Twenty Five Mystery Science Theater 3000 Films That Changed M... by Frank Conniff

Scientists shoot a janitor (played by Joel Hodgson and later by Mike Nelson) up GNN: I guess, before I continue, it would be helpful to describe the Year on KTMA and then one year on the Comedy Channel. The Comedy Channel, which then became Comedy Central. GNN: And Frank, you joined the show in theįrank Conniff (FC): In the second season of when it was on

Spartan with the commentary, but it was all improved at that point. If you go back and look at those you’ll see how rough they are. Sat down, they showed the films to us, and we made comments in real time. Because we had never seen these films before. Weĭon’t like silence, and we had to start joking just to make it bearable for We’re all stand-up comics and we don’t like a vacuum. Occasionally, but just be there physically at the bottom of the screen to watch We were just going to talk about it and make comments about the movie It was freewheeling, and we didn’t even know we were going to be joking on the It’s pretty well nailed down.” But in those days, Stage, and we just started doing the show. Pick up those puppets.” They’re plastic puppets, piles of plastic on a Do you want toĬome over and help?” And we went over the next day, and he said, “Go Said, “Hey, I’m doing this thing at a TV station tomorrow. TB: Joel joined a writing group that Josh and I were in, and Joel GNN: So, who pitched it to you and how was it pitched? And we kind of developed it as we went along. And Joel had this concept for a show, and Jim had access to a studio. And Jim was the manager of the station, and Josh and Joel and I were all comics, stand-up comics, in Minneapolis in the ’80s. Kevin and Jim both worked at KTMA, and Kevin did a lot of the editing and technical stuff and camera work in the beginning.

GNN: Kevin Murphy was there from the start,

Joel Hodgson, Josh Weinstein…am I missing anybody? GNN: So, the starting group was yourself, And that was really the pilot season for the show. We did like 20 episodes, 22 depending on who TB: That is correct…back when it was on KTMA, a little crappy

Trace Beaulieu (TB): I think 10 altogether. Uninitiated, folks might know you two gentlemen from a show called Mystery Science Theater 3000, which ran Scott Muller (GNN): I guess we’ll start, for the Clayton Forrester (Trace Beaulieau) and TV’s Frank (Frank Conniff), the original “Mystery Science Theater 3000” baddies who beamed all those bad movies to the Satellite of Love.

Twenty Five Mystery Science Theater 3000 Films That Changed M... by Frank Conniff