As a kid in 1986, when this cartoon premiered via a Boston cable affiliate, I remember being horribly disappointed, thinking, "What the hell is this? This is NOT Ghostbusters." Having no background in the 1975 live-action show, of course I was confused. Nobody ever explained it, and I was left with the impression that this Filmation cartoon was just an insipid knockoff of the beloved 1984 movie that I knew so well. I'm certain I was not alone. Many other kids likely felt the same way. 🙄
Mostly the same for me, but the lower quality made me think it was an old show that hadn't been very popular but that they were milking in reruns because of the popularity of the movie.
@@n1vgSince I grew up watching animated Star Trek in syndication, I think I thought the show was originally broadcast in the 1970s and then brought back to coincide with the release of The Real Ghostbusters. I eventually saw the copyright date, and then assumed it was just a cheap knockoff.
Honestly surprised that there hasn't been at least a comic book crossover between The Real Ghostbusters & the Filmation Ghost Busters. Feels like it'd make for such an obvious story to tell.
I remember being so confused about two different Ghostbusters but kind of liking this one better as a kid. I'm still confused as an adult, just not about Ghostbusters.
The cartoons were after my time. I was a fan of the movie, and not really a fan of the '70s live action. Nevertheless, from what I've seen, the Filmation cartoon looks more up my alley. I probably would have loved it as a kid. I'd guess that the only reason the "Real" Ghostbusters was more popular was the popularity of the movie. If the movie didn't exist I'd bet the Filmation version would have been the more popular one. I could be wrong though. My tastes don't always line up with everyone else's.
The Ghost Busters cartoon was much safer to view when aired on TV because the Real Ghostbusters had some truly nightmare inducing visuals and stories: Boogeyman to name one.
I remember the original live action _The Ghost Busters_ in the '70s, but had no idea they made a cartoon of it in the '80s. Probably because I was an adult by then (sorta... ish... well, legally) and cartoons were not really on my list of interests at the time. Funny that I'm now pushing 60 and probably watch more animation now than I ever did as a child. Of course, back then cartoons were mainly a Saturday morning thing.
It absolutely murders the "real GB", the sound production alone is incredible. I did like the movies, but copy-pasting the movie into an animated series showed a complete lack of sophistication.
There are a lot of examples of parents making a fuss whenever something they don't like appears, even if it's clearly not meant for kids, and overreact to a ridiculous degree, but in this one instance, yeah, they were absolutely in the right to be upset.
I wasn't allowed to watch the 1984 Ghostbusters in the cinema, so when the Filmation Ghostbusters cartoon came out, I initially wasn't confused and enjoyed the cartoon. But then, when The Real Ghostbusters cartoon came out, I was confused. I liked and watched both, though I have to admit I preferred the Filmation Ghostbusters. I only saw the Filmation Ghostbusters toys twice in my life, once in a store in Italy as a kid and then at a German toy show this year, where I was surprised that there were other people who'd heard of this weird Ghostbusters cartoon that had a gorilla and was not based on the movie.
Oh yeah, us kids in Germany had a great Saturday morning cartoon channel called Tele5. I remember watching Filmation’s Ghostbusters vs The “Real” Ghostbusters and being kind of confused. But I was even more confused when I eventually got to see one of the live action movies and none of the characters looked anything remotely like the ones in the cartoon series, except for Slimer maybe. (Egon was not blond! Peter didn’t have as cool a haircut as his animated version…).
Probability someone have already point it out, but just in case... The Filmation GHOSTBUSTERS make a cameo in a IDW GHOSTBUSTERS comic crossover between the "movie" and cartoon universes, along with other cameos like the offbrand anime GHOSTBUSTERS from Tokyo ESP
I was totally confused by Filmation’s Ghostbusters when it aired, but fortunately I had a mom who did watch Entertainment Tonight and knew the answer to “What the f*ck is this sh*t?” so my confusion didn’t last long.
I knew all of this and the company FHE having a porno side company. What I didn't know until now is that they "crossed the streams" so to speak. Holy hell, what a blunder.
I remember watching this when it was briefly available on Netflix. One, there was one alright episode out of the huge batch I watched (it was summer and college was out). Two, the Filmation Busters were horrendously over-equipped so as to not have to worry about stressing out the kids too much by introducing "drama" or "tension." And last, the writers forgot that invisible doesn't mean ethereal, and Eddie's magic belt from Merlin (stay with me here...) let him pass through walls... once. I think once.
