Mystery Science Theater 3000 Launches Fundraising Campaign for 14th Season

Crowd-sourced funding for next season set to upgrade old episodes to HD quality, with tiered goals to dictate number of new episodes produced.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 is launching a crowdfunding campaign for its 14th season using its in-house platform, The Showmaker. The initial funding goal is set at $4.8 million which will finance six new episodes, six shorts, and 18 remastered classics from 480p to 1080p HD.
Joel Hodgson, the host and creator of the series, believes its enduring success over 35 years can be attributed to talented collaborators, including writers, performers, and craftspeople, and of course, a loyal audience.
There are tiered goals for the fundraising campaign: if the show raises $6.1 million, it will produce nine episodes, nine shorts, and remaster 27 classics, whilst at $7.4 million, 12 episodes, 12 shorts, and 36 remastered classics will be produced.
The model of the crowdfunded campaign is well-tested, as it was previously successful for the 13th season, which managed to hit the tier 3 goal and raised an impressive $6.5 million.
Production of the new season will only commence once the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Radio and Television Artists strike is resolved, according to MST3K writer Matt McGinnis. In addition, the show has partnered with a new shipping company to facilitate faster delivery of rewards to donors.