It's been over 25 years since Joel Robinson was first shot into space aboard the 'Satellite of Love' By Dr. Clayton Forrester and Dr. Laurence 'Larry' Erhardt.
Joel (unexpectedly) escaped from the S.O.L., thanks to Gypsy and Mike Nelson's quick thinking; and managed to have a relatively normal, though extremely tame life back on Earth as a successful author and inventor.
Subsequently Mike was knocked unconscious and sent aboard the S.O.L. as punishment for his actions and to replace Joel as Dr. Forrester's reluctant guinea pig in the (bad) movie watching experiment.
Though Joel was the creator/father/friend of the four robots; Cambot, Gypsy, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot, they too remained stranded on the S.O.L. Fortunately, the four were quickly 'adopted' by Mike shortly after his arrival, acting as their surrogate 'big brother'.
When the S.O.L. finally fell from orbit and crash landed on Earth, just outside a nature reserve in Minnesota, Mike and the bots escaped the burning wreckage with minor damage and only a few broken bones. Little did they know that Joel had secretly aided in their escape from the underground, unrecognized, unofficial Gizmonic Institute law; after the enigmatic corporation's goons tried to wrongly arrest Mike for satellite-jacking.
Gypsy and Cambot had started their lives anew together in Minneapolis while Tom and Crow moved in with Mike in his small apartment just outside of Milwaukee.
As the 26th anniversary of Joel's initial stranding approaches Mike, Tom and Crow receive an invitation for a family reunion from their wayward friend/father.
What could possibly go wrong?