The RiffTrax team – Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett, all former Mystery Science Theater 3000 cast members – are returning to their old show's format with "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The RiffTrax Experiments", a four-episode revival funded by a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign. The project matters because it marks a fresh chapter for a cult series that has repeatedly been revived since 1988 across public access TV, cable, streaming and fan funding, now under new ownership by Radial Entertainment, which bought the franchise from creator Joel Hodgson earlier this year.

The trio's February Kickstarter sought $20,000 but raised $2.7 million within a month, funding practical effects for the new episodes. Speaking to Billboard, Nelson, Murphy and Corbett discussed the show's musical legacy, including Nelson's past songwriting process from a cramped phone closet, a new theme song version by Jonathan Coulton, and fresh musical moments planned for the upcoming episodes. The first episode is due in cinemas via Fathom Entertainment and RiffTrax on 9 and 13 September, with backers receiving their copies in October.