The problem is, BOTH properties cribbed their names from a 1946 movie called "Spook Busters," so technically they should both be accused of name plagiarism. Of course, what makes it all the more frustrating (or hilarious depending on your view) when the movie Ghostbusters had multiple name changes before landing on "busters". That said, I'm glad Filmation didn't make a cartoon based on the movie. Not that Filmation can't make a good cartoon, but all I can see is the movie characters (voiced by 2 people, most likely) fighting against the same stock villains they used in this cartoon. And while ABC did ruin the hell out of RGB in time, RGB basically outclassed its own movie sequel by keeping in as many themes they could from the original movie. So basically we got one all time classic cartoon adaption of a movie with RGB, and a pretty decent, fun if Filmation trope filled series.
@@Cre8Lounge They threw too much money and effort on their lame unofficial Disney sequels, that wound up bankrupting the company. The Ghost Busters cartoon was basically made out of spite for the movie and subsequent RGB cartoon, that much is pretty obvious. But the amazing thing is, the actual original Ghostbusters movie concept (before Ramis and others were brought in) WAS that they went through time and space hunting ghosts, which was exactly the premise of the FIlmation cartoon. Now either that was a coincidence of all coincidence, or someone working on the Ghost Busters cartoon somehow managed to see the original treatment of the movie and one upped them by copying the original premise. Which is actually quite brilliant and cutting, had this been intentional.
@@jerryharris6342 I have to pull out the Ghostbusters box set, but Ghostbreakers could have also been one of the conceptual titles. I know Ghostsmashers was one. But the fact of the matter is, both of those properties borrowed the title, and I doubt Ackroyd and Ramis and Reitman were watching Saturday Morning kid's programming in the 70's to have double checked the name.
I do remember seeing a VHS of the live action The Ghostbusters in Blockbuster once. I can't remember if I already knew about it after the cartoon version came out or not, but I remember looking at the pictures on the box and thinking how cheesy it looked.
@@jackgilchrist It was pretty much an F-Troop reunion show since you had both Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch in it. Cheesy as hell but funny at the same time.
I remember catching The Ghost Busters on TV once, and I felt deceived and betrayed by TV Guide. I don’t know how much I actually watched, but I know I didn’t make it through the whole episode before flipping channels
It wasn't as confusing as you make it sound. Children's programming in the 70's and 80's was a wild-west, hodgepodge where anything goes. You could have 3-4 versions of Looney Tunes (The Bugs and Daffy Show, The Bugs and Roadrunner Show, Bugs Bunny and Friends, and the Looney Tunes hour) all on in a given week. Scooby Doo changed dozens of times with no rhyme or reason for the change. The 70's Scooby Doo gave way to Scooby and Scrappy. (Where did Scrappy come from? Bugger if I knew then.) Scooby and Scrappy then ditched Fred and Thelma (WTF?), by the time we got to 13 Ghosts and a Pup Named Scooby Doo it was common for cartoons to upend the entire show for a new format. Continuity was a luxury in the mid-80's. The one question that lingers for me is how did the Columbia boys get good. From what I heard, the cartoon was an afterthought at best. This wasn't He-Man or Transformers looking to make their money on the Weekday circuit. They were a bunch of film studio execs who wanted something to tide the audience over until they could get the band back together for a sequel. And yet, these novices beat out the vets, vets who played the game without all the equipment and training. Did your research shine any light on that?
I think the difference here is that those shows had, for the most part, a kind of consistent visuals to them that would lessen any confusion. Maybe this version of Scooby Doo doesn’t have Fred or Velma. But for the most part, you know what that franchise is visually and thematically. Same with Looney Tunes. This was two different properties, really different visually and thematically. Yet, they just happen to have pretty much the same name. In a time when you couldn’t just hop on Google and find out why they share the same name, but are so different, it was very easy to be confused. Especially as a kid of certain age. I do agree that time in kids programming was like the Wild West of television.
For me, Linda Gary will always be the voice of Research Director Maura Cassidy of the Arthur C. Clarke Astronomical Observatory (aka "Starlab") in the 1970s sci-fi radio series _Alien Worlds._
When I was a kid, my dad's work lead to us moving halfway across country. When we moved into our new house I looked at the tv guide to see when my favorite tv shows were on. I saw Ghostbusters was on daily, I was over excited. So the next day I put it on, and I saw a gorilla instead of Slimmer. I was like "what is this..." I could never get into it.
I remember looking in the TV guide as a kid seeing Ghostbusters was on at 2 in the morning only to find it was an episode of the live-action being used as filler in the early hours. This was my first introduction to the "other" Ghostbusters.
This is sooo crazy! I remember the two different animated series in the 80's but never ever heard or saw anything about an earlier live action Ghost Busters series. This is wild!
