In the Peanut Gallery with Mystery Science Theater 3000

<p> The award-winning television series <I>Mystery Science Theater 3000</I> (1988-1999) has been described as the smartest funniest show in America and forever changed the way we watch movies. The series featured a human host and a pair of robotic puppets who while being subjected to some of the worst films ever made provided ongoing hilarious and insightful commentary in a style popularly known as riffing. These essays represent the first full-length scholarly analysis of <I>Mystery Science Theater 3000</I>--<I>MST3K</I>--which blossomed from humble beginnings as a Minnesota public-access television show into a cultural phenomenon on two major cable networks. The book includes interviews with series creator Joel Hodgson and cast members Kevin Murphy and Trace Beaulieu.</p>