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This article is about the animated spin-off of the 1984 movie Ghostbusters. For other meanings of "Ghostbusters", including the movie itself, and the similarly titled but unrelated Filmation productions, see Ghostbusters (disambiguation).

The Real Ghostbusters was an American animated television series based on the hit 1984 movie Ghostbusters. The series ran from 1986 to 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television and DiC Entertainment. "The Real" was added to the title over a dispute with Filmation and their Ghost Busters properties. The series continued the adventures of Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Egon Spengler, Winston Zeddemore, Dr. Ray Stantz, their secretary Janine Melnitz and their pet ghost Slimer with their adventures running a business for the "investigating and elimination" of ghosts.

There also were two ongoing Real Ghostbusters comics, one published monthly by Now Comics in USA and the other published weekly by Marvel Comics in the United Kingdom, and a popular toy line manufactured by Kenner.

History

After the success of the film, a TV series based on the Ghostbusters began production. At the same time The Real Ghostbusters was being created, Filmation was making a cartoon known as The Original Ghostbusters, which was a revamp of an old 1970s show. Despite rumors to the contrary, Columbia was allowed to use the name Ghostbusters for its cartoon but added "The Real" to snub Filmation.

The cartoon characters were dramatically redesigned from how the characters looked in the movie due to likeness-rights issues. However, the series features many tie-ins from the films. The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man made numerous appearances and there was even an episode that featured Walter Peck, the Environmental Protection Agency antagonist from the original film. The uniform change for all the main characters (with the exception of Ray Stantz), the change in the design of the containment unit, and Slimer's residency with the Ghostbusters was explained in the season two episode "Citizen Ghost", which was told in flashback at the time right after the movie's events. After Ghostbusters II hit theaters, the character of Louis Tully was introduced to the show and voiced by Rodger Bumpass. In the episode "Partners in Slime", Peter was covered with the very same psycho-reactive "mood slime" from Ghostbusters II.

J. Michael Straczynski, the head writer for the show's first two years, gave the series a darker tone not often seen in Saturday morning cartoons. The series often drew from popular literature as well as fairytales and folklore. The series was even granted a prime-time Halloween special.

When the show's producers began to see the appeal of the (at the time) background character Slimer, the show began to feature him more prominently. In 1988, the series was retooled and renamed Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. The show now featured an hourlong format with a typical Ghostbusters episode leading into a more kid-friendly "Slimer" cartoon. As the series progressed, the regular Ghostbusters episodes started to become lighter in tone so as not to frighten the growing child fanbase. More changes went on behind the scenes as well with the departure of Straczynski. Dave Coulier of Full House fame came on to fill the role of Peter, Buster Jones would take over Winston and Kath Soucie took on Janine. Many of the older fans disliked the switch to more kid-friendly stories and by the turn of the decade, the Ghostbusters franchise was slowly starting to fade out of the public eye. The show was ultimately cancelled in 1991.

Slimer! cartoons

When the show was reformatted in 1988, kid-friendly "Slimer!" cartoons began to air following a "normal" Real Ghostbusters cartoon. The animation for "Slimer!" was more cartoony and the storytelling more simplistic.

The Slimer cartoons were centered around Slimer and his adventures with his friends -- Fred the Dog; Bud, a bellboy from the Sedgewick Hotel where Slimer was busted in the Ghostbusters movie; Junior Ghostbusters Donald, Catherine and Jason; Chilly Cooper, an ice cream truck driver; and Luigi the Italian chef -- as well as his enemies -- Manx, a scruffy alley cat; Bruiser a neighborhood dog that bullies him; Morris Grout, the grumpy manager of the Sedgewick Hotel; and Professor Norman Dweeb; an incompetent mad scientist with a poodle named Elizabeth. Dweeb's life goal was to capture Slimer and experiment on him. (Professor Dweeb also appeared in the comics and was later added to the normal Ghostbusters cartoons.)

Extreme Ghostbusters

In 1997, in an attempt to revive the franchise, another short-lived sequel cartoon called Extreme Ghostbusters was started and a toy line based on it was released. Because Sony Pictures Television owned all the rights to The Real Ghostbusters, new character designs were needed, and it featured a group of new Ghostbusters being led by Egon.

