Nerds That Geek TV Rewind: 'The Real Ghostbusters'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

When I was a kid, there were two things that I wanted to be when I grew up, and they battled it out on a weekly basis. From Sunday-Friday I wanted nothing more than to be an astronaut so I could travel to the stars and see the universe. But come Saturday morning, when the cartoons came on, all of that was forgotten.  

By the end of the morning cartoon run, the stars could wait, I wanted to be a Ghostbuster. That's right, I wanted to hunt down any crazy spirits roaming around in the world out because of one reason and one reason alone...the weekly animated adventures of the Ghostbusters, courtesy of the awesome show, The Real Ghostbusters. While I can never forget my love of the movies, what helped fuel my love for them even more was this show. How could it not? It was the freakin' Ghostbusters bustin' ghosts and man, this was a fantastic show. All the characters were back, including Slimer who was now somehow an ally...but it worked and it had myself and my brother hooked.

Obviously the plot was pretty simple. Week in and week out, the boys would deal with a ghost of the week in some form or fashion and eventually bust the sucker. Yeah, you knew what was coming, but you loved it none the less. It was those moments when they broke out the Ecto-1 and their proton packs that you waited for. The show itself lasted seven years on the air, and was constantly evolving. Eventually Slimer became a bigger part of the show as it moved on and the show became a little sillier as well, but when I think back upon this show, I not only reflect upon the delicious bowls of Fruity Pebbles that I consumed while watching it, but more so on the stellar early seasons of the show.

I distinctly remember the first couple of seasons not only mixing in the trademark laughs and action from the movie...but also some solid creepy moments. Some of the ghosts that appeared on the show, Samhain is one that comes to mind, were borderline disturbing and I think that's a great thing. It was these moments and stories that captured the essence of the original films, since it balanced horror and comedy perfectly and it was that kind of quality storytelling that kept me coming back week after week, and years after this show left the air, I still have yet to see an animated adaptation that was as faithful to the original material as this one.

Either way, this is one of my favorites from back in the day and at some point, I really need to get off my rear and pick up the show on DVD, and probably a box of Fruity Pebbles too.  

---