A number of the MST3K episodes are available on Rhino Home Video, so below is the order in which they were released (newest down to oldest)

DVD Order of Purchase Recommendation

• The big screen version of the show and also one of its most accessible programs for newbies is (finally!) being re-released on DVD (although still with no extras)

• Contains episodes: 
  • The Giant Gila Monster (Joel)
  • Swamp Diamonds (Joel)
  • Teen-age Strangler (Mike)
  • The Giant Spider Invasion (Mike)
• DVD Details:
  • Bonus Features: MST3K Video Jukebox, Photo Gallery, Outtakes

Released: October 2007

• Contains episodes: 
  • The Rebel Set (Joel)
  • Secret Agent Super Dragon (Joel)
  • The Starfighters (Mike)
  • Parts: The Clonus Horror (Mike)
• DVD Details:
  • Bonus Features:

• Contains episodes: 
  • Ring of Terror (Joel)
  • The Indestructible Man (Joel)
  • Tormented (Joel)
  • Horrors of Spider Island (Mike)
• DVD Details:
  • Bonus Features: MST3K Jukebox, Mystery Science Theater Hour intros, Bert I. Gordon interview, theatrical trailers

Currently Unavailable  (due to rights issues) but all  discs still rentable on NetFlix

• Contains episodes: 
  • Godzilla vs. Megalon (Joel)
  • Swamp Diamonds (Joel)
  • Teen-age Strangler (Mike)
  • The Giant Spider Invasion (Mike)
• DVD Details:
  • Bonus Features: MST3K Video Jukebox, Photo Gallery, Outtakes

• Contains episodes: 
  • Women of the Prehistoric Planet (Joel)
  • Wild Rebels (Joel)
  • The Sinister Urge (Mike)
  • The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies (Mike)
• DVD Details:
  • Bonus Features: special intros

• Contains episodes: 
  • Monster A Go-Go (Joel)
  • The Dead Talk Back (Mike)
  • The Phantom Planet (Mike)
  • Hobgoblins (Mike)
• DVD Details:
  • Animated gate sequence
  • Animated Main Menus
  • Bonus Features: none

• Contains episodes: 
  • The Killer Shrews (Joel)
  • Hercules Unchained (Joel)
  • Hercules Against the Moon (Joel)
  • Prince of Space (Mike)
• DVD Details:
  • Animated gate sequence (correct for each episode)
  • Animated Main Menus
  • Bonus Features: Three Shorts – Assignment: Venezuela, Century 21 Calling, A Case of Spring Fever (all Mike)

• Contains episodes: 
  • Gunslinger (Joel)
  • Teenagers From Outer Space (Joel)
  • Attack of the Giant Leeches (Joel)
  • Mr. B’s Lost Shorts??!! (both)
• DVD Details:
  • Animated gate sequence (correct for each episode)
  • Animated Main Menus
  • Bonus Features: none

Released: March 2004

• Contains episodes:
  •  “Manos”: The Hands of Fate (Joel)
  •  Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (Joel)
• DVD Details:
  • Bonus Feature on Manos Disc: the entire Poopie! blooper reel

Released: March 2004

• Contains episodes: 
  • Merlin’s Shop Of Mystical Wonders (Mike)
  • The Touch Of Satan (Mike)
  • Time Chasers (Mike)
  • Boggy Creek II: And The Legend Continues (Mike)
• DVD Details:
  • New intros by Mike Nelson

Released: November 2003

• Contains episodes:
  • Space Mutiny (Mike)
  • Overdrawn At The Memory  Bank (Mike)
  • Girl In Gold Boots (Mike)
  • Hamlet (Mike)
• DVD Details:
  • New intros by Mike Nelson

Released: April 2003

• Contains episodes:
  • Sidehackers (Joel)
  • The Unearthly (Joel)
  • The Atomic Brain (Mike)
  • Shorts Vol. 2 (both)
• DVD Details:
  • Animated gate sequence (correct for each episode)
  • Animated Main Menus
  • Extra Footage (all except Shorts 2): outtake footage from the shooting of the host segments

Released: February 2003

• Contains episodes:
  • Cave Dwellers (Joel)
  • Pod People (Joel)
  • Angels Revenge (Mike)
  • Shorts Vol. 1 (both)
• DVD Details:
  • Animated gate sequence (correct for each episode)
  • Animated Main Menus
  • Bonus Features: none

