Season 12

Season 12 is the twelfth national season of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (thirteenth overall). It is the second to debut on Netflix. The season consists of six episodes, making it the shortest season of MST3K due to Season 7 having two distinct versions of Experiment #701.

Released with the subtitle of The Gauntlet,^[1] it debuted November 22, 2018.^[2] Its premiere on Thanksgiving Day forced Turkey Day '18 to air a week earlier, making it the first Thanksgiving marathon not to appear on Thanksgiving.

The season conceit of The Gauntlet refers to Jonah and the Bots being forced to watch six movies back-to-back (a nod to the binge-watching habits associated with Netflix).

The events of Experiment #1201 seem to take place shortly after the end of Season 11, and the final host segment of Experiment #1206 would appear to be leading into the 30th Anniversary Tour.

A common theme regarding the films selected for The Gauntlet is their being attempts to cash in on the success or publicity of other films, with varying degrees of brazenness. Mac and Me is notorious for its imitation of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Atlantic Rim is a rush-to-market capitalization on Pacific Rim. Lords of the Deep is one of many science fiction/horror films set underwater released in 1989. The Day Time Ended has frequently been referred to as a low budget reworking of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Killer Fish is one of many to follow the path of Jaws. Finally, Ator, the Fighting Eagle rode on the coattails of Conan the Barbarian.

Season debuts:

• Deanna Rooney as Dr. Donna St. Phibes

References