DVD

On February 28, 2006, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the first of three "The Real Ghostbusters" DVDs for Region 1 (USA). To the dismay of some fans, these DVDs aren't seasons, but rather minor collections of individual episodes.

  • Volume 1: Creatures of the Night includes "Night Game", "Lost and Foundry", "Bird of Kildarby", and "Killerwatt".
  • Volume 2: Spooky Spirits includes "Ghostbuster of the Year", "Revenge of Murray the Mantis", "Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin", and "Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream".
  • Volume 3: Slimefighters includes "Adventures in Slime and Space", "They Call Me Mr. Slimer", "Victor, The Happy Ghost" and "Slimer, Come Home"".

It has been speculated by fans that how well these volumes sell may determine if actual season box sets are released.

Region 2 (United Kingdom) currently has two DVD releases available:

  • Adventures In Slime & Space includes "Adventures In Slime And Space", "Ghost Busted", "Knock, Knock" and "Venkman's Ghost Repellers".
  • Sea Fright includes "The Spirit Of Aunt Louis", "Beneath These Streets", "Sea Fright" and "Ragnarok 'N Roll".

Cast

Trivia

  • The Ghostbusters' phone number is 555-2368.

  • Season Two had an episode called The Collect Call of Cathulhu, which referenced horror writer H.P. Lovecraft's creations (as well as a riff on "The Call of Cthulhu," Lovecraft's work that inspired the title of a popular horror roleplaying game). Specifically, the episode included the Necronomicon and the boys had to take down Cthulhu at the climax. The episode also featured other small references to either Lovecraft or the Cthulhu mythos, as suggested by Ray Stantz's friend 'Mr.Howard'; Clark Ashton, a reference to fellow writer and friend Clark Ashton Smith and the character of Alice Derleth being a reference to fellow writer and friend August Derleth.

  • In one episode of The Real Ghostbusters, the Ghostbusters have just finished destroying the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man at the climax of the film. Several episodes later, they are supervising the production of a film based on that incident, lending credence to the story that the animated series shows the "real" Ghostbusters, and the two films are an adaptation based on their accounts. At the end of the episode they even attend the premiere and the start of the opening scene of the movie is shown, with a tongue-in-cheek reference to how the cartoon characters bear little resemblence to the real ones by having Peter comment "You know, he doesn't look a thing like me."

  • "Elementary, My Dear Winston" was the only episode to briefly feature nametags on the Ghostbusters' uniforms like their movie counterparts.

  • In the episode "Partners in Slime", the psycho-reactive "mood slime" from Ghostbusters II is depicted as being yellow, but in the film it was pink. This episode featured the only direct reference to the events from the second movie, despite the inclusion of a cartoon Louis Tully and a change in Janine's haircut to resemble the one Annie Potts had when the film was made.

  • The series had no issues spoofing competing cartoons or toy lines, such as He-Man, in the form of "Power Guy", a dumb brute who lived on the planet Petunia (a parody of He-Man's planet Eternia) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the episode "Lean Green Teen Machine."

  • There is a connection between Lorenzo Music and Bill Murray. Music does the voice for both Peter Venkman in the Real Ghostbusters cartoon and Garfield in the cartoon Garfield and Friends, while Murray played Venkman in both Ghostbusters movies and voiced Garfield in the live-action Garfield movie. It was also suggested by show producer J. Micheal Stracsynski that Bill Murray had caused Lorenzo Music to leave the show, either intentionally or unintentionally.

  • Pop culture references were generally limited to parodies, with two exceptions- Star Wars was referenced twice, and Peter was a fan of The Bob Newhart Show. Kenner produced both Star Wars and Real Ghostbusters toys. Lorenzo Music was co-creator of The Bob Newhart Show.

Quotes from the series

Take Two

Winston: (reading the cast list for the movie based on their adventure) Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis. What is that, a law firm?

Janine (said in 5 seconds) Ghostbusters. No, they're not here. That's right. They all went to California to make a movie and I can't come with them so I can answer your crummy call.

Knock Knock

Peter Venkman: (backing away from a pink-haired, skull-faced ghost) Say, now when was the last time you saw your dentist, hm?

Peter Venkman: (After narrowly saving the world) That was great. Can we do it again?

Doomsday Door: Do Not Open Until Doomsday!

Peter Venkman: It was just an idea.

Look Homeward, Ray

Egon Spengler: I have a plan.

