The Ghost Busters

:"Not to be confused with Ghostbusters."

Infobox Television
show_name = The Ghost Busters


caption = Larry Storch, Forrest Tucker, Bob Burns
show_name_2 =
genre =
creator =
director =
creative_director =
developer =
presenter = Filmation
starring = Forrest Tucker
Larry Storch
Bob Burns
voices =
narrated =
theme_music_composer =
opentheme =
endtheme =
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country = USA
language =
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 15
list_episodes =
executive_producer = Norm Prescott
Lou Scheimer
Dick Rosenbloom
producer = Norman Abbott
supervising_producer =
asst_producer =
co-producer =
editor =
story_editor =
location =
camera =
runtime =
network = CBS
picture_format =
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first_run =
first_aired = 1975
last_aired = 1976
preceded_by =
followed_by =
related = "Filmation's Ghostbusters"
website =
imdb_id = 0072505
tv_com_id =

"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").

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 "". 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

External links

*
* [http://www.entertainmentrights.com/programming/article_269.asp Entertainment Rights]
* [http://trughostbusters.proboards98.com The TRUE Ghostbusters Fan Forum]
* [http://www.70slivekidvid.com/ghost.htm The Ghost Busters @ 70slivekidvid.com]
* [http://www.protoncharging.com/ghostbusters/fgb.shtml Filmation's association]