Extreme Ghostbusters facts for kids

Extreme Ghostbusters is an American animated TV show. It's a follow-up to the cartoon series The Real Ghostbusters. This show is part of the larger Ghostbusters world. It first aired in 1997 on the BKN TV block. The series features a new, younger team of Ghostbusters. They are led by the original Ghostbuster, Egon Spengler. Sometimes, the show was called Ghostbusters Dark in TV guides.

What the Show is About

The story of Extreme Ghostbusters takes place several years after The Real Ghostbusters. There haven't been many ghosts around, so the original Ghostbusters stopped working. Everyone went their own way, except for Dr. Egon Spengler. He still lives at the old firehouse. Egon keeps an eye on the ghost containment unit. He also takes care of Slimer and teaches a class. His class at a local college is about strange, unexplained things.

When ghosts start appearing again, Egon needs help. He has to ask his only four students to become the new Ghostbusters. The team includes Kylie Griffin, a smart goth girl. She knows a lot about mysterious and supernatural things. Eduardo Rivera is a laid-back and sarcastic Latino student. Garrett Miller is a young white athlete who uses a wheelchair. He is very energetic. Roland Jackson is a serious African-American student. He is a whiz with machines.

The team also includes Janine Melnitz, the old Ghostbusters' secretary. She comes back to help. And of course, Slimer, the hungry ghost, is still around.

The show follows these "Next Generation" Ghostbusters. They hunt and capture ghosts all over New York City. Sometimes, they even go beyond the city. The series is a supernatural comedy, like the one before it. But it has a more modern and slightly darker feel. The opening theme song is a rock/punk version of "Ghostbusters". It was written by Jim Latham and sung by Jim Cummings.

The show often explores how the new team learns to work together. They are very different from each other. Janine still has feelings for Egon, but he doesn't seem to notice. Kylie and Eduardo have a complicated love-hate relationship. The Ghostbusters also often argue with people in charge who don't believe their work.

Meet the Characters

From left to right: Garrett Miller, Slimer, Kylie Griffin, Eduardo Rivera, and Roland Jackson.

• Slimer (voiced by Billy West) – Slimer is mostly the same fun-loving ghost. He looks a bit less cartoony to fit the show's style. In one episode, it's shown he's afraid of broccoli! Slimer means well, but he often gets in the way. He also eats all the time. His actions sometimes cause problems, but he often tries to fix them. He can even use a proton pack. He and Eduardo have a rivalry, like he did with Peter Venkman. But deep down, Eduardo and the others care about him. Slimer has lived with Egon for over ten years. They are closer than in the original show.

• Eduardo Rivera (voiced by Rino Romano) – Eduardo seems lazy and sarcastic. But he is also very determined and reliable. He is an important part of the team. Eduardo is like the original Ghostbuster Peter Venkman. He is sarcastic, likes attractive women, and isn't very scientific. He also reads young-adult horror novels. Eduardo and Kylie have a long love-hate relationship. In one episode, it's clear he has feelings for her. He often saves Kylie from danger, and she saves him too. He once told Kylie that nothing would happen to her "while [he's] around." In "Darkness at Noon," he even admitted he was attracted to her. In "The Unseen," he took the blame for Kylie's mistake. He didn't want her "worst day of her life to get any worse."

In "Rage," Eduardo reveals his older brother, Carlos. Carlos is a police officer. He is upset Eduardo isn't a police officer like their family. Eduardo kept his job as a Ghostbuster a secret. It's also hinted his father is no longer alive. In "Fear Itself," Eduardo is afraid of death. He has a big rivalry with Slimer. But they have worked together and even saved each other. He also argues with Garrett, but they are good friends. Eduardo is smart, even though he acts lazy. He explained how light works in "Eyes of a Dragon." He also destroyed a cursed orb in "The Unseen." He helped destroy a demon in "Casting the Runes." Eduardo sometimes gets jealous when Kylie talks to other guys. He also seemed nervous when asked if he and Kylie were a couple.

• Kylie Griffin (voiced by Tara Charendoff) – Kylie is the only new team member with paranormal knowledge. She knew about ghosts before joining. Her friend Jack was a victim of a monster called the Grundel. Kylie looked up to Egon at first. But soon, they became more like equals. She often acts as the unofficial leader during missions. Kylie is calm, which balances Eduardo's impulsive nature. This is part of their love-hate dynamic. She never says it, but she seems to appreciate Eduardo's feelings. She often gives him a thankful smile when he saves her. She is also the one who usually uses the Ghost Traps. She is shown as a "Goth" girl with black hair and lipstick.

