Ghostbusters

It's a little known fact but the characters depicted in this series were around long before the movie version was. Back in 1975 there was a short lived TV series called "The Ghost Busters" that featured ghosts being hunted by a trio armed with strange equipment. After the success of the successful film (the title of which had to be paid for by the producers to Filmation who owned the name) they brought the characters back in this series. That's not to say that this show is BETTER than the theatrical Ghost Busters, but it is interesting to note that this isn't the rip off... the theatrical Ghost Busters was the rip off (even if it was a vastly superior rip off!

We used to watch this at my house as a kid - it was in the time slot right before "The Real Ghostbusters", on another network. As has been pointed out, it was nothing compared to "The Real Ghostbusters". However the claim that this show was a rip off is not entirely true.

In 1975 "The Ghostbusters" was released. This film is, in fact, a movie about two guys and a gorrilla who fought Ghosts with their dematerializer. When "The Ghostbusters" (starring Dan Aykroyd) was released, it was quickly made into a cartoon show, and as it was, some genius realized that they had the rights (or could obtain the rights) to a show which actually had a better claim to originality. The show was very slapstick, vaudeville, just like the movie it was based on, and worth a watch. But it's attitude (and quality) we're far different from what fans of the later film expected, and it was quickly labeled a rip off, and lost to time.

The animated television series of Filmation's Ghostbusters was very good. I'd watch it whenever I could when it was on in the 1980s. The animation was very good and clear. The voices were good for the characters including the talents of Alan Oppenheimer, Linda Gary, Pat Fraley, Peter Cullen, Susan Blu, Lou Scheimer, and Erika Scheimer. Some of these talents were the voices of other classic 1980s animated programs such as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and She-Ra: The Princess of Power, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to name a few. The stories in the cartoons were good. It was interesting and fun to watch. If you are able to watch this on television or on tape do so because this was one of the great animated shows of the 1980s in My opinion! I recommend it!

From 9/6/75 - 9/4/76 there was a live action show known as Ghost Busters. After the Ghostbusters film was a hit, Filmation put out an animated updated version of the show, the Original Ghostbusters in 1986. In the live show The Ghost Busters were a trio (Jake Kong, Eddie Spencer, and Tracy, the gorilla) that dealt with ghosts and other supernatural creatures. At the beginning of each episode, the trio get a taped message outlining their new mission. Once the message plays, the recording self destructs (ala Mission: Impossible). But unlike Mission Impossible, they never manage to get rid of the recording before it explodes.

The Ghost Busters then head out to find, capture, or get rid of the supernatural being. In almost every case, the various creatures end up in the old castle. The various creatures they encountered included vikings, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, vampires, gypsies, werewolves, and of course, various ghosts.

On the contrary. If you would activate the comments option of the Ghostbusters DVD, you would realize that the reason producers had a lot of trouble nailing down the name "Ghostbusters." That was due to a '70s TV show of the same name.

I was living overseas at the time, so I only saw this series and not the "Real Ghostbusters." Until I came to the States, that is. Of course, I was familiar with the popular movie (and the fabulous MTV video), but I like both cartoons. I loved Lorenzo Music as the voice of Peter Venkman and Garfield, as well, but I digress.

Ironically, both were originally live-action, and Ghostbusters (with gorilla) came before Ghostbusters (with Slimer) in both instances, yet most people think that it's the other way around--or weren't aware of the '70s series at all. Like a previous user pointed out, that's the way it will be forever remembered by people.