Joel and the 'bots. From left to right, Crow T. Robot, Joel Robinson, and Tom Servo.

Joel Robinson was a fictional character on the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000. He was portrayed by Joel Hodgson, the creator of the series. Stated reasons why Joel did not use his actual last name include that Robinson would be easier to pronounce. This is a screenshot from an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. ... This is a screenshot from an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. ... Crow and friends. ... Tom Servo and his friends. ... Movie theater view, featuring the short film Hired!. Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988–1999), usually abbreviated MST3K, is a cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson featuring a man and his robot sidekicks who are trapped on a satellite in space and forced to watch particularly bad movies. ... Joel Hodgson on Mystery Science Theater 3000 with robots Crow and Tom Servo John Joel Hodgson (born February 20, 1960 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin) is best known for creating Mystery Science Theater 3000 and starring in it as the character Joel Robinson. ...

Formerly a janitor for Gizmonic Insitute (just another face in a red jumpsuit), Joel built the 'Bots Tom Servo, Crow, Gypsy and Cambot to keep him company, but lost the ability to control when the films would stop and start in doing so. Though bombarded with many horrible films, he tended to take his captivity in benign stride, delivering most of his riffs in dead pan, holding no ill will against his captors and even affectionately calling them "the Mads" (among other amusing nicknames riffing on popular culture ("Auntie Em and Toto") or things found in Minnesota ("Milavetz and Associates," a prominent Twin Cities-area law firm)). A woman in a ski jumpsuit (what could also be called a one-piece skisuit). ... Twin cities are two towns or cities that are geographically close to each other and may seem to form a single unit, often referred to collectively. ...

Joel was the host of MST3K from 1988 to 1993. Episode #512, "Mitchell", was his last episode as host; beginning with the following episode (#513 The Brain that Wouldn't Die) he was replaced by Mike Nelson, played by series head writer Michael J. Nelson. Mike Nelson and the bots. ... Mystery Science Theater 3000s Mike Nelson (left) and Kevin Wagner Murphy, at Exoticon 1 convention panel in Metairie, Louisiana, November, 1998. ...

The character of Joel escaped the Satellite of Love in a previously undiscovered escape pod (named the Deus Ex Machina) mislabeled as a crate of "Hamdingers." After his departure he returned just once in the show's final season (episode 1001: Soultaker), having turned the escape pod into a homemade spaceship. He returned to the S.O.L. to make repairs and give Mike a pep talk. Since leaving the ship Joel had traveled around the Australian outback doing pyrotechnics for the band Man or Astroman. He now works at a Hot Fish Shop in Osseo, Minnesota. Satellite of Love On the Mystery Science Theater 3000 television series, the Satellite of Love is the giant bone shaped spacecraft that Joel Robinson and his robot friends - Crow, Tom Servo, Gypsy, and Cambot - live in. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Hamdingers are rumoured to be a local culinary treat in the Wisconsin area. ... Satellite of Love On the Mystery Science Theater 3000 television series, the Satellite of Love is the giant bone shaped spacecraft that Joel Robinson and his robot friends - Crow, Tom Servo, Gypsy, and Cambot - live in. ... A typical outback scene, somewhere north of Coober Pedy. ... The word pyrotechnic (literally meaning fire technology) refers to any chemical explosive device, but especially fireworks. ... Man or Astro-man? were an anachronistic band of the 1990s that fused the surf rock style of the early 1960s with the sound of Sonic Youth, the look of Devo, science fiction themes and audio samples, obscure electronic devices (such as theremins and tesla coils), and high-energy live...

Joel was more a fatherly figure to the 'Bots and helped them get through all the bad movies the crew watched until Mike came along.

Joel's tenure as host was marked by "invention exchanges," where Joel and his mad scientist tormentors would come up with wacky inventions in a contest with each other. This worked well for creator Hodgson, who was a gifted prop comic. They LAUGHED at my theories at the institute! Fools! Ill destroy them all! Caucasian, male, aging, crooked teeth, messy hair, lab coat, spectacles/goggles, dramatic posing — one popular stereotype of mad scientist. ...