I used to watch both shows when they were on. They were of equal quality. I did have a tape with a crossover episode on it. It could have been another dubious release with editing two shows together. I recall that the Filmation Ghostbusters are in a castle and they are chained and imprisoned by the ghost. Their only chance of help is to use the phone one of them has stored in their backpack or coat liner. They manage to get their hands on the phone and call one of their relatives... one of The Real Ghostbusters. The real Ghostbusters get to the castle, bust the ghost, and free the Filmation gang. Nobody else remembers this crossover.
I'm with you. I had no idea and thought somebody was gonna get sued. However, I did know about the live action version weirdly because in the 1980's, when everybody was jumping on the tape rental craze, my local Meijer grocery store had put in a tape rental department that had the live action version on VHS.
I'm the only person in the world who liked the Filmation Ghost Busters as a kid, and was confused and disappointed when the Murray/Aycroyd/Ramis movie didn't have a gorilla.
Bad guy: "I am Evil Cyborg! You'll never defeat me!" Ghostbusters: "He's right, we can't defeat him, he's not a ghost!" Bad guy: "Oh, sorry, I meant to say I'm Evil Ghost Cyborg."
I saw a few episodes of this show when I was a young lad in the 80s. I didn’t care that it was different from the Real Ghostbusters. To me at the time, the more Ghostbusters, the better!
Yup, I was one of the many kids who were confused by this version of The Ghostbusters because I wasn't alive in '75 and never seen the live show. I saw the ad for the cartoon and got excited but then I was disappointed when I saw no Peter Venkman no Slimmer no Stay Puft and no Proton Packs! So I never watched that show again. But my faith was restored when The REAL Ghostbusters aired and I watched that more regularly. Fun Fact: "Squeal of Fortune" was also a name of a segment on Sesame Street.
This cartoon was one of Christian Weston Chandler’s favorite Saturday morning cartoons growing up. Yup, the same Christian Weston Chandler who created Sonichu, lashes out at trolls and critics in his vlogs, and later got arrested for….harming his mother.
I'm there with you. I had no clue what was going on when the Ghostbusters came on and instead of Slimer there was a gorilla. I asked my mom and even she wasn't sure.
I will die on the hill that I always preferred this Filmation version over any other. As seen in the commercial for the contest it was on at 3:30PM on WPIX in New York, perfect for after school!
OG Ghostbusters! I loved this version almost as much as the "real" version. They have a gorilla, a talking car, and an absolute banger of a theme song!
Several things: A) LOVE when you do the spooky backgrounds for the best holiday season 2) I absolutely suffered from brand confusion (as did my parents and grandparents come any gift giving occasion) and was rather displeased and dismayed (but NOT UNGRATEFUL) with what was given with love D) I myself was still in my early years in the 80s, but I distinctly remember watching Entertainment Tonight as a child, mostly because of my mom. Also, I had a huge crush on Mary Hart. 7) I had not heard of the adult film fiasco with the types, but that is indeed hilarious.
I remember my Mom telling me there was a Ghostbusters cartoon about to debut. I was excited. Turned on the TV and had the reaction at 11:01 only maybe without profanity.
I remember not being fooled by the competing Ghostbusters shows, and preferring the movie tie-in show (mostly because, as the video points out, I had no idea the '70s live-action show existed). My brother liked both shows, however, because each one had an interesting company car; having a showy enough vehicle on your program was enough to keep that five-year-old's attention.
Wow, I completely forgot that I tried to enter that contest but I got one of the names wrong. Then The Real Ghostbusters aired a week later and never watched Filmations Ghostbusters ever again.
I can almost guarantee the gorilla was supposed to be King but Universal sent a lawyer with a piece of paper saying NO in very large font multiple times.
When I was a kid I remember wanting a Ghostbusters(Real) costume for Halloween one year and the only one being available was for the weird one that apparently sold kids porn. I don't know if that version of Ghostbusters ever even aired where I live, I'd never heard of it. It wasn't until much later that I found out what it was thanks to the internet. I still remember that shitty costume and being forced to wear it because "it was close enough".
Sony / Columbia can always pick up this property and merge it in with the Ghostbusters property they have. They're already planning multiple universe type movies anyway. This would be a perfect one to use.
This video fits either. It's like Dejavu all over again or Mandela effect. I swear I've seen it before here. And I remember my grandparents getting me and my brother the filmation toys rather than the "real" Ghostbusters toys. Still wish they didn't return them and get the regular figures.
