Mystery Science Theater 3000/Season Eight

Season Eight
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Season Premiere	February 1, 1997
Season Finale	December 6, 1997
Episode Count	22 + 3 specials
Notable Episodes	8x20 - Space Mutiny 8x21 - Time Chasers 8x22 - Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
Previous Season Seven	Next Season Nine

Season Eight of Mystery Science Theater 3000 premiered on February 1, 1997. Following the series' cancellation by Comedy Central, fans initiated a then unprecedented campaign to save the program, which included taking out full-page advertisements in Variety. Their attempts succeeded when Sci-Fi Channel picked up the series beginning with this season. The chief difference between this season and the previous is that the show was required to only do episodes on movies which fit into the network's broad definition of science fiction, which included horror and fantasy.

Mike and the Bots return from their state of pure energy after many decades to once again watch bad movies on the Satellite of Love. Pearl Forrester, who emerges from a state of cryogenic sleep, remains their chief antagonist. She is aided by Professor Bobo from Earth (which is now ruled by apes) and Observer (otherwise known as Brain Guy), a man from a race of beings who carry their brains in jars. Professor Bobo was played by Kevin Murphy (the voice of Tom Servo) and Brain Guy was played by Bill Corbett (the new voice of Crow). In addition to these new "Mads," Gypsy's puppeteering was handed over to Patrick Brantseg when Jim Mallon left mid-season.

Sci-Fi Channel's one request of the show was an ongoing story arc between episodes. In this season, Mike and the Bots travel throughout the galaxy with Pearl in hot pursuit. A running theme in the show from this point on is Mike randomly blowing up planets when he attempts to solve a problem.

Before the show debuted, Sci-Fi Channel held an event called "MST3K - The Home Game" on January 25, 1997. It allowed viewers at home to submit one-liners and their own riffs while viewing a movie on Sci-Fi. Their quotes would then be displayed on the screen. The movie shown for this special was "The Day The World Ended." Sci-Fi also continued the Thanksgiving day tradition and aired a mini-marathon of Mystery Science Theater 3000 on November 27-28.

Episodes

#	#	Title			Airdate
SP4	SP	The Day the World Ended			January 25, 1997
150	1	Revenge of the Creature			February 1, 1997
151	2	The Leech Woman			February 8, 1997
152	3	The Mole People			February 15, 1997
153	4	The Deadly Mantis			February 22, 1997
154	5	The Thing That Couldn't Die			March 1, 1997
155	6	The Undead			March 8, 1997
156	7	Terror from the Year 5000			March 15, 1997
157	8	The She Creature			April 5, 1997
158	9	I Was a Teenage Werewolf			April 19, 1997
159	10	The Giant Spider Invasion			May 31, 1997
160	11	Parts: The Clonus Horror			June 7, 1997
161	12	The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed Up Zombies			June 14, 1997
162	13	Jack Frost			July 12, 1997
163	14	Riding with Death			July 19, 1997
SP5	SP	The Making of MST3K			August 1, 1997
164	15	Agent for H.A.R.M.			August 2, 1997
165	16	Prince of Space			August 16, 1997
SP6	SP	First Annual Summer Blockbuster Review			September 2, 1997
166	17	Horror of Party Beach			September 6, 1997
167	18	Devil Doll			October 4, 1997
168	19	Invasion of the Neptune Men			October 11, 1997
169	20	Space Mutiny			November 7, 1997
170	21	Time Chasers			November 22, 1997
171	22	Overdrawn at the Memory Bank			December 6, 1997