List of The Real Ghostbusters episodes facts for kids

The animated TV show The Real Ghostbusters first aired on ABC on September 13, 1986. It was shown every week until October 5, 1991. After the first season, new episodes also started airing on weekdays through a system called syndication. This meant many more episodes were released quickly.

In 1988, the show changed its name to Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. It became an hour long, with a regular 30-minute episode and a shorter Slimer! cartoon focusing on the character Slimer. In total, 173 episodes were made over seven seasons.

Many DVD sets of the show have been released. Sony Pictures Entertainment put out some DVDs in 2006, but they had random episodes and no extra features. Later, Time-Life released a big 25-disc set with the complete series in 2008. This set was designed to look like the Ghostbusters' firehouse!

Sony also released more DVD sets from 2016 to 2017. However, these sets were not truly complete, as about 20% of the episodes were missing. Some episodes even had their opening titles removed. In 2018, a German company called Turbine released all episodes, including the Slimer! sub-series, on both DVD and Blu-ray, with English and German sound.

Most episodes are arranged in the order they first aired. The adventures from the show were also turned into comic books and video games.

What is The Real Ghostbusters?

The Real Ghostbusters is a cartoon based on the popular 1984 movie Ghostbusters. It follows the adventures of four scientists who catch ghosts in New York City. They are Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Raymond Stantz, Dr. Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddemore. They also have a friendly ghost named Slimer living with them at their firehouse headquarters.

The Ghostbusters Team

The main characters are:

• Peter Venkman: The charming and often sarcastic leader.
• Ray Stantz: The kind-hearted and enthusiastic expert on ghosts and gadgets.
• Egon Spengler: The super-smart scientist who invents all the cool ghost-catching gear.
• Winston Zeddemore: The practical and brave member who helps keep the team grounded.
• Janine Melnitz: Their sharp and sassy secretary who handles calls and keeps things organized.
• Slimer: A green, gooey ghost who loves to eat and often causes funny trouble. He used to be a ghost they caught, but he became their friend.

How the Show Changed

The show ran for seven seasons, but it changed a bit over time.

• Early Seasons: The first few seasons were known for their exciting and sometimes scary ghost stories.
• Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters: In 1988, the show added a new part called Slimer!. These were shorter cartoons focused on Slimer's funny adventures, often involving a scientist named Professor Dweeb trying to catch him. This made the show longer and more focused on comedy for younger viewers.
• Voice Actors: Some of the characters' voices changed during the show's run. For example, Peter Venkman and Janine Melnitz had different voice actors after the first few seasons. Winston Zeddemore's voice actor also changed later on.

Episodes of The Real Ghostbusters

The show had many episodes, each with a new ghost or monster for the team to face. Here are some of the first season's adventures:

Season 1 (1986; ABC Season 1)

• Ghosts R Us: The Ghostbusters catch a ghost family, but Slimer accidentally lets them go! These ghosts then try to put the Ghostbusters out of business.
• Killerwatt: An electric ghost named Killerwatt takes over the power plant, leaving New York City in the dark.
• Mrs. Roger's Neighborhood: A powerful demon disguised as a sweet old lady tries to trick the Ghostbusters and free all the ghosts from their containment unit.
• Slimer, Come Home: After Peter yells at him, Slimer runs away and gets into trouble with some mean poltergeists.
• Troll Bridge: A young troll comes to New York for fun, but his tribe threatens to destroy the city if he isn't returned.
• The Boogieman Cometh: Two kids are scared by the Boogieman, a monster from Egon's own childhood fears. The Ghostbusters must face him in his own scary world.
• Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream: A rogue Sandman makes everyone's dreams come true, but he plans to put the whole world to sleep for 500 years!
• When Halloween Was Forever: Samhain, the spirit of Halloween, escapes and tries to make Halloween last forever by stopping time.
• Look Homeward, Ray: Ray goes to a parade in his hometown, but a jealous rival accidentally unleashes a giant, fire-breathing puma.
• Take Two: A Hollywood studio wants to make a movie about the Ghostbusters, but a ghost who hates noise causes chaos on set.
• Citizen Ghost: Peter tells a reporter how the Ghostbusters dealt with Slimer and faced evil ghostly copies of themselves after defeating Gozer.
• Janine's Genie: Janine finds an old lamp with a genie inside who grants her wishes, but also lets many ghosts into the real world.
• Xmas Marks the Spot: The Ghostbusters accidentally travel back to 19th-century Britain on Christmas Eve and capture the Ghosts of Christmas, changing history!