Released: November 2002

• Contains episodes:
  • Bloodlust (Mike)
  • Catalina Caper (Joel)
  • The Creeping Terror (Mike)
  • The Skydivers (Mike)
• DVD Details:
  • Animated gate sequence (correct for each episode)
  • Animated Main Menus
  • Uncut version of each film on the flip side of each disc

Released: June 2002

• This Joel episode features another “Biker Movie”, one that may be the worst movie of the bunch!
• DVD Details:
  • Animated gate sequence
  • Animated Main Menu (movie music in background)
  • Uncut version of film on the flip side of disc
  • Original Trailer

Released: June 2002

• The only Season One episode available from Rhino, so although not one of the better Season One episodes, this is a good way to see the show during its early formative days
• DVD Details:
  • Animated gate sequence
  • Animated Main Menu (movie music in background)
  • Uncut version of film on the flip side of disc

Released: March 2002

• Coleman Francis, one of the worst directors ever, directed this, one of the worst movies ever (...but a very funny MST3K episode hosted by Mike)
• DVD Details:
  • Animated gate sequence
  • Animated Main Menu (with audio from movie in background)
  • Bonus Features: none

Released: March 2002

• Joel has publicly said that this is his favorite movie of the show (making this hilarious episode a must for any MST fan!)
• DVD Details:
  • Animated gate sequence
  • Animated Main Menu (with Tom Servo singing in the background)
  • Bonus Features: none

Released: November 2001

• This is a major fan favorite and, as Joel’s final episode, this is also a must-have
• DVD Details:
  • Animated gate sequence
  • Animated Main Menu (with ’70s-era waa-ca-cha background music)
  • Original Trailer for the theatrical release of Mitchell (which was actually R-rated!)

Released: November 2001

• This Joel episode is one of the most popular episodes ever, definitely a must-have for any collection.  However, I put this release last because I instead recommend getting this episode in the MST3K Essentials set, which has another episode in it (Santa Claus Conquers the Martians), yet costs about the same as this stand-alone release.
• DVD Details:
  • Animated gate sequence
  • Animated Main Menu (with the Torgo Theme in the background)
  • Bonus Feature: the entire Poopie! blooper reel

Released: January 2001

• This Mike episode is the only offering from Rhino with one of the mainstays of MST3K:  a “Giant Monster” Movie
• DVD Details:
  • Main Menu has limited-animation (Joel Theme incorrectly in background)
  • Uncut version of movie included (Full-frame, though, not letterboxed)
  • Riffing clips from other Rhino MST3K titles (eps #513, #506, #515)

Released: January 2001

• As for this movie’s genre or plot... I don’t know – but Mike and the ’Bots riff this awful flick (and a short) to shreds!
• DVD Details:
  • Main Menu has limited-animation (music from movie in background)
  • Uncut version of movie included
  • Riffing clips from other Rhino MST3K titles (eps #513, #506, #515)

Released: April 2000

• This is Mike’s first episode as host of the show, as well as one of the first two episodes to be released on DVD
• DVD Details:
  • Main Menu has limited-animation (music from movie in background)
  • Uncut version of film on the flip side of disc

Released: April 2000

• This Joel episode, featuring a misplaced caveman, is one of the first episodes released to DVD and is definitely a worthwhile ep
• DVD Details:
  • Main Menu has limited-animation (Joel Theme in background)
  • Uncut version of movie included
  • Also has a branching feature in which cut footage can be branched to while watching the edited MST3K version (Note: unfortunately, this is the only one with this great feature)

MST3K and Related Bad Movie Recommendations

• the absolutely essential companion guide to MST3K

• Mike’s humorous book of essays on bad movies

• Mike goes a bit broader in his second book, writing essays on all aspects of American life and pop culture

• Mike’s first true novel, it’s about a man and a cunning 6-foot-long rat

• Kevin Murphy (aka best known as the voice of Tom Servo) spent an entire year going to movies at different types of theaters

• A DVD release of the hopelessly dated cult classic on the evils of marijuana, with a humorous commentary track by Mike that makes this rough movie a lot easier to burn through

• A DVD release of the low-budget classic zombie film, with a humorous commentary track by Mike that points out quite a few of the movie’s flaws

• covers all those dated shorts including some seen on MST3K

• the ultimate bad video guide

• the ultimate bad movie guide

• another good bad movie guide (that statement makes sense, right?)

VHS Video Order of Purchase Recommendations