20 Hilarious Moments from Mystery Science Theater 3000

MST3K

Airing for 11 seasons from 1988 to 1999, Mystery Science Theater 3000 immediately won over fans and became one of the most beloved cult TV shows of all time, making a human torture experiment more entertaining than anyone could have predicted.

When Joel Robinson (played by show creator Joel Hodgson) is shot into space and forced to watch bad movies while mad scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester (Trace Beaulieau) and his crony, TV’s Frank (Frank Conniff), monitor his mind, Joel builds a cast of lovable robot sidekicks to help keep his sanity: Crow, Tom Servo, Gypsy and Cambot. It’s only through their wisecracks, quips and friendships that they make it through a barrage of increasingly terrible cinema–and the audience in turn gets a veritable treasure trove of gut-busting hilarity. Here are 20 examples of what made it so hilarious.