Fanboys Anonymous

Years ago, a show called Mystery Science Theatre 3000 popularized the act of providing comedic commentaries to B-rated retro movies. That act has become known as "riffing." Despite a painfully low budget, the show was a massive success and holds a cult following to this day.

Since the original airing, the cast members have gone on to their own projects and remained mostly out of mainstream media. However, their class of comedy has never stopped. Adapting to the times, they took to the Internet, where half the team formed Cinematic Titanic and the other half formed RiffTrax. Both continued the popular style of MST3K, causing it to spread to other producers as its own genre of entertainment.

After 15 years, however, it appears riffing may be returning to our television screens! RiffTrax members and MST3K alumni Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphey, and Bill Corbett will be taking part in a three-episode comeback special on the National Geographic channel. Although the revival will air under the RiffTrax name, Zap2It has reported that Murphy and Corbett will be reprising their roles as Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot, respectively.

Whether other classic elements from MST3K will be included, such as the silhouetted images of our hosts during the movie or the commercial-break skits,  remains to be confirmed. The subject for riffing is also yet to be announced, although it has been rumored to be some kind of television show. There has been no word of any other members' involvement.

As a person who was a huge fan of the original MST3K and followed the careers of those involved, I can tell you that these guys have not missed a step! They've continued to evolve their brand of comedy, bringing it to modern movies to appeal to a new generation. With any luck, we can see them return to TV for more than just three episodes.

RiffTrax will air on National Geographic on April 1, 2014.