I didn't know about Filmation's "The Ghost Busters" until I read about it in a coffee table book *It Came from Bob's Basement* by Tracy actor Bob Burns.
Was just barely old enough to remember watching the live action show on Saturday mornings as a kid, thought it was a false childhood memory until the cartoon came out with the same characters.
I still would be interested if a live-action movie of Filmation Ghostbusters was made. Who wouldn't want to see a comedy about two guys and a gorilla battling ghosts? xD
Yeah I was confused and angry when Filmation's Ghostbusters came on. I was like, "What the hell is this? This isn't Ghostbusters! Why does that gorilla have my name? I hate this!" I like The Real Ghostbusters cartoon until it became Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters because I couldn't stand cartoon Slimer.
I actually have no memory of this cartoon in my childhood but I had wondered why The Real Ghostbusters was called “The REAL Ghostbusters”. Anyone else dying for some sort of crossover?
I guess bustin' made them feel REALLY good! Eh? Eh? "Squeal of Fortune" does sound like a Ghostbusters episode (it would be about a game show with a ghost for a host), so I can understand the confusion. I would love to see them integrate the Filmation characters into the current Ghostbusters movie. Maybe the Columbia Ghostbusters need to team up with Filmation Ghostbusters when Prime-Evil returns. Obviously Phoebe and Tracy would be bffs and bond over building new equipment.
Ghostbusters movie was definitely worried about lawsuit during production. Thats why Ghost symbol is used plus there are outtakes on youtube of them shooting with alternate names like Ghost Stoppers and Ghost blasters.
I remembered the live action original (The fog isn't the only thing that's dense tonight) when the big name movie came out, and wasn't surprised that they were obviously different things. I was surprised at just how bad Filmation's cartoon was, especially compared to the competition. By that age I was so clearly not the target market, let's put it that way.
Going to be honest my only encounter with Filmations Ghostbusters. Was coming across the VHS video in my local Ritz/Blockbuster. I had no idea what I was looking at. All I could think was what was, two shows with the same name. How is this possible? Then with everything else the internet answered that question.
Oh I remember seeing the Filmation show a few times after school. Always figured it was some sort of cash in, since the DIC one had "The Real", and it never impressed me.
One of my few accomplishments as a kid was that I never confused the two Ghostbusters cartoons and took things in stride.
Congratulations.
One of our local channels would play the original series on afternoons.
"They didnt know what they were watching....but they watched it TWICE!"
Narrator: "They knew exactly what they were watching."
😂😂😂😂😂
13:50 Bustin’ makes me feel good!
@@TheBlueB0mber I literally lol'ed🤣
Ya beat me to it @@TheBlueB0mber
As a kid in 1986, when this cartoon premiered via a Boston cable affiliate, I remember being horribly disappointed, thinking, "What the hell is this? This is NOT Ghostbusters." Having no background in the 1975 live-action show, of course I was confused. Nobody ever explained it, and I was left with the impression that this Filmation cartoon was just an insipid knockoff of the beloved 1984 movie that I knew so well. I'm certain I was not alone. Many other kids likely felt the same way. 🙄
10:47 - LMAO! I posted my comment too soon. @SecretGalaxyTV, you nailed it on the head!
I never knew when this was on. I only found out anout it because I had tapes my mom bought.
Same. How could they not know legions of children would be watching out of mere confusion?
Mostly the same for me, but the lower quality made me think it was an old show that hadn't been very popular but that they were milking in reruns because of the popularity of the movie.
@@n1vgSince I grew up watching animated Star Trek in syndication, I think I thought the show was originally broadcast in the 1970s and then brought back to coincide with the release of The Real Ghostbusters. I eventually saw the copyright date, and then assumed it was just a cheap knockoff.
The alternate universe where Peter did not stop Egon from drilling a hole in his head.
Saw what you did there.
Was always a fan of this version of Ghostbusters. Prime Evil is an under rated villain.
13:44 they realized they had a lack of ectoplasm the other show had and added extra "slime"
"They watched it twice"- man, it's a good thing I was in my car while watching this as I was literally laughing out loud.🤣
Honestly surprised that there hasn't been at least a comic book crossover between The Real Ghostbusters & the Filmation Ghost Busters. Feels like it'd make for such an obvious story to tell.
I would love to see that happen someday. Can't be any worse than the last GB flick Frozen Empire.
They make a cameo in an IDW Ghostbusters Multiverse comic.
Kinda hoped they would have an actual crossover adventure with IDW's Ghostbusters. Too bad the series got cancelled :(
BUSTIN' MAKES ME FEEL GOOD!
