Series synopsis
The Mads are Back is an American comedy television series that premiered on YouTube on July 21, 2020. It was created by Frank Conniff, Trace Beaulieu. It stars Chris Gersbeck, Frank Conniff and Trace Beaulieu.
Frank Conniff and Trace Beaulieu are back in the movie-riffing business. They wrote, and starred as Dr. Clayton Forrester/Crow T. Robot (Trace) and TV’s Frank (Frank) on a little Minnesotan puppet show you may have heard of called Mystery Science Theater 3000. Now they’re at it again, riffing movies across the US and live online, every second Tuesday of the month.
Premise
Frank Conniff and Trace Beaulieu are back in the movie-riffing business. They wrote, and starred as Dr. Clayton Forrester/Crow T. Robot (Trace) and TV’s Frank (Frank) on a little Minnesotan puppet show you may have heard of called Mystery Science Theater 3000. Now they’re at it again, riffing movies across the US and live online, every second Tuesday of the month.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Chris Gersbeck as Host
- Frank Conniff as Himself
- Trace Beaulieu as Himself
Episodes
This series spans 6 seasons with 55 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 2 | March 14, 2023 | June 12, 2023 |
| Season 1 | 13 | July 21, 2020 | July 13, 2021 |
| Season 2 | 12 | August 10, 2021 | July 12, 2022 |
| Season 3 | 12 | August 9, 2022 | July 11, 2023 |
| Season 4 | 12 | August 8, 2023 | July 9, 2024 |
| Season 5 | 4 | October 29, 2024 | April 15, 2025 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Darkstar: Terror at the Edge of Time: The Watch Party DARKSTAR: TERROR AT THE EDGE OF TIME: THE WATCH PARTY, is a movie-length version of the revolutionary video game DARKSTAR: THE INTERACTIVE MOVIE featuring commentary by Mystery Science Theater 3000 alumni and Darkstar cast members Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Beez McKeever, Mary Jo Pehl and J. Elvis Weinstein. Darkstar: The Interactive Movie, created by animator, writer, director and producer J. Allen Williams, was initially conceived in 2000 but was not released online until 2010. At its conception, Darkstar featured over thirteen hours of live action cinema, far more than any other full motion video game at the time. As Captain John O’Neil, players awaken from a 300-year cryogenic sleep to find the Earth has been destroyed and they have no memory of who they are or what they are meant to be doing. By exploring their 360 degree surroundings, players unlock over thirteen hours of film clips that together tell the entire story. |
March 14, 2023 |
| 2 |
The Best of The Mads Are Back: A Night of Shorts (As Chosen By the Fans) Relive the top 5 shorts as chosen by fans of The Mads Are Back, Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff's ongoing livestream series that finds them riffing on movies in the same vein as their previous show, Mystery Science Theater 3000! Included in the download are the Top 5 shorts as chosen by the fans: 5. "Mr. B Natural" 4. "Blasting Caps! Danger" 3. "Marijuana" 2. "More Dates For Kay" 1. "The Cautious Twins" |
June 12, 2023 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Glen or Glenda Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff, "The Mads" from Mystery Science Theater 3000, took their touring act online on July 21, 2020 with a live-riff of Ed Wood’s GLEN OR GLENDA (1958), and have held the monthly tradition ever since. Presented here is the full recording from The Mads' first livestream, including a post-show Q&A with Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff, hosted by Chris Gersbeck. Glen or Glenda, the legendary debut film from director Ed Wood, Jr. (the infamous visionary behind Plan 9 From Outer Space), is a hilariously confusing but gentle tale of a young “transvestite” (played by Ed himself) who must come to grips with his identity as an angora-loving cross-dresser while also struggling to find acceptance from his fiancé and society at large. |
July 21, 2020 |
| 2 |
The Tingler The Mads Are Back! Join Mystery Science Theater 3000 stars Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff (“Dr. Clayton Forrester” and “TV’s Frank”) for this special livestream event recorded live August 18, 2020, as they live-riff through William Castle's 1959 classic, The Tingler, with a Q&A afterwards featuring very special guest Victoria Price, daughter of the legendary horror icon Vincent Price. Hosted by Chris Gersbeck. The Tingler tells the story of a scientist who discovers a parasite in human beings, called a "tingler", which feeds on fear. The creature earned its name by making the spine of its host "tingle" when the host is frightened. The Tingler remains most well known for a gimmick called "Percepto!", a vibrating device in some theater chairs which activated with the onscreen action. |
