15 Differences Between the New and Old “Mystery Science Theater 3000”

Photo credit Netflix

The Host Segments feel shorter

We live in an age where everything feels instantaneous. If you have to wait more than a few minutes for something, you find yourself annoyed.

In this reboot of Mystery Science Theater 3000, the host segments feel shorter than they were in the past. There’s also a definite lack of back and forth between Moon 13 and the Satellite of Love, even during the Invention Exchanges. The Host Segments aren’t more than two or three minutes long, and while that’s not much shorter than before, it’s certainly noticeable.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing. It actually fits very well with the new, faster tone of MST3K. It makes it feel more streamlined and it flows a little better. Then again, part of the issue might be that some of the movies they have chosen to riff are longer than in the past. And this is a show that likes to stay on its 90-minute schedule.

Part of the reason it may feel shorter is that there aren’t those commercial breaks. So there’s less time spent outside of the movie theater. No longer is it a three-minute commercial break followed by a three-minute Host Segment. And that’s okay — the less commercials, the better.