I remember being so confused about two different Ghostbusters but kind of liking this one better as a kid. I'm still confused as an adult, just not about Ghostbusters.
The cartoons were after my time. I was a fan of the movie, and not really a fan of the '70s live action. Nevertheless, from what I've seen, the Filmation cartoon looks more up my alley. I probably would have loved it as a kid.
I'd guess that the only reason the "Real" Ghostbusters was more popular was the popularity of the movie. If the movie didn't exist I'd bet the Filmation version would have been the more popular one.
I could be wrong though. My tastes don't always line up with everyone else's.
The Ghost Busters cartoon was much safer to view when aired on TV because the Real Ghostbusters had some truly nightmare inducing visuals and stories: Boogeyman to name one.
Grundle
4:39 it’s a joke. It’s a gorilla so you expect his name to be Kong, but it’s not. Hardy Har Har.
This shit was so confusing as a kid.
I remember the original live action _The Ghost Busters_ in the '70s, but had no idea they made a cartoon of it in the '80s. Probably because I was an adult by then (sorta... ish... well, legally) and cartoons were not really on my list of interests at the time.
Funny that I'm now pushing 60 and probably watch more animation now than I ever did as a child. Of course, back then cartoons were mainly a Saturday morning thing.
They watched it TWICE. Those kids 100% knew what they were watching.
I love the Filmation Ghostbusters with is Universal Monster Steampunk look and goofy charm.
It absolutely murders the "real GB", the sound production alone is incredible. I did like the movies, but copy-pasting the movie into an animated series showed a complete lack of sophistication.
There are a lot of examples of parents making a fuss whenever something they don't like appears, even if it's clearly not meant for kids, and overreact to a ridiculous degree, but in this one instance, yeah, they were absolutely in the right to be upset.
No 7 year old ANYWHERE knew what it was either!!!
11:15 I was that eight year old that watched entertainment tonight *sigh*
Same here
ME TOO
I wasn't allowed to watch the 1984 Ghostbusters in the cinema, so when the Filmation Ghostbusters cartoon came out, I initially wasn't confused and enjoyed the cartoon. But then, when The Real Ghostbusters cartoon came out, I was confused. I liked and watched both, though I have to admit I preferred the Filmation Ghostbusters.
I only saw the Filmation Ghostbusters toys twice in my life, once in a store in Italy as a kid and then at a German toy show this year, where I was surprised that there were other people who'd heard of this weird Ghostbusters cartoon that had a gorilla and was not based on the movie.
Oh yeah, us kids in Germany had a great Saturday morning cartoon channel called Tele5. I remember watching Filmation’s Ghostbusters vs The “Real” Ghostbusters and being kind of confused.
But I was even more confused when I eventually got to see one of the live action movies and none of the characters looked anything remotely like the ones in the cartoon series, except for Slimer maybe. (Egon was not blond! Peter didn’t have as cool a haircut as his animated version…).
Probability someone have already point it out, but just in case...
The Filmation GHOSTBUSTERS make a cameo in a IDW GHOSTBUSTERS comic crossover between the "movie" and cartoon universes, along with other cameos like the offbrand anime GHOSTBUSTERS from Tokyo ESP
16:08 do people with channel membership can see the uncensored version?
Holy crap I bought that VHS a year ago on eBay. I need to dig it out and check the print for uh ... research.
“Bust’n never feels …..confusing?!”
I was totally confused by Filmation’s Ghostbusters when it aired, but fortunately I had a mom who did watch Entertainment Tonight and knew the answer to “What the f*ck is this sh*t?” so my confusion didn’t last long.
I knew all of this and the company FHE having a porno side company. What I didn't know until now is that they "crossed the streams" so to speak. Holy hell, what a blunder.
The historical journalism of the Squeal of Fortune segment had me in tears 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I remember watching this when it was briefly available on Netflix. One, there was one alright episode out of the huge batch I watched (it was summer and college was out). Two, the Filmation Busters were horrendously over-equipped so as to not have to worry about stressing out the kids too much by introducing "drama" or "tension." And last, the writers forgot that invisible doesn't mean ethereal, and Eddie's magic belt from Merlin (stay with me here...) let him pass through walls... once. I think once.
The problem is, BOTH properties cribbed their names from a 1946 movie called "Spook Busters," so technically they should both be accused of name plagiarism. Of course, what makes it all the more frustrating (or hilarious depending on your view) when the movie Ghostbusters had multiple name changes before landing on "busters". That said, I'm glad Filmation didn't make a cartoon based on the movie. Not that Filmation can't make a good cartoon, but all I can see is the movie characters (voiced by 2 people, most likely) fighting against the same stock villains they used in this cartoon. And while ABC did ruin the hell out of RGB in time, RGB basically outclassed its own movie sequel by keeping in as many themes they could from the original movie. So basically we got one all time classic cartoon adaption of a movie with RGB, and a pretty decent, fun if Filmation trope filled series.
