TV's Frank
Encyclopedia
TV's Frank, played by Frank Conniff
, is a fictional character, mad scientist
Dr. Clayton Forrester's lab assistant in the television comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000
. He appears at the beginning of Season 2, with the departure of Forrester's earlier co-scientist Dr. Laurence Erhardt, and continues through Season 6. According to The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Episode Guide, Dr. Forrester discovered Frank working at a nearby Arby's
. Early on he was simply called Frank; later he acquired the more ostentatious name which is a reference to how a TV personality would sometimes be introduced as "TV's" so-and-so on talk shows and other programming. Frank wears a black chauffeur's
uniform and his hairstyle includes a spit-curl (resulting in a resemblance to that of Marlon Brando
's Jor-El
role in the 1978 Superman film). He has an unusual habit of calling Dr. Forrester "Steve". He is listed in Deep 13's employee records as "Frank, TV's," indicating "Frank" is actually his surname and "TV's" his given name.
Little is known about Frank's past save that he attended Harriet Tubman
High School (a real high school in Compton, California
), where he was held back at least twice. While working at Arby's, Frank was allegedly nicknamed "Zeppo" due to his supposed sense of humor, somewhat ironically Zeppo being the least funny Marx Brother. Frank had a surprisingly large personal fortune which surfaced whenever a large amount of money was required for a particular skit.
, where, apparently still in his Arby's mindset, he took fast-food orders and, rather to Dr. Forrester's annoyance, almost brought the Satellite of Love down so the crew could "dine in." His last regular appearance was episode #624 Samson vs. the Vampire Women
, during which he was assumed into "Second-Banana Heaven
", where sidekicks and henchmen could live in a peaceful paradise without fear of reprisal from their cruel masters, by the angel
Torgo
the White
. Dr. Forrester was actually very saddened when Frank left him for Second Banana Heaven, even lamenting his loss in a song entitled "Who Will I Kill?". Frank later appeared to the despondent Forrester as an otherworldly entity and "reconciled" with him, even agreeing to "push the button" one last time. After his departure, he was immortalized in the following year's Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie
as a door handle (Door 2) on the way to the theater.
Frank also made a guest appearance in the Season 10 opener Soultaker
, having gotten a job in the afterlife as a Soultaker after complaining that Second-Banana Heaven was "too political" and that Pat Buttram
"had it in" for him. (This episode also features a cameo by Joel Hodgson
, the show's creator, who played SOL resident Joel Robinson
for the show's first six years.) In this appearance, he took the soul of Bobo
and played ring toss with it in Castle Forrester. He is also mentioned in episode #822: Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
; as the Novacorp chairman, who bears a resemblance to a grossly overweight Frank, appears during the opening credits, Mike says, "Wow! TV's Frank! Hi, Frank!" Servo adding, "He's come up in the world!"
During TV's Frank's tenure, the catchphrase "Push the button, Frank!" was a staple of most shows and the last thing heard before the credits would roll.
, Pearl finds his spare head in a box, Dr. Forrester having made Frank's head explode years earlier in Gunslinger
. Occasionally, however, Frank gets revenge on his taskmaster by directly or indirectly causing Forrester harm. One significant example of sidekick payback occurs in episode #619 Red Zone Cuba
, when Frank, supposedly owing the mob "50 large", passes Forrester off as himself, earning the evil scientist two severe beatings and an episode-long stint in full-body bandages.
Frank participates in the weekly invention exchanges that are primarily a feature of the Joel Robinson years. His first invention was a rip-off of Joel's invention, the BGC-1.9 drum machine. He repeated his thievery by introducing the "Cheese Phone", which Joel had supposedly recorded in his notes from the '70s. Unlike Forrester (who rarely even remembered Crow and Servo's names), Frank took a liking to Joel (and later Mike) and the 'Bots, who reciprocated his friendship.
In Season 6, Dr. Forrester discovers that his mother, Mrs. Pearl Forrester
, has had a strong friendship with TV's Frank that he'd been unaware of. When she comes to visit, she winds up spending all her time with Frank and neglecting her son, suggesting some of the formative influences that made Dr. Forrester an evil scientist.
, one host segment sketch features Crow T. Robot
continually asking if it's 11:30 yet, based on breakfast-skipping Conniff's obsession with having lunch at 11:30.
On two occasions, the Mads try their hand at riffing. In episode #323: The Castle of Fu Manchu
, taunted by Joel and the Bots, they make a weak attempt at riffing, and fail miserably. In episode #611: Last of the Wild Horses
, in a parody of Star Trek
episode "Mirror, Mirror", TV's Frank and Dr. Forrester become the SOL captives and spend part of the episode providing all the riffs. Dr. Forrester comments as they enter the theater that he wasn't going to carry Frank in, a reference to Joel or Mike regularly carrying Tom Servo
into the theater.
Frank Conniff
Frank Conniff is a writer and actor who is perhaps best known for his portrayal of TV's Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000 .-Early work:...
