The Ghost Busters | |
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![]() Larry Storch, Forrest Tucker, Bob Burns
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Created by | Marc Richards |
Starring | Forrest Tucker Larry Storch Bob Burns |
Theme music composer | Diane Hildebrand Jackie Mills |
Opening theme | "Ghost-Busters" Theme (sung by Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch) |
Ending theme | "Ghost-Busters" Theme (instrumental) |
Composer(s) | Yvette Blais Jeff Michael |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 15 |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Norm Prescott Lou Scheimer Dick Rosenbloom |
Producer(s) | Norman Abbott |
Location(s) | United States |
Running time | 30 minutes (including commercials) |
Production company(s) | Filmation |
Broadcast | |
Original channel | CBS |
Audio format | Mono |
Original run | September 6, 1975 – December 13, 1975 |
Chronology | |
Related shows | Ghostbusters (1986 TV series) |
The Ghost Busters was a live-action children's situation comedy that ran in 1975, about a team of bumbling detectives who would investigate ghostly occurrences. Only 15 episodes were produced.[1]
The show reunited Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch in roles similar to their characters in F Troop.
The series was unrelated to the 1984 Ivan Reitman film Ghostbusters (though Columbia Pictures did pay Filmation for a license to use the name). Like the Reitman film, the series spawned its own animated sequel in 1986.
The primary humor of the series was slapstick, with scenes centered around the perpetual bumbling of the characters, good and evil alike. The series also made references to classic cinema; the names "Spencer" and "Tracy" were taken from the famous actor Spencer Tracy, while the name Kong was a clear homage to King Kong.
Contents
Regular Cast
- Forrest Tucker as Kong
- Larry Storch as Spencer
- Bob Burns as Tracy, the gorilla (Burns in a gorilla costume, billed as Tracy's trainer)
- Lou Scheimer as the voice of Zero
Premise
Spencer, Tracy and Kong billed themselves as "The Ghost Busters", bumbling detectives who investigated paranormal activity. Kong (Tucker) was the leader of the team with Spencer (Storch) as his partner and Tracy (a gorilla, played by Burns) as their assistant who also drove their broken-down jalopy. Their headquarters was situated in a run down office building in an unspecified city (Spencer's name on the door was misspelled "Spenser" while the opening credits spelled his name "Spencer"). Outside of normal office equipment, plus a large armoire on which Tracy hung numerous hats including his trademark beanie, the office itself was also dilapidated, with peeling wallpaper and a Pay phone near the door as the Ghost Busters' only means of communicating with clients.
Each episode consisted of the same formula: a ghost or monster, usually accompanied by a half-witted sidekick, manifesting themselves and swearing to wreak havoc or revenge on a particular person, the city, or even the world. Kong would send Tracy and Spencer to a general store to get their next assignment from the unseen "Zero" (Scheimer). The tape-recorded message was usually hidden inside an everyday object such as a bicycle, typewriter or toy. In a parodic homage to Mission: Impossible, the recording would end with Zero saying, "This message will self destruct in five seconds", and after Tracy counted down the seconds, the message (and often the item in which it was hidden) would blow up in Tracy's face.
The Ghost Busters' assignments would invariably take them to the same place: a spooky castle with an adjoining graveyard on the outskirts of the city (Kong would point out that the castle was the only castle in or near the city), and after a series of farcical chases, the ghouls would be cornered and dispatched back to the netherworld by a "Ghost De-Materializer", usually activated by Kong as he triumphantly shouted "Zap!".
Ghosts
The show frequently made use of ghostly characters from popular and literary culture, and even real-life historical figures. These included:
- Dr. Frankenstein and his monster
- A Mummy
- The Red Baron
- The Canterville Ghost
- Count Dracula
- Billy the Kid
- Belle Starr
- The captain and first mate of the Flying Dutchman.
Sequel
In 1986, after the success of the Columbia film, the show was revived in animated format with Kong and Spencer's sons, Jake and Eddie Jr., inheriting their fathers' business (and Tracy the Gorilla) in Ghostbusters.[2] Spencer and Kong's first names were never mentioned in the original series.
DVD release
BCI Eclipse LLC (under license from Entertainment Rights) released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 on April 17, 2007.[3] The 2-disc boxset contains extensive special features including interviews, photo galleries and rare footage. In addition, unlike many of BCI's ER Filmation releases, this DVD appears to have been sourced from the original NTSC prints.
As of 2009, this release has been discontinued and is out of print as BCI Eclipse has ceased operations.[4]
Syndication repeats
In mid-2011 re-runs of The Ghost Busters aired on the Retro Television Network.