Filmation just made too many missteps.
@@Cre8Lounge They threw too much money and effort on their lame unofficial Disney sequels, that wound up bankrupting the company. The Ghost Busters cartoon was basically made out of spite for the movie and subsequent RGB cartoon, that much is pretty obvious. But the amazing thing is, the actual original Ghostbusters movie concept (before Ramis and others were brought in) WAS that they went through time and space hunting ghosts, which was exactly the premise of the FIlmation cartoon. Now either that was a coincidence of all coincidence, or someone working on the Ghost Busters cartoon somehow managed to see the original treatment of the movie and one upped them by copying the original premise. Which is actually quite brilliant and cutting, had this been intentional.
There was also the 1940 Bob Hope movie, The Ghost Breakers. It's excellent, by the way.
@@jerryharris6342 I have to pull out the Ghostbusters box set, but Ghostbreakers could have also been one of the conceptual titles. I know Ghostsmashers was one. But the fact of the matter is, both of those properties borrowed the title, and I doubt Ackroyd and Ramis and Reitman were watching Saturday Morning kid's programming in the 70's to have double checked the name.
I do remember seeing a VHS of the live action The Ghostbusters in Blockbuster once. I can't remember if I already knew about it after the cartoon version came out or not, but I remember looking at the pictures on the box and thinking how cheesy it looked.
Oh, it was super cheesy.
@@jackgilchrist It was pretty much an F-Troop reunion show since you had both Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch in it. Cheesy as hell but funny at the same time.
I remember catching The Ghost Busters on TV once, and I felt deceived and betrayed by TV Guide. I don’t know how much I actually watched, but I know I didn’t make it through the whole episode before flipping channels
Goddangit, why didn’t I get one of those VHS?!?!
It wasn't as confusing as you make it sound. Children's programming in the 70's and 80's was a wild-west, hodgepodge where anything goes. You could have 3-4 versions of Looney Tunes (The Bugs and Daffy Show, The Bugs and Roadrunner Show, Bugs Bunny and Friends, and the Looney Tunes hour) all on in a given week. Scooby Doo changed dozens of times with no rhyme or reason for the change. The 70's Scooby Doo gave way to Scooby and Scrappy. (Where did Scrappy come from? Bugger if I knew then.) Scooby and Scrappy then ditched Fred and Thelma (WTF?), by the time we got to 13 Ghosts and a Pup Named Scooby Doo it was common for cartoons to upend the entire show for a new format. Continuity was a luxury in the mid-80's.
The one question that lingers for me is how did the Columbia boys get good. From what I heard, the cartoon was an afterthought at best. This wasn't He-Man or Transformers looking to make their money on the Weekday circuit. They were a bunch of film studio execs who wanted something to tide the audience over until they could get the band back together for a sequel. And yet, these novices beat out the vets, vets who played the game without all the equipment and training. Did your research shine any light on that?
I think the difference here is that those shows had, for the most part, a kind of consistent visuals to them that would lessen any confusion. Maybe this version of Scooby Doo doesn’t have Fred or Velma. But for the most part, you know what that franchise is visually and thematically. Same with Looney Tunes.
This was two different properties, really different visually and thematically. Yet, they just happen to have pretty much the same name. In a time when you couldn’t just hop on Google and find out why they share the same name, but are so different, it was very easy to be confused. Especially as a kid of certain age.
I do agree that time in kids programming was like the Wild West of television.
@16:07 Holy crap, that segment had me DYING with laughter. Well done gents.
For me, Linda Gary will always be the voice of Research Director Maura Cassidy of the Arthur C. Clarke Astronomical Observatory (aka "Starlab") in the 1970s sci-fi radio series _Alien Worlds._
12:51
More like "Nutbusters"!
Amiright?
That old WPIX Channel 11 contest!Memory unlocked!
"QUICKLY PULL OUT" HAD ME DYING 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
When I was a kid, my dad's work lead to us moving halfway across country. When we moved into our new house I looked at the tv guide to see when my favorite tv shows were on. I saw Ghostbusters was on daily, I was over excited. So the next day I put it on, and I saw a gorilla instead of Slimmer. I was like "what is this..." I could never get into it.
Dan Larson is my favorite Ghostbuster.
