Take 4 TV: MST3K

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988 - 1999)

The Challenge: When I sat down to review four episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000, I had no idea how difficult it would be to actually structure the review. I mean, how do you rate a television series which is basically a series of commentaries on very, very...very...bad movies? Well, I'll do my best.

The Premise: Haven't heard of MST3K, as the show was more popularly known? Well, here's the basic idea: a janitor has been sent up into space as part of a mad scientist's twisted experiment. While stranded on a satellite, the custodial worker is subjected to terrible movie after terrible movie (all part of the scientist's master plan, apparently). To keep himself company, the janitor proceeds to build a couple robot pals, and the three of them heckle the films that are sent to them. So basically, each episode is a pretty rotten B-Movie, with humorous commentary provided by a guy (either Joel or Mike, depending on the date of the episode) and two robot puppets. And...yep, that's about it.

Familiar Faces: Well, you might recognize some folks in the movies that are being mocked, but the cast of MST3K haven't had much facetime outside the show. Funny folks, though.

Some Episodes I Watched: So, I checked out four episodes of MST3K: "The Girl in Gold Boots," in which Mike, and the 'bots (Tom Servo and Crow) watch a classic tale of life on the open road and go-go dancing; "Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues," in which the trio watch a professor from Arkansas and three of his students track a mysterious swamp creature; "Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders," in which Mike, Tom and Crow have to deal with Ernest Borgnine telling his grandson some demon-infested bedtimes stories; and "Mr. B's Lost Shorts," which is actually a collection of several of the short 1950's educational films, such as "Johnny at the Fair" and "Are You Ready for Marriage?" that the three captives sometimes mock prior to watching the more lengthy feature films.

Random Trivia: The show was ranked #11 in TV Guide's list of "The 25 Top Cult Shows Ever," as well as #13 in "25 Greatest Sci-Fi Legends."

And I Quote: [After a bad edit results in a character suddenly appearing mid-scene] Tom Servo: "I'm back." Mike: "Anybody notice that I'm here now?" Crow: "C'mon, I just teleported here, it's impressive."

Curt's Take: Must See - Sometimes the episodes are hit or miss, but if you pick one of the good ones (I'd check out any of the above, although The Girl in Gold Boots is cast member Mike's favorite), there are some definite laugh-out-loud moments. Don't try and see all ten seasons, though, or you'll have a headache. Just rent an episode here and there...if you like your humor filled with random pop culture references, and don't mind chaotic goofiness every now and then, you'll enjoy this. However, if the idea of watching a bad movie, no matter how funny the mocking of it is, I guess you should skip this. I know several folks who don't like the show, but if you haven't seen it, I'd say check out an episode and see for yourself.

Take 4 TV: MI-5, Volume Two

MI-5: Volume Two (2003)

Overview: This five-disc BBC TV series (which goes by the name of Spooks over in the UK) follows the goings-ons within England's counterpart to our CIA: the government agency known as MI-5. The action/drama revolves around the group of spies that we were introduced to back in Volume One of MI-5: Tom, Zoe, Danny, and their boss Harry. This season, the three undercover agents struggle with things that many of us deal with on a day-to-day basis: finding a good work/life balance, questioning job security, and tracking down missing nuclear armaments halfway across the European subcontinent.

Recommended Reading: My prior review on Season One of MI-5.

Familiar Faces: Unless you regularly watch obscure shows from the BBC, you probably won't recognize any of these actors. The primary actors from the first season are back, and you have a few new additions to the team this year, including Ruth, the computer networks expert who comes off as slightly crazy but is damn good at her job, to Sam, the obligatory cute girl who brings a nice naive, innocence to the mostly serious government agency. Oh...if you're watching the current season of 24, you will see a familiar face in the second episode of the season. Hint: He plays a terrorist...again.

And I Quote...: Zoe: "This came from Christine Dale, didn't it? And you're protecting her. What do you see in her, Tom?" Tom: "Well..." Danny: "Californian, bright, hard bod." Zoe: "Yeah, thank you, Danny..."

Life Lessons From MI-5: 1) Not only do you get to meet all sorts of interesting people as a spy, you get to be all sorts of interesting people. Like...apparently...video store managers and secretaries. 2) The government has the bandwidth to create very realistic emergency training simulations. 3) Improvised explosive devices fail to explode 37% of the time.

Random Trivia: In the Season Two finale, "Smoke and Mirrors," the film being watched in the teaser is The Third Man (which I reviewed a ways back). Many of the themes of that film are echoed in the episode, including the appearance of a previously thought dead character.

Curt's Take: Not a Priority - Rating an entire season of a television series can be tricky. With MI-5, I enjoyed an episode here and there in the first season, and it was pretty much the same with Season Two. There were some really good ones, but many of them seemed to drag a bit. So, I'd say that catching an episode or two should be on your "To Do" list, but an entire season? Not really a priority.