August 18, 2020 |
| 3 |
Walk the Dark Street The Mads Are Back! Join Mystery Science Theater 3000 stars Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff (“Dr. Clayton Forrester” and “TV’s Frank”) for this special livestream event recorded live September 15, 2020 as they live-riff through 1956 film noir Walk The Dark Street, with a Q&A with Frank & Trace, plus special guest Jonah Ray. Walk The Dark Street (1956): A platoon leader returns from the Korean War and seeks out the brother of a soldier who had been killed while under his command. The men agree to engage in competition to "hunt" each other through the streets of Los Angeles using camera-guns. The platoon leader does not realize that the brother blames him for the soldier's death, and intends to kill him. |
September 15, 2020 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Beach Girls and The Monster When a series of killings plague a small Santa Monica beachfront, a conspiracy unravels that is both uninteresting and boring in the schlocky sixties beach party flick, The Beach Girls and The Monster (1965)! Available exclusively at Dumb Video, The Mads Are Back: The Beach Girls and The Monster is the Season 2 premiere of Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff’s ongoing livestream series, hosted by Chris Gersbeck and featuring a post-film Q&A with co-creator of the Daily Show, Lizz Winstead. Recorded live August 10, 2021. |
August 10, 2021 |
| 2 |
The Brain Eaters When the inhabitants of a small Illinois town begin vanishing, it’s up to Ed Nelson and a rag tag team of UFO investigators to solve the case over an excruciatingly-long 60 minutes in the 1958 sci-fi borefest The Brain Eaters! Available exclusively at Dumb Video, The Mads Are Back: The Brain Eaters finds Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff live-riffing over the entire film during the livestream event hosted by Chris Gersbeck and featuring a post-film Q&A with Marcus Parks & Carolina Hidalgo, hosts of the No Dogs In Space, Last Podcast on the Left, and Movie Sign with The Mads podcasts! Recorded live September 14, 2021. |
September 14, 2021 |
| 3 |
A Night of Shorts 5 Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff live-riff on an all-new batch of demented shorts during their A Night of Shorts 5 livestream! A Night of Shorts 5 contains the following shorts: Adventures of Captain Marvel Episode One: Curse of the Scorpion (1941) How Much Affection? (1957) Halloween Safety First Edition (1977) Available exclusively at Dumb Video, The Mads Are Back: A Night of Shorts 5 is Season 2, Episode 3 of Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff’s ongoing livestream series, hosted by Chris Gersbeck and featuring a post-film Q&A with comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff. Recorded live October 12, 2021. |
October 12, 2021 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Battle of the Worlds Claude Rains stars as the most annoying man on the planet who is as obsessed with his plants as he is with telling everyone that Earth is about to be attacked by an alien species in this 1961 Italian sci-fi flick, Battle of the Worlds! Available exclusively at Dumb Video, The Mads Are Back: Battle of the Worlds finds Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff live-riffing over the entire film during the livestream event hosted by Chris Gersbeck and featuring a post-film Q&A with comedian and actress Martha Kelly! Recorded live August 9, 2022. |
August 9, 2022 |
| 2 |
Bride of the Monster Bela Lugosi and Tor Johnson star in this Ed Wood film about a mad scientist and his monstrous sidekick who lure victims to their secret lab, and feed them to a limp octopus once they get bored with them. It’s the 1956 sci-fi classic, Bride of the Monster! Available exclusively at Dumb Video, The Mads Are Back: Bride of the Monster finds Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff live-riffing over the entire film during the livestream event hosted by Chris Gersbeck and featuring a post-film Q&A with comedian director Rachel Lichtman! Recorded live September 13, 2022. |
September 13, 2022 |
| 3 |
