The Joke's On National Geographic Channel When RiffTrax Turns April Fools' Programming Into A Total Riff Off

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Don't be alarmed when you turn on National Geographic Channel (NGC) on April Fools' Day and see a mantis shrimp talking about its dinner or bloodthirsty monsters being compared to celebrities. We've just decided to have a little fun this year.

For the first time, National Geographic Channel has teamed up with RiffTrax, the movie and television commentary group created by the guys responsible for "Mystery Science Theater 3000." So what does this mean? Your favorite Nat Geo programming with some unconventional commentary worked in around the narration and dialogue — three hours of it. Total Riff Off premieres Tuesday, April 1, from 8 to 11 p.m. ET/PT only on NGC. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com/totalriffoff and follow us on Twitter at @NGC_PR.

After "Mystery Science Theater 3000" went off the air, Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett continued to receive requests from fans to revive the show in some form. And so grew RiffTrax, a website where fans can download commentary to play along with their favorite movies or television shows. And National Geographic Channel has booked them for one night only.

In Total Riff Off, it's all about the animals, but not as you're used to seeing them on Nat Geo. RiffTrax takes on the honey badger, mantis shrimp and geographer's cone snail of Bad@$$ Animals. These seriously unsuspecting creatures are funnier than you might think.

The guys then work their commentary magic on some unlikely relationships between man and his animals — in one instance a goose and in the other, a seal — in segments from Unlikely Animal Friends. And they get their hands on a segment from My Dog Ate What? to riff about a pup with an affinity for thongs.

Finally, riffers Nelson, Murphy and Corbett add their hilarious commentary to an episode of Man v. Monster. Imagine the jokes when they sink their teeth into host Richard Terry's suspenseful hunt for an elusive flesh-eating bat.

At the end of the three hours of Total Riff Off, you may be a little wiser and you may have even learned a thing or two. You will definitely have had a fun ride listening to RiffTrax have a little April Fools' Day fun with some of NGC's already entertaining programming.

National Geographic Channels
Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Cable Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in 84 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in 440 million homes in 171 countries and 38 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.

About RiffTrax
RiffTrax is an entertainment and comedy e-commerce company featuring the stars of the Emmy-nominated, Peabody Award-winning show "Mystery Science Theater 3000."  The guys at RiffTrax have added their comedic riffing treatment to more than 200 feature films and over 200 classic educational shorts over the past 7 years, as well as broadcasted live theater events to over 700 theaters in the United States and Canada.  RiffTrax is composed of Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett. In addition to their starring roles as Mike, Tom Servo, and Crow on "Mystery Science Theater 3000," they have appeared on numerous radio and TV shows, penned the screenplays for Hollywood Blockbuster films, and authored numerous best-selling books.  To find out more about RiffTrax, visit www.rifftrax.com.

SOURCE National Geographic Channel