New MST3K episodes debut on Netflix

The Satellite of Love is back in orbit: Mystery Science Theater 3000 is has returned after an 18-year hiatus, with Season 11 debuting on Netflix Friday.

The 14 new episodes are helmed by new host Jonah Ray as test subject Jonah Heston. Heston is a Gizmonic Institute employee who was lured to the dark side of the moon by a fake distress call sent out by proud third-generation super villain Kinga Forrester, who is resurrecting the mind experiments started by her father, Dr. Clayton Forrester.

Heston is joined by familiar robots Crow T. Robot, Tom Servo and, at times, Gypsy, as they keep their sanity by riffing their way through the awful movies Forrester forces on them. However, the robots do sound different (particularly Gypsy, who Heston explains got a language center upgrade), since the new season features an entirely new cast.

There are still plenty of ties to the past, though. Creator and original host Joel Hodgson is involved in the new season as a writer and executive producer, and old cast members do pop up on screen occasionally.