I RAN and clicked on this video so fast! 🏃🏾♀️
I remember looking in the TV guide as a kid seeing Ghostbusters was on at 2 in the morning only to find it was an episode of the live-action being used as filler in the early hours. This was my first introduction to the "other" Ghostbusters.
Dan saying "Because of the p0rn!" had me dying! 🤣🤣 I'm DEFINITELY saving that clip for later...
Your editor was on a roll with this episode
6 year old me was VERY unamused when I saw there was a Ghostbusters cartoon and it was this lol
This is sooo crazy! I remember the two different animated series in the 80's but never ever heard or saw anything about an earlier live action Ghost Busters series. This is wild!
I used to watch both shows when they were on. They were of equal quality.
I did have a tape with a crossover episode on it. It could have been another dubious release with editing two shows together. I recall that the Filmation Ghostbusters are in a castle and they are chained and imprisoned by the ghost. Their only chance of help is to use the phone one of them has stored in their backpack or coat liner. They manage to get their hands on the phone and call one of their relatives... one of The Real Ghostbusters. The real Ghostbusters get to the castle, bust the ghost, and free the Filmation gang. Nobody else remembers this crossover.
I'm with you. I had no idea and thought somebody was gonna get sued. However, I did know about the live action version weirdly because in the 1980's, when everybody was jumping on the tape rental craze, my local Meijer grocery store had put in a tape rental department that had the live action version on VHS.
I still remember the episode with Peter Cullen.
I'm the only person in the world who liked the Filmation Ghost Busters as a kid, and was confused and disappointed when the Murray/Aycroyd/Ramis movie didn't have a gorilla.
Bad guy: "I am Evil Cyborg! You'll never defeat me!"
Ghostbusters: "He's right, we can't defeat him, he's not a ghost!"
Bad guy: "Oh, sorry, I meant to say I'm Evil Ghost Cyborg."
I saw a few episodes of this show when I was a young lad in the 80s. I didn’t care that it was different from the Real Ghostbusters. To me at the time, the more Ghostbusters, the better!
Yup, I was one of the many kids who were confused by this version of The Ghostbusters because I wasn't alive in '75 and never seen the live show. I saw the ad for the cartoon and got excited but then I was disappointed when I saw no Peter Venkman no Slimmer no Stay Puft and no Proton Packs! So I never watched that show again.
But my faith was restored when The REAL Ghostbusters aired and I watched that more regularly.
Fun Fact: "Squeal of Fortune" was also a name of a segment on Sesame Street.
This cartoon was one of Christian Weston Chandler’s favorite Saturday morning cartoons growing up. Yup, the same Christian Weston Chandler who created Sonichu, lashes out at trolls and critics in his vlogs, and later got arrested for….harming his mother.
I'm there with you. I had no clue what was going on when the Ghostbusters came on and instead of Slimer there was a gorilla. I asked my mom and even she wasn't sure.
Here in Brazil this cartoon was called "The ghosts" so we never had this tittle confusion problem
I will die on the hill that I always preferred this Filmation version over any other. As seen in the commercial for the contest it was on at 3:30PM on WPIX in New York, perfect for after school!
OG Ghostbusters! I loved this version almost as much as the "real" version. They have a gorilla, a talking car, and an absolute banger of a theme song!
Several things:
A) LOVE when you do the spooky backgrounds for the best holiday season
2) I absolutely suffered from brand confusion (as did my parents and grandparents come any gift giving occasion) and was rather displeased and dismayed (but NOT UNGRATEFUL) with what was given with love
D) I myself was still in my early years in the 80s, but I distinctly remember watching Entertainment Tonight as a child, mostly because of my mom. Also, I had a huge crush on Mary Hart.
7) I had not heard of the adult film fiasco with the types, but that is indeed hilarious.
I remember my Mom telling me there was a Ghostbusters cartoon about to debut. I was excited. Turned on the TV and had the reaction at 11:01 only maybe without profanity.
I remember not being fooled by the competing Ghostbusters shows, and preferring the movie tie-in show (mostly because, as the video points out, I had no idea the '70s live-action show existed). My brother liked both shows, however, because each one had an interesting company car; having a showy enough vehicle on your program was enough to keep that five-year-old's attention.
I loved both series and I saw the original years later. Ghostbusters is still a timeless classic.
Sorry, hard core what?
Now the real question is will any of the merch we buy contain Porn? :P
Wow, I completely forgot that I tried to enter that contest but I got one of the names wrong. Then The Real Ghostbusters aired a week later and never watched Filmations Ghostbusters ever again.
I remember being like 9 and hearing that Ghostbusters was on in the TV Guide.
