say it ain't so: No more Mike and Joel? No more Tom Servo and Crow? No more Torgo?! No, says Comedy Central spokesman Tony Fox, who admits, "It's a sad day when we've got to let such a signature show discontinue production" due to low ratings. A sad day, indeed. Mystie-eyed fans can console themselves with an upcoming MST3K CD-ROM, "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie," The Amazing Colossal Episode Guide, and the "2nd Conventio-con Expo-fest-a-rama," to be held in Minneapolis on Labor Day. Last 'bot not least, there's always the chance that another network will want new episodes of the show when Best Brains (the outfit that produces MST3K is free to negotiate with another network in January 1997. Sounds like a no-brainer to us.
Tom Shales in the Washington Post, 12/24/95
Tom Shales wrote a column for Christmas Eve, detailing twenty-five reasons why you shouldn't give up on television. Reason number 14:
"Mystery Science Theatre 3000," a shadow of its former self, not quite as inventive and wisecracky as it used to be, but still mad and magical in the way it turns bad old movies into good new sarcastic entertainment. "MST3K" may, however, be in its waning weeks on cable's cretinous Comedy Central, whose execrable executives have announced plans to cancel it.You may think it difficult to reconcile "shadow of its former self" with "still mad and magical," but as one person said, "Tom Shales, whom I've been reading for more than twenty years (the Post being my local paper), has a weakness for hyperbole and a tendency to write hastily."
Q: Say, did Comedy Central place this ad in Variety a couple years ago?
A: No, Clinton Alvord did, with help from other people who like the show.
Q: Well, did Comedy Central place any ad on this auspicious occasion?
A: Gee, what do you think?
Q: What's that graphic to the right?
A: An enlargement of the bottom right of the photo in the ad. Actor Zack Norman ("The A-Team," "The Nanny," "Babyfever") once placed an ad about himself in Variety that said that, and an MST3K skit included such an ad.
If you like, you can go to my Departments page from here, where you'll find things relating to MST3K -- and several other subjects -- that are a little more fun than the ones on this page. You can also go to my index page and start from the top. There are pointers there to some other pages not in Departments.
Entire contents © 1995-2003 by Mike Harney. World rights reserved. Steve Allen, this means you.
Except all those bits on this page that are copyrighted by magazines and newspapers, of course. Don't yell or hit.