, is a fictional character, mad scientist
Mad scientist
A mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
Dr. Clayton Forrester's lab assistant in the television comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
. He appears at the beginning of Season 2, with the departure of Forrester's earlier co-scientist Dr. Laurence Erhardt, and continues through Season 6. According to The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Episode Guide, Dr. Forrester discovered Frank working at a nearby Arby's
Arby's
Arby's is a fast food restaurant chain in the United States and Canada. Roark Capital Group owns 81.5% of the company, with Wendy's Company owning the other 18.5%. It is primarily known for selling roast beef sandwiches and curly fries. The Arby's menu also includes chicken sandwiches, appetizers,...
. Early on he was simply called Frank; later he acquired the more ostentatious name which is a reference to how a TV personality would sometimes be introduced as "TV's" so-and-so on talk shows and other programming. Frank wears a black chauffeur's
Chauffeur
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
uniform and his hairstyle includes a spit-curl (resulting in a resemblance to that of Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
's Jor-El
Jor-El
Jor-El is a fictional character, an extraterrestrial in the . He was created by the writer Jerry Siegel and the artist Joe Shuster, and he first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1939 as Superman's biological father....
role in the 1978 Superman film). He has an unusual habit of calling Dr. Forrester "Steve". He is listed in Deep 13's employee records as "Frank, TV's," indicating "Frank" is actually his surname and "TV's" his given name.
Little is known about Frank's past save that he attended Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Harriet Ross; (1820 – 1913) was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War. After escaping from slavery, into which she was born, she made thirteen missions to rescue more than 70 slaves...
High School (a real high school in Compton, California
Compton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
), where he was held back at least twice. While working at Arby's, Frank was allegedly nicknamed "Zeppo" due to his supposed sense of humor, somewhat ironically Zeppo being the least funny Marx Brother. Frank had a surprisingly large personal fortune which surfaced whenever a large amount of money was required for a particular skit.
Tenure
TV's Frank's first MST3K episode was episode #201 Rocketship X-MRocketship X-M
Rocketship X-M was the second of the American science fiction feature films of the space adventure genre begun in the post-war era, in 1950...
, where, apparently still in his Arby's mindset, he took fast-food orders and, rather to Dr. Forrester's annoyance, almost brought the Satellite of Love down so the crew could "dine in." His last regular appearance was episode #624 Samson vs. the Vampire Women
Samson vs. the Vampire Women
Santo vs. las Mujeres Vampiro is a 1962 horror film starring the wrestling superhero Santo. The film was featured on a 1995 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The film was also featured on the television show Cinema Insomnia.-Plot:Vampire women are awakened by their leader in order to find...
, during which he was assumed into "Second-Banana Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
", where sidekicks and henchmen could live in a peaceful paradise without fear of reprisal from their cruel masters, by the angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
Torgo
Torgo
Torgo may refer to:*Torgo , a vampire in the Marvel Comics universe*Torgo , an alien robot in the Marvel Comics universe*Torgo, a character in the 1966 horror film Manos: The Hands of Fate...
the White
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
. Dr. Forrester was actually very saddened when Frank left him for Second Banana Heaven, even lamenting his loss in a song entitled "Who Will I Kill?". Frank later appeared to the despondent Forrester as an otherworldly entity and "reconciled" with him, even agreeing to "push the button" one last time. After his departure, he was immortalized in the following year's Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie is a 1996 theatrical adaptation of the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000, produced and set between seasons 6 and 7 of the show. It was released by Gramercy Pictures and Best Brains with distribution held by Universal Pictures...
as a door handle (Door 2) on the way to the theater.
Frank also made a guest appearance in the Season 10 opener Soultaker
Soultaker (film)
Soultaker is a 1990 fantasy horror film starring Vivian Schilling, Joe Estevez, and Robert Z'Dar. The film was featured on an episode of movie-mocking TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000. However, despite the negative reception, it won a Saturn Award in 1992 for Best Genre Video Release...
, having gotten a job in the afterlife as a Soultaker after complaining that Second-Banana Heaven was "too political" and that Pat Buttram
Pat Buttram
Maxwell Emmett "Pat" Buttram was an American actor, known for playing the sidekick of Gene Autry and for playing the character of Mr. Haney in the TV series Green Acres. He had a distinctive voice which, in his own words, "... never quite made it through puberty"...
"had it in" for him. (This episode also features a cameo by Joel Hodgson
Joel Hodgson
Joel Gordon Hodgson is an American writer, comedian and television actor. He is best known for creating Mystery Science Theater 3000 and starring in it as the character Joel Robinson. In 2007 MST3K was listed as "one of the top 100 television shows of all time" by Time.com...
, the show's creator, who played SOL resident Joel Robinson
Joel Robinson
Joel Robinson is a fictional character featured in the American science fiction comedy television series Mystery Science Theater 3000...
for the show's first six years.) In this appearance, he took the soul of Bobo
Professor Bobo
Professor Bobo is a fictional character who appeared in the final three seasons of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a comedy television series that mocks B-movies...
and played ring toss with it in Castle Forrester. He is also mentioned in episode #822: Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank was a 1983 television movie. It was produced by Canada’s RSL Productions in Toronto. Financing was provided by WNET/PBS New Jersey, which had hoped to create an entire science fiction series adapting famous works, but due to lack of funding this was the last of three...
