Deep 13

For the first seven nationally broadcast seasons of the television show "Mystery Science Theater 3000" ("MST3K"), Deep 13 was the subterranean hideout for the villains, or "Mads", of "MST3K": Dr. Clayton Forrester (seasons 1-7), Dr. Laurence "Larry" Erhardt (season 1), TV's Frank (seasons 2-6), and Pearl Forrester (season 7). When the series moved to the Sci-Fi Channel, the producers (under contractual obligation) created a "story arc" for the series' 8th season and moved away from the Deep 13 concept. The last appearance of Deep 13 was in episode 706 ("Laserblast").

Deep 13 was not a standing set in the Best Brains studio, as the Satellite of Love (SOL) set was. It was assembled for each shot and then stored in sections until needed again. This was because the set had a tendency to fall apart (as seen on the "Poopie" blooper tape) due to its size and home-made nature. When "" was released on home video on April 8, 1997, the MST3K Info Club (the Best Brains-run fan club) gave away pieces of the Deep 13 set with the purchase of the movie. Buyers would receive a copy of the film on VHS, a piece of the set, a "Certificate of Authenticness" signed by "MST3K" producer Jim Mallon, and a cardboard box with the Deep 13 logo stamped on the side.

Deep 13 had four different looks during its existence: the original look from 101 - 113 (featured in the Joel era intros), the vault-door set used from 201-606, the "remodeled" look for Dr. Forrester's mother's arrival from 607 - 706 (same as season 2-6 set but rebuilt), and the expanded set featured in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie".

Storyline

Deep 13 was a subbasement of Gizmonic Institute and, according to former SOL janitor Joel Robinson, highly radioactive as a result of being close to the Institute's atomic pile (though it apparently hasn't affected the Mads any). In Episode #101 Joel notes that he cleaned up a flubber spill there once. The Mads worked and eventually took up residence there as well. There was a neighboring Deep 12 whose tenants included two "foxy ladies". Other neighbors included the Mole People, Jerry and Sylvia (named after Gerry and Sylvia Anderson), who dropped by on several occasions as well as "filmed" the Mads' segments; and Dablone from the movie "Escape 2000", who appeared in the eponymous episode.

In the final Comedy Central episode, Dr. Forrester shut down Deep 13 and moved back in with his mother after his funding was cut. The show never explained from whom Forrester was receiving funding. However, series creator Joel Hodgson (who also played Robinson), when pressed in [http://mst3kinfo.com/satnews/brains/20q.html an interview for the "Satellite News"] , gave a plausible explanation: the Mads were selling the show to basic cable providers (effectively making it a show within a show). This storyline was bolstered by several "host segments" from the KTMA season through season 7 that discussed the internal show's ratings. But as Hodgson cautioned in the interview, such storylines should be taken with a grain of salt, as recommended by the show's theme song: "Just repeat to yourself, 'It's just a show / I should really just relax'".

Deep Ape

In season 8, the Satellite of Love returns from the edge of the universe, mysteriously pulled back to Earth's orbit. When Mike and the Bots attempt to contact Deep 13, they instead find a lab run by intelligent, evolved apes (a parody of the film "Planet of the Apes") in the year 2525. Though referred to onscreen as "The Lab", offscreen it has been referred to by fans and crew as Deep Ape, as it was the first replacement lair for the Mads after Deep 13.Fact|date=February 2007 Villains Pearl Forrester and Professor Bobo remained in Deep Ape for four episodes before it, and the rest of planet Earth, were accidentally destroyed by Mike Nelson.