A Night of Shorts 9 It's a Halloween miracle as Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, and Chris Gersbeck throw on some familiar costumes and host an evening of TERRIFYING shorts for their very first Halloween special: A Night of Shorts 9! A Night of Shorts 9 contains the following shorts: Halloween Party (1953) Health - The Dirt-Witch Cleans Up! (1971) Man to Man Skipper Learns a Lesson (1952) Puppetry [String Marionettes] (1957) Don't be Afraid (1952) Available exclusively at Dumb Video, The Mads Are Back: A Night of Shorts 9 is Season 2, Episode 3 of Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff’s ongoing livestream series, hosted by Chris Gersbeck and featuring a post-film Q&A with special Q&A guest Dana Gould. Recorded live October 11, 2022. |
October 11, 2022 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
I Accuse My Parents Available exclusively at Dumb Video, The Mads Are Back: I Accuse My Parents launches Season Four of Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff’s ongoing livestream series, hosted by Chris Gersbeck and featuring a post-film Q&A with comedian Myka Fox. Recorded live August 8, 2023. |
August 8, 2023 |
| 2 |
She Shoulda Said No! Mystery Science Theater 3000 stars Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff (“Dr. Clayton Forrester” and “TV’s Frank”) take on the bizarre and hilarious 1949 anti-weed propaganda film SHE SHOULDA SAID NO! (AKA Wild Weed; The Devil's Weed; Marijuana, the Devil's Weed; and The Story of Lila Leeds and Her Exposé of the Marijuana Racket) for a grass-blowing good time on an all-new episode of The Mads Are Back! Available exclusively at Dumb Video, The Mads Are Back: She Shoulda Said No! was recorded live on September 19, 2023, hosted by Chris Gersbeck and featuring a post-film Q&A with filmmaker Rachel Lichtman (Programme 4). |
September 19, 2023 |
| 3 |
A Night of Shorts 13 Mystery Science Theater 3000 stars Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff (“Dr. Clayton Forrester” and “TV’s Frank”) take on their unluckiest batch of shorts yet with A Night of Shorts 13! Featuring a back-to-basics collection of Coronet shorts that the duo have somehow never riffed, A Night of Shorts 13 features several instant classics from The Mads! Available exclusively at Dumb Video, The Mads Are Back: A Night of Shorts 13 was recorded live on October 10, 2023, hosted by Chris Gersbeck and featuring a post-film Q&A with comedian, musician, and author Dave Hill! |
October 10, 2023 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Giant Gila Monster Mystery Science Theater 3000's Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff return after a brief hiatus for a big Halloween special that finds them live-riffing the 1959 sci-fi schlock classic, THE GIANT GILA MONSTER! A movie that feature far too little monster, and way too much chatting about skid marks. Joining The Mads for a special Q&A following the movie are Rich Koz & Jim Roche, better known respectively as Svengoolie and the Executive Producer of Svengoolie! Hosted by Chris Gersbeck. Written & Performed by Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff Produced by Chris Gersbeck |
October 29, 2024 |
| 2 |
A Night of Toons Mystery Science Theater 3000's Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff are back for an all-new holiday special that finds them live-riffing a batch of truly bizarre shorts. But this time: THEY'RE ALL ANIMATED! Following the show, Trace & Frank are joined by animation historian Jerry Beck for a live Q&A discussing Jerry's role in introducing America to Japanese animation, the intricacies of stop-motion animation, and favorite animated Christmas specials! A Night of Toons features the following shorts: Johnny Cypher in Dimension Zero - Invasion of the Shadowmen (1967) Camel Tom Thumb in King Arthur's Court (1963) Accident Prevention Aboard Ship (1951) The Interesting Guest & A Man's Nightmare Farmer Al Falfa's Ape Girl (1932) Joop Geesink's Dollywood - Philips Light Show (1946) Christmas Cartoon; Toyland (1932) Written & Performed by Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff Produced by Chris Gersbeck |
December 10, 2024 |
| 3 |
Bride of the Gorilla The Mads Are BACK! Mystery Science Theater 3000's Trace Beaulieu ("Dr. Clayton Forrester" and "Crow T. Robot") and Frank Conniff ("TV's Frank") present an all-new live-riff the 1951 B-movie BRIDE OF THE GORILLA, starring Raymond Burr, Barbara Payton and Lon Chaney Jr. just in time for Valentine's Day! Followed by a Q&A w/ comedian, writer, and artist Rachel Lichtman (Programme 4). Written & Performed by Trace Beaulieu & Frank Conniff Produced by Chris Gersbeck Artwork by Carmen Cerra |
February 11, 2025 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | YouTube |
|---|---|
| First aired | July 21, 2020 |
| Last aired | April 15, 2025 |
| Status | continue |