; as the Novacorp chairman, who bears a resemblance to a grossly overweight Frank, appears during the opening credits, Mike says, "Wow! TV's Frank! Hi, Frank!" Servo adding, "He's come up in the world!"
During TV's Frank's tenure, the catchphrase "Push the button, Frank!" was a staple of most shows and the last thing heard before the credits would roll.
Role
Frank usually serves as a foil to his evil boss, Dr. Forrester, and is frequently on the receiving end of many of Forrester's experiments or punishments. He is subjected to many painful deaths but always returns alive and well shortly afterwards; whether this rapid recovery is a quality bestowed upon him by Dr. Forrester or a talent that Frank always possessed (making him uniquely qualified as a mad scientist's guinea pig) was never explained, since it was, after all, "just a show." In the episode LaserblastLaserblast
Laserblast is a 1978 American science fiction film about an unhappy teenage loner who discovers an alien laser cannon and goes on a murderous rampage, seeking revenge against those who he feels have wronged him. The low-budget film was directed by Michael Rae and produced by Charles Band, who is...
, Pearl finds his spare head in a box, Dr. Forrester having made Frank's head explode years earlier in Gunslinger
Gunslinger
Gunfighter, also gunslinger , is a 20th century word, used in cinema or literature, referring to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun...
. Occasionally, however, Frank gets revenge on his taskmaster by directly or indirectly causing Forrester harm. One significant example of sidekick payback occurs in episode #619 Red Zone Cuba
Red Zone Cuba
Red Zone Cuba, also known as Night Train to Mundo Fine, is a 1966 American drama film directed by Coleman Francis, who also wrote, produced, and played the starring role...
, when Frank, supposedly owing the mob "50 large", passes Forrester off as himself, earning the evil scientist two severe beatings and an episode-long stint in full-body bandages.
Frank participates in the weekly invention exchanges that are primarily a feature of the Joel Robinson years. His first invention was a rip-off of Joel's invention, the BGC-1.9 drum machine. He repeated his thievery by introducing the "Cheese Phone", which Joel had supposedly recorded in his notes from the '70s. Unlike Forrester (who rarely even remembered Crow and Servo's names), Frank took a liking to Joel (and later Mike) and the 'Bots, who reciprocated his friendship.
In Season 6, Dr. Forrester discovers that his mother, Mrs. Pearl Forrester
Pearl Forrester
Pearl Forrester is a character on the Mystery Science Theater 3000 television series, played by Mary Jo Pehl. Forrester was the mother of Dr. Clayton Forrester...
, has had a strong friendship with TV's Frank that he'd been unaware of. When she comes to visit, she winds up spending all her time with Frank and neglecting her son, suggesting some of the formative influences that made Dr. Forrester an evil scientist.
Behind the scenes
Frank Conniff was one of the MST3K writers, providing his share of the movie "riffs" that defined the show. He also frequently screened the movies that ended up as MST3K fodder. Occasionally, Frank's multiple roles had an impact on the show's storyline. In episode #621 The Beast of Yucca FlatsThe Beast of Yucca Flats
The Beast of Yucca Flats is a B horror film released in 1961. The film stars Swedish former wrestler Tor Johnson and was both written and directed by Coleman Francis...
, one host segment sketch features Crow T. Robot
Crow T. Robot
Crow T. Robot is a fictional character from the American science fiction comedy television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 . Crow is a robot, who, along with others, quips and riffs upon poor-quality B movies.- Overview :...
continually asking if it's 11:30 yet, based on breakfast-skipping Conniff's obsession with having lunch at 11:30.
On two occasions, the Mads try their hand at riffing. In episode #323: The Castle of Fu Manchu
The Castle of Fu Manchu
The Castle of Fu Manchu also known by its German title Die Folterkammer des Dr. Fu Man Chu, is the fifth and final Fu Manchu film with Christopher Lee portraying the title character. The spy/crime film was filmed on location in Spain and Istanbul and originally released in West Germany in 1969...
, taunted by Joel and the Bots, they make a weak attempt at riffing, and fail miserably. In episode #611: Last of the Wild Horses
Last of the Wild Horses
Last of the Wild Horses is a 1948 American Western film starring Jane Frazee. It was featured in episode 611 of Mystery Science Theatre 3000....
, in a parody of Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
episode "Mirror, Mirror", TV's Frank and Dr. Forrester become the SOL captives and spend part of the episode providing all the riffs. Dr. Forrester comments as they enter the theater that he wasn't going to carry Frank in, a reference to Joel or Mike regularly carrying Tom Servo
Tom Servo
Tom Servo is a fictional character from the American science fiction comedy television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 . Tom is one of two wise-cracking, robotic main characters of the show, built by Joel Robinson to act as a companion and help stave off space madness as Joel was forced to watch...
into the theater.