The Mystery Science Theater Crew Was Born to Riff on Stranger Things
Stranger Things sheriff Jim Hopper (David
As many reviews have noted, it seems MST3K is just as hilarious as ever in rebooted form, turning its bemused eye on old, schlocky fare for some good, old-fashioned riffing. Sadly, Stranger Things is not actually on the menu in the 14-episode first season, which pokes fun at such classics as Reptilicus and The Land That Time Forgot.. But the MST3K crew did take a few minutes to lovingly mock the series in the clip above.
First aired in 1988, MST3K has seen plenty of revivals before; the series has aired on a local Minneapolis affiliate station; the Comedy Channel (which eventually rebranded as Comedy Central); and the Sci-Fi Channel (which became SyFy). It’s seen 10 seasons, with 195 episodes and one feature film. But as the show cracks wise about last year’s 80s-infused summer smash, it’s clear that nomadic upbringing has done nothing to dilute the series’s substance—and as poor Jim Hopper becomes the butt of joke after joke, it feels like the 90s all over again.