▁" We ird ▁Al " ▁Y ank ov ic ▁film ▁U H F , ▁but ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁film ing ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁he ▁had ▁begun ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁form ▁of ▁television ▁program ▁for ▁K T MA . ▁ ▁Myst ery ▁Science ▁Theater ▁ 3 0 0 0 ▁Building ▁on ▁his ▁gift ▁for ▁design ing ▁to ys ▁and ▁other ▁g iz mos , ▁H od g son ▁built ▁three ▁robot ▁pu ppets ▁and ▁created ▁M ST 3 K ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁He ▁star red ▁as ▁the ▁show ' s ▁long - s uffer ing ▁but ▁invent ive ▁protagon ist , ▁Jo el ▁Robinson , ▁who ▁in ▁the ▁back story ▁is ▁responsible ▁for ▁creating ▁his ▁own ▁robot ▁compan ions . ▁ ▁H od g son ▁c ites ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁film ▁Sil ent ▁Running ▁influenced ▁the ▁prem ise ▁of ▁the ▁show . ▁ ▁M ST 3 K ▁originally ▁a ired ▁on ▁K T MA - TV , ▁before ▁becoming ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁shows ▁to ▁be ▁picked ▁up ▁by ▁the ▁Com edy ▁Channel , ▁the ▁for er un ner ▁of ▁Com edy ▁Central ▁upon ▁starting ▁operations ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁The ▁other ▁show , ▁also ▁created ▁and ▁written ▁by ▁H od g son , ▁was ▁the ▁short - l ived ▁H igg ins ▁Boys ▁and ▁Gr uber , ▁a ▁sketch ▁comedy ▁program ▁that ▁star red ▁Steve ▁H igg ins , ▁David ▁Anthony ▁H igg ins