Season 2 (1987; Syndication)

This season had many more episodes that aired on weekdays. Here are a few examples:

• Knock, Knock: Subway workers accidentally open an ancient door, releasing powerful ghost energy that turns trains into monsters.
• Station Identification: Ghosts create their own TV station to terrorize the city by traveling through televisions.
• Play Them Ragtime Boos: A ghostly trumpet player tries to turn back time with his haunting music.
• Sea Fright: Pirate ghosts rise from the ocean to reclaim their treasure and cause trouble in New York.
• The Spirit of Aunt Lois: Ray's aunt hires a fake psychic, making her house spirits angry.
• Cry Uncle: Egon's uncle thinks ghostbusting is unscientific, but then he accidentally releases the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man!
• Adventures in Slime and Space: Egon's invention makes millions of tiny Slimers, and then turns the original Slimer evil.
• Night Game: Winston discovers an ancient battle between good and evil forces playing out as a baseball game in a stadium.
• Venkman's Ghost Repellers: Peter's dad tries to sell fake ghost repellent, leading to trouble in a mysterious area called the New Jersey Parallelogram.
• The Old College Spirit: Ghosts are framing Peter's old college fraternity, and the Ghostbusters learn the ghosts have a surprising weakness.
• Ain't NASA-Sarily So: The Ghostbusters are called to a space station to deal with a power-sucking ghost.
• Who're You Calling Two-Dimensional?: The Ghostbusters enter a cartoon world to stop a ghost from a legendary animator's studio.
• A Fright at the Opera: The team faces Valkyrie ghosts and the Phantom of the Opera at an opera house.
• Doctor, Doctor: The Ghostbusters get covered in a strange slime that reacts to Slimer, and they must save him from being eaten.
• Ghost Busted: When ghosts are scarce, the Ghostbusters try being "Crimebusters," but they anger a powerful crime boss.
• Beneath These Streets: Ray discovers an ancient pillar holding up Manhattan Island is being attacked by ghosts.
• Boo-Dunit: Characters from a deceased mystery writer's unfinished novel come to life and cause havoc.
• Chicken, He Clucked: A chicken-hating man uses magic to make all chickens disappear, leading the Ghostbusters to another dimension.
• Ragnarok and Roll: A lonely man uses a magical flute to bring about the end of the world, and the Ghostbusters must stop him.
• Don't Forget the Motor City: Gremlins from World War II are messing with a car factory in Detroit.
• Banshee Bake a Cherry Pie?: Peter's favorite rock star turns out to be a banshee whose voice causes chaos.
• Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Ghost: The Ghostbusters help a man whose ghostly uncle is trying to scare away other ghosts.
• Hanging By a Thread: A demon tries to steal the Shears of Fate, which control human lives, forcing the Ghostbusters into the Underworld.
• You Can't Take It With You: A rich man creates a machine to take his fortune to the afterlife, but it opens a doorway for ghosts to invade.
• No One Comes to Lupusville: The Ghostbusters are hired to fight vampires in a secluded village, but discover another secret.
• Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin: The Ghostbusters encounter a shapeshifting creature at a sideshow that causes trouble.
• The Man Who Never Reached Home: Ray gets trapped in a century-old curse, trying to help a ghost who can't reach his home.
• The Collect Call of Cathulhu: The Ghostbusters face a cult trying to bring a powerful ancient god back to Earth.
• Bustman's Holiday: Ray inherits a Scottish castle, but he must get rid of a "keystone" ghost that wakes up ancient warring spirits.
• The Headless Motorcyclist: The Headless Horseman is now a motorcyclist, haunting descendants of Ichabod Crane, and Peter gets framed.
• The Thing in Mrs. Faversham's Attic: The Ghostbusters investigate ghostly noises in an attic and find a demonic spirit.
• Egon on the Rampage: Egon's soul gets swapped with a demon's, and Peter must go to another dimension to get it back.
• Lights! Camera! Haunting!: A movie director uses ghosts for his film, and they want to get rid of the Ghostbusters.
• The Bird of Kildarby: The Ghostbusters must defeat a bird-like monster to prevent a ghost leader from taking over Manhattan.
• Janine Melnitz, Ghostbuster: When the Ghostbusters are captured by a powerful ghost, Janine must rescue them.
• Apocalypse—What, Now?: Peter and Ray accidentally unleash the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from an ancient book.
• Lost and Foundry: A ghost merges with molten steel, turning everyday metal objects into a giant monster.
• Hard Knight's Day: A knight from a tapestry comes to life, and Peter's date looks just like the knight's wife.
• Cold Cash and Hot Water: Peter's dad unearths a powerful fire demon in Alaska, and the Ghostbusters must stop it.
• The Scaring of the Green: The Ghostbusters help a police chief whose family is cursed by a leprechaun, facing a Bog Hound.
• They Call me MISTER Slimer: Slimer becomes a bodyguard for a kid, but bullies hire their own monsters to get back at him.
• Last Train to Oblivion: Peter gets trapped on a train with the ghost of Casey Jones, who is seeking redemption.
• Masquerade: A bullied boy becomes a junior Ghostbuster and helps the team stop a ghostly general.
• Janine's Day Off: Egon visits Janine's relatives, while the others deal with imps and ghosts at the firehouse.
• The Ghostbusters in Paris: The team goes to Paris to stop ghosts released from the Eiffel Tower, which was a giant ghost containment unit.
• The Devil in the Deep: The Ghostbusters face Necksa, the lord of water spirits, who declares war on humans for polluting the seas.
• Ghost Fight at the O.K. Corral: The Ghostbusters visit Tombstone, Arizona, and have a showdown with the spirits of the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday.
• Ghostbuster of the Year: The team tries to catch the ghost of a publishing mogul to win "Ghostbuster of the Year," only to find he just wants his sled.
• Deadcon I: Ghosts hold a convention at a hotel and want the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man to join them.
• The Cabinet of Calamari: A magician's trick sends Peter into another dimension while trying to catch a ghost.
• A Ghost Grows in Brooklyn: A ghost hides in a geranium plant that Janine takes home, and it grows big enough to take over the city.
• The Revenge of Murray the Mantis: The Murray the Mantis balloon becomes haunted, and the Ghostbusters need help from the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
• Rollerghoster: An amusement park's new ride, named Ecto-1, is haunted by animal ghosts.
• I Am the City: A Babylonian god and a multi-headed dragon arrive in New York, and the Ghostbusters get caught in their ancient battle.
• Moaning Stones: Winston gets help from an ancestor to stop an ancient African demon released at a museum.
• The Long, Long, Long, Etc. Goodbye: The spirit of a private detective helps the Ghostbusters capture a cursed ghost guarding an Egyptian treasure.
• Buster the Ghost: A lonely ghost named Buster tries to help the Ghostbusters by gathering other ghosts at the firehouse.
• The Devil to Pay: Winston and Ray go on a game show to win a vacation, but the host is a demon who wants their souls.
• Slimer, Is That You?: Egon and Slimer switch minds, just as an evil ghost wants to test Egon's intelligence.
• Egon's Ghost: One of Egon's inventions makes him slightly out of phase with reality, turning him into a ghost.
• Captain Steel Saves the Day: A comic book superhero escapes his pages and fights crime, but his enemy releases ghosts from the containment unit.
• Lights! Camera! Haunting!: (Repeat episode) A movie director gets ghosts to help out in his project and all they want in return is to finish off the Ghostbusters.
• Egon on the Rampage: (Repeat episode) Egon's soul is swapped with a demon's, and Peter must go to another dimension to retrieve it.
• Station Identification: (Repeat episode) Ghosts with plans for world domination create a TV station as part of their scheme.
• Hanging by a Thread: (Repeat episode) A demon and his minions seek to steal the Shears of Fate, which determine human lives, forcing the Ghostbusters into the Underworld.