List of episodes
No. | Title | Original air date |
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1 | "The Maltese Monkey" | 6 September 1975 |
The Ghost Busters must stop the Fat Man and Rabbit from summoning the ghost of gangster Big Al Caesar, who will help them steal the stuff dreams are made of: the Maltese Monkey. Guest Stars: Billy Barty, Johnny Brown |
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2 | "Dr. Whatshisname" | 13 September 1975 |
Dr. Frankenstein returns, seeking the brain of the world's most gullible fool to transplant into his Monster. Enter Eddie Spencer. Guest Star: Bernie Kopell, Bill Engessor |
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3 | "The Canterville Ghost" | 20 September 1975 |
The Ghostbusters' assignment is to rid a haunted mansion of the cowardly ghost of Sir Simon de Canterville. But little do they know that master criminal "Mr. C" is after the priceless Canterville diamond worn by Sir Simon. Guest Stars: Ted Knight, Kathy Garver, Len Lesser |
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4 | "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" | 27 September 1975 |
Hoping to remove the curse of the werewolf from hapless Harry Albert, Gypsy fortuneteller Sophia comes seeking to steal the Baldus Lupus Amulet that Spencer recently unearthed. Guest Star: Lennie Weinrib, Dodo Demsey |
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5 | "The Flying Dutchman" | 4 October 1975 |
The ghostly captain and his sidekick from the Flying Dutchman take up residence in the castle, looking for new crewmen for their ship. And what "empty-headed scalawag" might fit the bill? Guest Star: Stanley Adams, Phillip Bruns |
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6 | "The Dummy's Revenge" | 11 October 1975 |
The Phantom of Vaudeville and his ventriloquist's dummy return from beyond to settle a score with Slappy, Maxie, and Nijinsky, three vaudevillians who wronged them in the past. Guess which trio gets mistaken for the three troublemakers? Guest Star: Tim Herbert, Brain Berlin |
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7 | "A Worthless Gauze" | 18 October 1975 |
The Ghost Busters become embroiled with Egyptian Queen Forah and her Mummy as they search for the ape-sorcerer Simios, who in turn can bring them to Spen-Zah, possessor of the secret of immortality. Guest Star: Barbara Rhoades, Richard Balin |
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8 | "Which Witch Is Which?" | 25 October 1975 |
The ghost of a witch reappears to get revenge against the descendant of Edward Spencer, the spell-dissolver in old Salem who brought ruin to witches. Matters become complicated when the ugly witch transforms herself into a seductive beauty who might lure the Ghost Busting Spencer to his doom. Guest Star: Huntz Hall, Ann Morgan Guilbert, Leigh Christan |
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9 | "They Went Thataway" | 1 November 1975 |
Those ghostriders in the sky are the spirits of Billy the Kid and Belle Starr back to round up a new gang of cattle rustlers. The Ghost Busters disguise themselves as cowboys to get the Dematerializer drop on 'em. Guest Star: Marty Ingels, Brooke Tucker |
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10 | "The Vampire's Apprentice" | 8 November 1975 |
The Ghost Busters may get the bite put on them when Count and Countess Dracula return from the other side in search of a warm-blooded donor. Guest Star: Dena Dietrich, Billy Holms |
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11 | "Jekyll & Hyde: Together, for the First Time!" | 15 November 1975 |
The ghost of Dr. Jekyll appears, and is bedeviled by his alter ego. But if he can find a dolt with no personality at all, he can neutralize the effects of the personality-splitting formula and rid himself of Hyde forever. Oh, Spencer? Guest Stars: Joe E. Ross, Severn Darden |
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12 | "Only Ghosts Have Wings" | 22 November 1975 |
The ghosts of the Red Baron and Sparky return to repair their plane, the Spirit of Icarus, so that they can once more engage their enemies: Lord Smedly Hargroves and his grease monkey, Tracy Holmes-Harrington... who bear a startling resemblance to two of the Ghost Busters. Guest Star: Howard Morris, Robert Easton |
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13 | "The Vikings Have Landed" | 29 November 1975 |
The ghosts of Erik the Red and Brunhilda return to plant a Viking banner and establish their claim to having discovered America prior to the loathsome Lothar the Hun. Guest Star: Jim Backus, Lisa Todd |
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14 | "Merlin the Magician" | 6 December 1975 |
Merlin and jester Gronk are pursued from the Great Beyond by their nemesis Morgan le Fay, who intends to trap them in this era. The Ghost Busters befriend and assist the broken-down magician in his battle with the beautiful sorceress. Guest Stars: Ina Balin, Huntz Hall, Carl Ballantine |
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15 | "The Abominable Snowman" | 13 December 1975 |
Spencer stumbles onto the scene when Dr. Centigrade is searching for a warm-blooded heart to transplant into the Abominable Snowman. Final episode of the series. Guest Star: Ronny Graham, Richard Balin |
References
- ^ Solomon, Charles (September 18, 1986). "Animated Shows For Kids". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
- ^ "Filmation's Ghostbusters: The Animated Series, Vol. 1". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
- ^ http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Ghost-Busters/6917
- ^ http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Site-News-BCI-Shut-Down/11064
External links
- The Ghost Busters at the Internet Movie Database
- The True Ghostbusters International Fan Forum
- List of The Ghost Busters episodes at TV.com
- Entertainment Rights
- The Ghost Busters @ 70slivekidvid.com
- The Official Bob Burns Website