Ghostbusters

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.

I use to love this show as a child. It's not a rip off from the movie as i twas already mentioned many times. I had a really hard time getting a DVD and now I finally have it. I'm a teacher at a elementary school and I teach English as a foregin language. Guess what - this cartoon is a perfect tool for that. The language and the plot are simple enough for kids to follow it even without listening to the words, so the language sort of slips into their conscience. It's good for basic vocabulary and listening comprehension. The cartoon is also not violent (not really) and funny enough with a strong moral point at the end. So it's perfect for a classroom. At first I was afraid the children would hate it, because the plots are simplistc and the are quite a few goof-ups, but children up to the age of 10 simply loved it and learned quite a few things. We could always start a discussion about the moral of the story (told at the end), revize the new words they've learned and simply reenact some scenes (for pure fun and relaxation). This made me think about this cartoon in a whole new light. It's not just a trip down the memory lane, but it's also a useful tool for foregin language teaching (who would have guessed :)

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.

After reading a previous post, I feel the need to set the record straight. This is Not a rip-off of the film 'Ghostbusters', also, the naming of the cartoon did NOT force the other cartoon to be renamed 'The Real Ghostbusters'. This was a TV show that was on when I was kid in the mid-70's. I used to watch it all the time. The show starred the men from F-Troop, and was made by Filmation. Filmation still held the TV naming rights to the Ghostbusters name, so that is why the other cartoon had to be renamed. I had forgotten about this show until the cartoon came out, and everyone told me I was crazy and such a show had never existed, but I showed them who's crazy didn't I?? Hee hee, anyway, I just felt it was my duty to correct this error.

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!