Peter Venkman: No electric shock, Egon.

Egon Spengler: ...I have another plan.

The Hole In The Wall Gang

Charles Von Limberger: (after the accidental destruction of his home to stop a large ghost) That does it! I'm tired of hiring cheap labor! Next time, let's call the real Ghostbusters.

Madam Von Limberger: But...I thought those were the real Ghostbusters!

The Boogieman Cometh

Egon: We've gotta go after it.

Winston: No, we don't. Show me where it says that.

Ray Stantz: I want a glass of water.

Peter Venkman: (gives him glass) Here. Now get to sleep. (Ray drinks it) (nearly closing the door)

Ray Stantz: Oh, Peter.

Peter Venkman: What?

Ray Stantz: Tell me a story.

Zeddemore: (Peter growls) He's just getting into the role.

Venkman: He's gonna be in a body cast if he keeps this up. (to Ray) (opens door) Once upon a time, there were four Ghostbusters who had a job to do but they couldn't do it because one of em couldn't go to sleep! The end! (Slams door)

Citizen Ghost

Egon Spengler: Transtator?

Peter Venkman: Check.

Egon Spengler: Field Generator?

Peter Venkman: Check.

Egon Spengler: Ionization Decaymeter?

Peter Venkman: Check.

Egon Spengler: Plasmatic Refractor? Anti Ecto Plasm Destruct Mechanism? Bypolar Adjuster?

Peter Venkman: Check, check and (yawns) check.

Egon Spengler: Transwarp Drive?

Peter Venkman: Check.

Egon Spengler: Ah-ha! Caught you. We don't have a Transwarp Drive.

Peter Venkman: (scoff) If we don't have one, then it can't malfunction. If it's not malfunctioning, then nothing's wrong. And if nothing's wrong, then it checks, right?

Egon Spengler: I'm not going to talk to you again for at least a week. It's not good for me.

Peter Venkman: Hey, don't make fun. This is how I got through college.

Professor Dweeb: (trapped in his own ghost capture net with his poodle Elizabeth) Elizabeth...did anyone ever tell you you have...doggie breath?

Partners In Slime

Peter: Rub-a-dub-dub you big, slimey tub! I got an offer you can't refuse!

Adventures In Slime And Space

Peter Venkman: This is not fun! I've had fun, this isn't it!! (screams after sliping on some slime)

Bustman's Holiday

Scotsman: Excuse me, but would ye be Mister Raymond Stanz?

Egon Spengler: No. Not by choice.

Janine's Genie

(The Ghostbusters are onboard an airplane)

Winston Zeddemore: Relax folks we're just browsing.

Ray Stantz: Yeah anybody seen a ghost?

Passengers: GHOST???(all the passengers duck)

Peter Venkman: Silver tongue strikes again.

Don't Forget The Motor City

(The Ghostbusters watch as the Gremlins try to damage the car built as a lure, their efforts frustrated when it changes before they can even scratch it)

Winston Zeddemore: I don't believe it, the thing just keeps getting uglier!

Egon Spengler: Nobody said that science was pretty, Winston.

Revenge of Murray the Mantis
Peter Venkman: (trying to demonstrate how big a threat Murray the Mantis is) It means that, if Darth Vader were willing to loan us the Death Star, we might have a chance. Might.

Winston Zeddemore: Then that means...the "big guy."

Troll Bridge

(Egon and Peter have spotted the missing troll on a fruit delivery van in the Holland Tunnel and as they are running after it,Peter is lagging behind)

Peter Venkman: Come back here nice troll!

Egon Spengler: I gotta say this Peter,you really should get into better shape!

Peter Venkman: And I gotta say this Egon, I never liked you, or your family, or your dog!

The Devil To Pay

(After a deal with the devil)

Winston Zeddemore: I have sold my soul to the devil. I have sold my soul to the devil. I have sold my soul...

Ray Stantz: He's just a minor demon, Winston!

Winston Zeddemore: I have sold my soul to a minor demon. I have sold my soul to a minor demon.

External links

1980s TV shows in the United States | 1990s TV shows in the United States | ABC network shows | Animated television series | DiC Entertainment | Ghostbusters | Television programs based on films | Sony Pictures Television shows

The Real Ghostbusters

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "The Real Ghostbusters".

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