Then sitting down and watching it and being totally confused.
I remember owning a VHS tape of the Filmation Ghostbusters cartoon.
Well that escalated quickly... lol
Nice background Dan, well done
I can almost guarantee the gorilla was supposed to be King but Universal sent a lawyer with a piece of paper saying NO in very large font multiple times.
When I was a kid I remember wanting a Ghostbusters(Real) costume for Halloween one year and the only one being available was for the weird one that apparently sold kids porn. I don't know if that version of Ghostbusters ever even aired where I live, I'd never heard of it. It wasn't until much later that I found out what it was thanks to the internet. I still remember that shitty costume and being forced to wear it because "it was close enough".
I used to love this cartoon when I was a kid. I had like four VHS tapes of this
Thanks for clearing that up! The question from my childhood that I, too, had forgotten!
Sony / Columbia can always pick up this property and merge it in with the Ghostbusters property they have. They're already planning multiple universe type movies anyway. This would be a perfect one to use.
This video fits either. It's like Dejavu all over again or Mandela effect. I swear I've seen it before here.
And I remember my grandparents getting me and my brother the filmation toys rather than the "real" Ghostbusters toys.
Still wish they didn't return them and get the regular figures.
The buggy had to have been one of the hands-down, raddest toys of the 80’s.
So named because of….. well….. yeah!!!!!!
I didn't know about Filmation's "The Ghost Busters" until I read about it in a coffee table book *It Came from Bob's Basement* by Tracy actor Bob Burns.
I first learned about this show in an issue of Toyfare. I think they incorrectly named Brad Garrett as the voice of Skelevision.
Minty and Secret Galaxy gives me my fix each week.
I've seen a toy collecting video featuring those Filmation Ghostbuster toys. They are sweet, especially the house and car.
I love this ghostbusters more than the real ghostbusters as a kid 💯
"Being first doesn't always mean being best". Deep Space Nine vis-a-vis Babylon 5 would beg to differ.
I loved this show ❤️
Was just barely old enough to remember watching the live action show on Saturday mornings as a kid, thought it was a false childhood memory until the cartoon came out with the same characters.
I. WAS. THERE. 🤘🤘
When all seems lost, there will be heroes like Tracy the Gorilla. He is my rock. Always.
I still would be interested if a live-action movie of Filmation Ghostbusters was made. Who wouldn't want to see a comedy about two guys and a gorilla battling ghosts? xD
I love Prime Evil as a name for a robot ghost. I'm jealous that I didn't think of it myself. Then again, I was 8 or so
I watched and loved both.
Yeah I was confused and angry when Filmation's Ghostbusters came on. I was like, "What the hell is this? This isn't Ghostbusters! Why does that gorilla have my name? I hate this!" I like The Real Ghostbusters cartoon until it became Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters because I couldn't stand cartoon Slimer.
I'm old enough to have dim memories of watching the live action show on Saturday mornings as a child.
Love this show, very underrated! Catchy theme song with a nice spooky charm!
I actually have no memory of this cartoon in my childhood but I had wondered why The Real Ghostbusters was called “The REAL Ghostbusters”.
Anyone else dying for some sort of crossover?
I guess bustin' made them feel REALLY good! Eh? Eh? "Squeal of Fortune" does sound like a Ghostbusters episode (it would be about a game show with a ghost for a host), so I can understand the confusion.
I would love to see them integrate the Filmation characters into the current Ghostbusters movie. Maybe the Columbia Ghostbusters need to team up with Filmation Ghostbusters when Prime-Evil returns. Obviously Phoebe and Tracy would be bffs and bond over building new equipment.
2:02 I was actually holding a Rubik's Cube when you said that!!!
Ghostbusters movie was definitely worried about lawsuit during production. Thats why Ghost symbol is used plus there are outtakes on youtube of them shooting with alternate names like Ghost Stoppers and Ghost blasters.
If I were a billionaire, I'd make a earnest live action version of this.
I remembered the live action original (The fog isn't the only thing that's dense tonight) when the big name movie came out, and wasn't surprised that they were obviously different things. I was surprised at just how bad Filmation's cartoon was, especially compared to the competition. By that age I was so clearly not the target market, let's put it that way.
Going to be honest my only encounter with Filmations Ghostbusters. Was coming across the VHS video in my local Ritz/Blockbuster. I had no idea what I was looking at.
All I could think was what was, two shows with the same name. How is this possible?
Then with everything else the internet answered that question.
Oh I remember seeing the Filmation show a few times after school. Always figured it was some sort of cash in, since the DIC one had "The Real", and it never impressed me.