What makes Mystery Science Theater 3000 so enduring?

Slate

"In the past 30 years," says Keith Phipps, "MST3K has undergone many well-documented ups and downs—a pickup by Comedy Central, Hodgson’s departure, the addition of new host Mike Nelson, a pickup by what was then known as the Sci-Fi Channel, cancellation, years of absence, Hodgson’s return and an accompanying Kickstarter campaign, the addition of new host Jonah Ray for its two seasons at Netflix—but its core remains fundamentally the same. Dumb movies, smart jokes, repeat."