In "Grease," it's revealed her parents are divorced. She lives alone with her cat. She was very close to her grandmother Rose, who died a year before the show. Her interest in the paranormal and goth style might be linked to her grandmother's death. In "Fear Itself," Kylie is afraid of maggots. In "Heart of Darkness," she was "Cheerleader of the Year" in junior high. She finds this embarrassing. She often says, "I'm not a..." when something unexpected happens. It's also hinted she likes older, smart men. Kylie Griffin also appears in the Ghostbusters comic books. She worked in Ray Stantz's book shop before becoming a Ghostbuster in the comics.

• Roland Jackson (voiced by Alfonso Ribeiro) – Roland is the team's mechanic. He is the most sensible and skilled with machines. He helps Egon fix and improve the Proton Packs and the Ecto-1 car. He joined Egon's class after seeing the Ecto-1 at a car show. Roland looks at paranormal things from a practical side. In "Fear Itself," he says his only fear is his equipment breaking down. In "The Infernal Machine," he felt his hard work wasn't appreciated. Roland wants to go to an Ivy League school and become a doctor. He is a calm person and rarely gets angry. Roland was controlled by villains twice. In "Grease," it's revealed he is the oldest in a working-class family. He volunteers for Little League and helps homeless people. In "Grundelesque," we meet his mischievous younger brother. Roland didn't believe his brother was a troublemaker at first. Like Winston from the original team, Roland is the only African American member. He is also good with machines, like Ray.

• Garrett Miller (voiced by Jason Marsden) – Garrett uses a wheelchair, but he has a very athletic attitude. He loves extreme sports and trying crazy stunts. In "Grease," it's revealed Garrett was born unable to walk. He often jokes about his condition. In "Be Careful What You Wish For," he used it as an excuse to give Eduardo some work. He also once tricked two FBI agents into uncuffing him by pretending to be helpless. He is the most enthusiastic new Ghostbuster. He often says he's only in it for the excitement. He was disappointed in "Ghost Apocalyptic Future" to learn he wasn't remembered in the future. He studies to be a physical therapist to help other disabled people. But his secret dream is to be an NBA basketball star.

In "Fear Itself," Garrett is afraid of small, enclosed spaces (claustrophobic). But he never tells anyone. He dislikes people who think disabled people are helpless. He has a rivalry with Eduardo. They constantly tease each other and try to outdo one another. In "Deadliners," we find out Garrett wrote a bad horror story. In his story, the other Ghostbusters died on the first page. Like Ray, Garrett is very enthusiastic. Garrett is the only Ghostbuster in the franchise who never had a toy made. This was likely because it was hard to make a miniature wheelchair for a toy. However, a prototype toy was made. A producer said Garrett was the most popular character in a group of young children. They all wanted to be Garrett because he did crazy things and seemed like the leader.

• Egon Spengler (voiced by Maurice LaMarche) – Egon is the only original Ghostbuster to be a regular in this show. He becomes a mentor for the new team. He still lives in the firehouse with Slimer. This makes the building the Ghostbusters' headquarters again. Before ghosts reappeared, Egon taught classes on paranormal studies. He usually lets the new team handle the field work. He helps them from the firehouse by giving information. But he joins them if the situation is very serious. Besides ghosts, he is also interested in mold. He even grew mold in Eduardo's bathtub when they shared a room. He still has romantic tension with Janine. The official website said he was 41, but in "The Sphinx," he said he was 39.

• Janine Melnitz (voiced by Pat Musick) – Janine was the Ghostbusters' first receptionist. She returns to her job after meeting Egon again. She took his Paranormal 101 class at New York City College. Like Egon, she watches over the new team. Sometimes, she actively helps with ghostbusting. Egon says she also handles the team's money. She clearly likes Egon, but he doesn't seem to notice. This often frustrates her. The official website said she spent ten years trying not to miss Professor Spengler.

How the Show Was Made

The show's creator, Bob Higgins, said the studio wanted a new Ghostbusters show. They hoped to make the popular franchise exciting again. The show was first called Super Ghostbusters in 1996. Early news said Janine would teach history and gather a new team. Egon would be busy with computers.

