Best Brains

Best Brains, Inc. was an American entertainment company based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Originally known as Hair Brain Productions, the company was established around the creative work of Joel Hodgson and became identified primarily with Mystery Science Theater 3000, commonly abbreviated as MST3K. The program combined low-budget science-fiction and horror films with live-action framing sequences, puppetry, host segments, and improvised or scripted comedic commentary from characters watching the films. Its distinctive format made the production company an important part of the late-1980s and 1990s cult-television landscape. The Best Brains name was reportedly inspired by wording found in an old Vick Lawston magic catalog. The phrase referred to contributions from people described as being among the “best brains” in the magic business, and Joel Hodgson adopted it for the company. Under the Best Brains identity, the company created and produced MST3K, which originally aired from 1988 and developed a dedicated following through its unusual blend of film criticism, parody, puppetry, and serialized comedy. The program moved through different broadcast arrangements and was ultimately carried by the Sci-Fi Channel, now known as Syfy. Best Brains ceased producing the series after the Sci-Fi Channel cancelled it in 1999 and the company closed its studio. Although active television production ended, the company continued to control and administer the Mystery Science Theater 3000 brand and related intellectual property for a period. This included negotiating home-video releases with Shout! Factory and arrangements for the program's availability on streaming services, including Hulu. In this phase, Best Brains functioned less as a conventional active production studio and more as the rights-holding entity for its best-known television property. On November 10, 2015, Shout! Factory announced that it had acquired MST3K and its associated intellectual property from Best Brains for an undisclosed amount. On the same day, series creator Joel Hodgson launched a Kickstarter campaign intended to revive the program. The crowdfunding effort raised more than $5.5 million, according to the cited reference material, and supported the return of the series with a Netflix season consisting of 14 episodes in 2017. The revival was therefore produced after the underlying property had left Best Brains' ownership. Following the sale of the MST3K property, Best Brains subsequently became known as Consolidated Puppets, Incorporated. Publicly available reference material provides limited information about the company's later activities, current operations, ownership, or independent commercial output. Its historical significance rests chiefly on the creation of MST3K and on the transition of that property from its original production company to Shout! Factory and later revival partners.

Best Brains, Inc. was an entertainment company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and is principally remembered as the original production company behind Mystery Science Theater 3000. Before adopting the Best Brains name, the company was known as Hair Brain Productions. Joel Hodgson has explained that the later name was taken from language he encountered in a Vick Lawston magic catalog, where a phrase referred to people among the “best brains” in the magic business. The company's major contribution to television was the development and production of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a comedy and science-fiction program built around the presentation of old genre films. The show used a host, robot puppets, narrative interludes, and comic commentary to transform inexpensive films into a distinctive form of collaborative viewing and parody. The program began in 1988 and became known for its highly specialized format and loyal audience. Its cultural identity was closely tied to Best Brains, whose creative and production work supported the series across its original broadcast life. MST3K eventually aired on the Sci-Fi Channel, now Syfy. The network cancelled the program in 1999, after which Best Brains stopped producing it and closed its studio. The end of production did not immediately eliminate the company's role in the franchise. Best Brains retained the MST3K brand and related rights for a period, working on arrangements for home-video distribution through Shout! Factory and on streaming availability, including Hulu. During these years, the company primarily acted as a rights holder and licensing participant rather than as an active television studio. A major change occurred on November 10, 2015, when Shout! Factory announced that it had purchased MST3K and its associated intellectual property from Best Brains. The financial terms were not disclosed in the cited material. On the same date, Joel Hodgson announced a Kickstarter effort to revive the program. The campaign raised more than $5.5 million and became one of Kickstarter's most successful campaigns at the time, providing the basis for a new production. The revived series premiered on Netflix in 2017 with 14 episodes. After the franchise sale, Best Brains subsequently became known as Consolidated Puppets, Incorporated. The available reference material does not establish the company's present operating status, subsequent productions, headquarters after the rename, or ownership structure. Accordingly, Best Brains is best documented as a historically significant television-entertainment company whose principal asset and public identity were transferred to Shout! Factory in 2015.

• 2017

  MST3K revival reaches Netflix

  [1]Best Brainsen.wikipedia.org

  A 14-episode revival of Mystery Science Theater 3000 premiered on Netflix after a successful Kickstarter campaign.

• 2015

  MST3K property sold to Shout! Factory

  [1]Best Brainsen.wikipedia.org

  Shout! Factory acquired Mystery Science Theater 3000 and its associated intellectual property from Best Brains for undisclosed terms.

• 1999

  Original production ends

  [1]Best Brainsen.wikipedia.org

  The Sci-Fi Channel cancelled Mystery Science Theater 3000, after which Best Brains closed its studio and stopped producing the program.

• 1988

  Mystery Science Theater 3000 begins

  [1]Best Brainsen.wikipedia.org

  Best Brains began creating and producing Mystery Science Theater 3000, the comedy science-fiction program that became the company's defining property.

• Formation under the Best Brains identity

  [1]Best Brainsen.wikipedia.org

  Hair Brain Productions became known as Best Brains, a name associated with Joel Hodgson's creative production work.

A creator-led entertainment production company associated with cult television, genre-film satire, puppetry, and franchise rights management.

• Television series · 1988

  Mystery Science Theater 3000

  Best Brains' signature production was a comedy and science-fiction television series in which a host and puppet characters watched and commented on older genre films. The program combined scripted jokes, improvisational performance, miniature and puppet work, recurring characters, and serialized framing narratives. It originally ran from 1988 to 1999 and later became the subject of a revival after its intellectual property was sold to Shout! Factory in 2015.

• 2015MST3K Kickstarter revival campaign

  United States · International online audience

  Joel Hodgson launched a crowdfunding campaign to revive Mystery Science Theater 3000 on the same day Shout! Factory announced its acquisition of the franchise from Best Brains. The campaign raised more than $5.5 million.

  Outcome. The campaign supported a 14-episode revival that premiered on Netflix in 2017.

  Source

• 2015

  Sale of MST3K intellectual property to Shout! FactoryM&A

  Background

  After the Sci-Fi Channel cancellation and the closure of its studio, Best Brains continued to hold and administer the Mystery Science Theater 3000 brand and related rights.

  Action taken

  Best Brains sold Mystery Science Theater 3000 and associated intellectual property to Shout! Factory. The purchase price was not disclosed.

  Aftermath

  Shout! Factory became the franchise owner, while Joel Hodgson pursued a crowdfunded revival that later appeared on Netflix.

  Source

• 2017

  Mystery Science Theater 3000 returns on Netflix[1]Best Brainsen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation · Product launch

  The revived series returned through Netflix with a 14-episode season after the successful crowdfunding effort initiated in 2015.

• 2015

  Shout! Factory acquires Mystery Science Theater 3000 intellectual property[1]Best Brainsen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Shout! Factory announced the purchase of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and associated intellectual property from Best Brains for an undisclosed amount.

• 2015

  Joel Hodgson launches crowdfunding campaign to revive MST3K[1]Best Brainsen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign · Product launch

  Following the transfer of the franchise to Shout! Factory, Joel Hodgson began a Kickstarter campaign to bring Mystery Science Theater 3000 back to television. The campaign raised more than $5.5 million.

1. 1Best Brainsen.wikipedia.org