Show Name: The Real Ghostbusters
Created by: Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis
Original Air Dates: September 13, 1986 – September 5, 1992
Voice Actors:
Charlie Adler – Rafael
Jeff Altman – Professor Norman Dweeb (season 4; 6–7)
Rodger Bumpass – Louis Tully (season 5–6)
Dave Coulier – Peter Venkman (season 3–7)
Fay DeWitt – Mrs. Van Huego (season 4–7)
Arsenio Hall – Winston Zeddemore (season 1–3)
Buster Jones – Winston Zeddemore (season 4–7)
Maurice LaMarche – Egon Spengler
Jeff Marder – Rudy
Lorenzo Music – Peter Venkman (season 1–2)
Alan Oppenheimer – Morris Grout, Goolem
Kath Soucie – Janine Melnitz (season 3–7)
Cree Summer – Chilly Cooper, Mrs. Stone
Laura Summer – Janine Melnitz (season 1–2)
Frank Welker – Ray Stantz, Slimer, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Mayor Lenny, Manx, Scareface
Introduction
Everyone had their favourite cartoons when they were a kid. At least for my generation, there was GI Joe, He-Man and Transformers, just to name a few. However, there is one that is not quite forgotten but is never really on everyone's list, The Real Ghostbusters. This was a spin-off from the very popular movie Ghostbusters starring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd.
The show has been listed as 6 seasons but on Netflix there are about 5. Also, the number of shows are not consistent. Season 1 had 84 shows and Season 2 has 14 or something like that. Not sure why this is the case but it is. It seems to vary depending on the referring sites.
This show is actually on Netflix now, so if you have a chance you can go and check it out. Let us see if it is good after all these years.
The Real Ghostbuster Trailer
Characters
There are 4 main characters or stars to this cartoon show. If you know the movie, this will not be news to you. You have 4 investigative paranormal hunters. Dr. Ray Stanz which is not the scientist in the group but he is pretty savvy and understands what Egon tells him. Egon Spengler is the scientist of the group. Dr. Peter Venkman which is the comedy relief in the show. Last but not least Winston Zeddemore who is the last member. He got the job by applying for it. He normally brings the other guys in check in certain situations. Then there is the receptionist called Janine Melnitz and Slimer.
Plot
The plot is very simple. They are 4 guys that hunt ghosts of all different types and they try to catch them. The shows are all independent of each other. So missing an episode will not confuse you with the storyline.
Show
How can anyone forget that iconic Ghostbusters theme. Still to this day it still holds up. Fun fact, Huey Lewis and the news had sued for the rights to this song saying that it was ripped off of one of their own recordings. However, they lost in court and Ray Parker Jr. still receives royalties to this day.
There are little interludes that are perfect for the type of mood. Yes they are on repeat for all the shows but there is just something about them that is soothing or when you are expecting something to happen.
The show itself was really well written. It continued with the chemistry from the movie. The interactions are the same. The continuous smart ass remarks by Peter, always get a chuckle out of me. You actually feel attached to these guys and always want them to succeed.
As you can see from the voice actors above, there were some changes during the run. Peter who was voiced by Lorenzo Music (who also voiced the cartoon Garfield) was replaced by Dave Coullier from Full House fame. Also, you may have noticed that the voice of Winston was done by Arsenio Hall for the first 3 seasons. Then the voice was done by Buster Jones. Buster was known for his voice work on Super Friends and Transformers, just to name a few.
I think the voice acting was great. Janine can get a little annoying but I loved the original cast. When changes were made to the show, it seemed like something was out of place. I love Dave Coullier and Buster Jones but they are not the original voice actors and it did take a little away from the show for me.
Later in the shows run they had a show called Slimer which were vignettes or episodes about Slimer. From what I remember, these shows at one point an hour long, with the first half hour being the Ghostbusters and next half hour being Slimer. Due to this the name of the show changed to Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters.
Favourite Shows
I could name about 100 good shows, but I will outline my top 3.
The Boogie Man Cometh
This is a great show and tackles the boogieman angle. In this one, two kids Meghan and Kenny enlist the help of the Ghostbusters. Three of the guys take this very lightly while Egon seems very concerned. This is because he was affected by the Boogieman when he was a kid and he wants to help the kids to get rid of him once and for all. I like this episode cause I like that even grown ups can have fears and in this case Egon was always scared of the Boogieman. It is basically saying it is ok to be scared.
Who're You Calling Two-Dimensional?
The Ghostbusters are called in for some disturbance. This is the residence of the great animator Walt Fleishman. In the show he is the creator of Dopey Dog. A superhero dog that always saves the day. The team ends up in a cartoon world. Walt has been missing for 40 years and we learn that he was in the cartoon world the whole time. He was held captive by a big bad wolf. In the end the ghostbusters with the help of Dopey Dog and friends, free Walt and bring him back to the real world. I loved this show for many reasons. One, I find it funny that the Ghostbusters end up in a cartoon when in my mind they were already a cartoon. Also, I never saw proof of this, but this seems to be an homage to old style cartoons like bugs bunny. With a dopey dog and a big bad wolf. This was a very creative episode and they executed this very well. Even as a kid I always loved this episode.
Play Them Ragtime Boos
This episode about a ghost called Malachai who plays the trumpet. When he plays, the clock turns back. So the surroundings keep getting back until they change to the 1930's and 1940's. He is getting stronger and stronger and soon the affects will be permanent. The Ghostbusters have to find a way to reverse the affects. The only antidote is to play music of the same frequency and to play it louder. So Egon and the team play rock and 80's wave and end up defeating Malachai. I liked the fact that you can turn back time by playing an instrument. This band only played one song, When the Saints Go Marching In. I think I would have gotten fed up of that after a while. :)
Bottomline
The show does hold up after all these years. Yes the quality of the cartoon is not as great as today's but that gives it its charm. I have been watching this series on and off for about 30 years now. There is always a time during the year when I want to binge watch a bunch of episodes. I love the series and they did a great job of keeping the main ingredients that made the movie successful. Even adding Slimer was a great move. He compliments the sarcastic comedy of Peter. Slimer always does something to Peter and that gets Peter angry. It is fun to watch.
I am sure for me it is a nostalgia thing and I am sure many people can find faults with this show. For me, it beings me back to when I was a kid and I would wake up to watch this show. It is not perfect but, it was done well and it still holds up.
I never saw the spin-off series Extreme Ghostbusters that aired in the mid 90's. I may want to check that out as it supposedly continues from the original with the team not being together anymore due to low spiritual activity.
Rating: 9.5 ghosts out of 10
Let me know what you think? did you watch this when you were a kid?
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