The Ghost Busters
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The Ghost Busters was a live-action children's television series that ran from 1975 to 1976, about a team of bumbling detectives who would investigate ghostly occurrences. It was not related to the similarly titled 1984 movie (Columbia Pictures did, however, pay Filmation for a license to use the name). Only 15 episodes were created. This series starred Forrest Tucker as Jake Kong (his first name is never actually given in this series), Larry Storch as zoot suit-wearing Eddie Spencer, and Bob Burns as Tracy the Gorilla (Burns was credited as Tracy's "trainer").
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Episode formula
Each episode would always begin with Spencer and Tracy stopping at a convenience store to pick up the tape recording that explained their mission for the episode, in a parody of Mission: Impossible. It would be hidden inside a common object such as a bicycle, typewriter or painting. The message would always end by saying, "This message will self destruct in five seconds." It would then explode in Tracy's face for comic effect. Their investigation would take them to the same "old castle" on the outskirts of the city, and after a series of chases and pratfalls the Ghost Busters would corner the ghost (and his/her "sidekick"), which they would dispatch back to the afterlife with their Ghost Dematerializer.
The primary humor of the series was physical and slapstick, with scenes built around the characters' bumbling. The series also made references to classic cinema, despite the unlikelihood that the primary audience would recognize them. For example, the names "Spencer" and "Tracy" were taken from the famous actor Spencer Tracy. Guest stars included Ted Knight, Jim Backus, and Billy Barty.
Animated series
In 1986, to cash in on the popularity of the Columbia film, the show was revived in cartoon format with Kong and Spencer's sons, Jake and Eddie Jr., inheriting their fathers' business and Tracy the gorilla in Filmation's Ghostbusters.
DVD
The show was released on DVD in April 2007 by Brentwood Home Video (BCI) through its "Ink and Paint DVD" imprint, however no mention of the show is made on the Ink and Paint DVD website. In addition, unlike many of BCI's ER Filmation releases, this DVD appears to have been sourced from the original NTSC prints.
List of episodes
- The Maltese Monkey
- Dr. Whatshisname
- The Canterville Ghost
- Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
- The Flying Dutchman
- The Dummy's Revenge
- A Worthless Gauze
- Which Witch is Which?
- They Went Thataway
- The Vampire's Apprentice
- Jekyll & Hyde-Together, For the First Time!
- Only Ghosts Have Wings
- The Vikings Have Landed
- Merlin, the Magician
- The Abominable Snowman