The creators wanted to put together a team of "misfits." These were people you wouldn't expect to be superheroes.

During production, the character Garrett was originally a girl named Lucy. She was thought to be a bit boring. Producer Jeff Kline suggested putting the character in a wheelchair. Higgins said this made Garrett more interesting to write. He became someone who makes the best of what he has. When Lucy was designed, she had special leg braces and crutches. But producer Richard Raynis asked for a wheelchair instead. The show won an award for its portrayal of Garrett.

Other things changed before the show aired. Egon replaced Janine as the teacher. Slimer lost a goblin sidekick named Gnat. Garrett's original name was "Lucas." Roland was first a clumsy "gentle giant." Eduardo dreamed of being an Olympic athlete. Lucas (Garrett) had a quick temper. Some of these early ideas were still on the show's website.

Many producers and writers from The Real Ghostbusters worked on Extreme Ghostbusters. This made the show a direct sequel to Real. It was one of the few 1980s cartoons to get a direct sequel. Most other shows, like Masters of the Universe, started over with new versions. Extreme Ghostbusters showed a more realistic passage of time. Maurice LaMarche returned to voice Egon Spengler. However, Frank Welker (Slimer) and Laura Summer (Janine) did not return.

The show had more direct connections to Real as it went on. "Slimer's Sacrifice" mentioned Egon entering the Containment Unit in a Real Ghostbusters episode. "Grundelesque" was a direct sequel to "The Grundel" episode. It brought back the villain and showed Kylie lost a friend in the first attack. The two-part finale, "Back in the Saddle," was a big event. It brought back the remaining original Ghostbusters. They teamed up with the new team. Dave Coulier (the second voice of Peter Venkman), Buster Jones (the second voice of Winston Zeddemore), and Frank Welker (the voice of Ray Stantz) all returned to voice their characters.

Episodes

Where and When it Aired

The show first aired in 1997 on the Syndicated BKN block.

In the Republic of Ireland, the show first aired on RTE Two from February 19, 1998, to 1999. It had a short rerun on the same channel in the summer of 2007.

To celebrate the movie Ghostbusters: Afterlife, both The Real Ghostbusters and Extreme Ghostbusters episodes were put on the official Ghostbusters YouTube channel.

DVDs and Other Releases

In 1999, three VHS tapes of the show were released. They are now out of print. You could buy these tapes separately or as a box set. The episodes on the VHS tapes were:

• Volume 1: "Darkness at Noon, Part 1", "Darkness at Noon, Part 2"
• Volume 2: "The Infernal Machine", "Grundelesque"
• Volume 3: "Back in the Saddle, Part 1", "Back in the Saddle, Part 2"

A two-disc DVD set of the series came out in Australia on June 2, 2009. It also came out in the United Kingdom on June 15 of the same year. It was also released in Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. These DVDs had the first thirteen episodes. The UK versions were slightly edited to remove scary scenes.

There are currently no plans to release the series on DVD in the United States.

The series was re-released in the UK on June 27, 2016. It again featured the first 13 episodes.

In January 2021, the episodes were officially uploaded weekly. This was done by the official Ghostbusters YouTube Channel in High Definition.

Toys and Games

The cartoon series led to a line of action figures made by Trendmasters. The toys included Roland, Eduardo, Kylie, and several ghosts. There was also an updated Egon Spengler figure and the Ecto-1 car. Garrett did not have a toy figure released, but a prototype figure was found by collectors. A toy Proton Pack and Ghost Trap were also released.

Website Fun

The original website for the show is still online. It had a Flash tour of the Firehouse. It also had character profiles and descriptions of the ghosts. There was a Flash game too. Some character details on the website never made it into the episodes.

The "Spengler's Spirit Guide" section had journal entries by "Egon." They were about haunted places and how to bust ghosts. Two entries, The Bermuda Triangle and The Jersey Devil, were topics in episodes.

Video Games

Three video games based on the series were made:

• Extreme Ghostbusters for the Game Boy Color
• Extreme Ghostbusters: Code Ecto-1 for Game Boy Advance
• Extreme Ghostbusters: The Ultimate Invasion for the PlayStation

There are also two PC games: Extreme Ghostbusters: Zap The Ghosts! and Extreme Ghostbusters Creativity Centre.

See also

In Spanish: Extreme Ghostbusters para niños