Season 3 (1987; ABC Season 2)

• Baby Spookums: A friendly baby ghost wanders into New York, and Slimer tries to look after it, but its parents come looking.
• It's a Jungle Out There: An animal demon gives all animals in New York the ability to talk and act like humans to take over the world.
• The Boogeyman Is Back: Egon's fears bring the Boogeyman back after a dangerous fall.
• Once Upon a Slime: Slimer hides a fairy tale book under Egon's machine, bringing everything in the book to life.
• The Two Faces of Slimer: An ectoplasmic entity makes Slimer mutate into a big, ugly monster in his sleep.
• Sticky Business: The Ghostbusters release Stay Puft for a commercial, but a phantom escapes seeking revenge.
• Halloween II 1/2: Samhain's goblins release him from the containment unit, and he turns the firehouse into his fortress.
• Loathe Thy Neighbor: A family asks the Ghostbusters to investigate weird happenings in their spooky, Addams Family-like mansion.
• The Grundel: A boy asks for help when his brother starts acting strangely due to a creature called the Grundel.
• Big Trouble With Little Slimer: Walter J. Peck returns and tries to have Slimer destroyed, forcing the Ghostbusters to save him.
• The Copycat: The Ghostbusters have to deal with a shapeshifter causing trouble in their own headquarters.
• Transylvanian Homesick Blues: The Ghostbusters go to a castle in Boldavia where giant bats are terrorizing a village.
• Camping It Up: The Ghostbusters go on a camping trip and encounter Bigfoot.

Season 4 (1988; ABC Season 3)

This season is when the show was renamed Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters.

• The Joke's on Ray: Ray and Slimer's jokes get out of hand when a magical box releases two imps who play deadly pranks.
• Flip Side: Peter, Egon, and Ray are transported to another dimension called Boo York, where they face ghostly "Peoplebusters."
• Poultrygeist: The team encounters a giant were-chicken egg, and when it hatches, Egon gets bitten and starts to change.
• Standing Room Only: Peter invents a ghost attractor, but it turns out ghosts are fleeing from a ghost-eating entity called Mee-Krah.
• Robo-Buster: Janine's rich boyfriend builds a ghost-catching robot that seems to destroy ghosts, but it's actually making them into one giant ghost.
• Short Stuff: The Ghostmaster sends bounty hunters, and one shrinks the Ghostbusters down to tiny size.
• Follow That Hearse: An angry ghost takes over Ecto-1, turning it into a runaway haunted car.
• The Brooklyn Triangle: Things are disappearing, and Winston and his dad fall into a hole leading to the Land of Lost Objects.

Season 5 (1989; ABC Season 4)

This season takes place after the events of the Ghostbusters II movie. Janine has a new look and is dating Louis Tully.

• Transcendental Tourists: A family of vacationing ghosts tries to get rid of anyone interrupting their peace.
• Something's Going Around: Peter gets sick from potato chips that make people allergic to ghosts, and the doctor who gave them the chips is a ghost.
• Trading Faces: A bad lookalike of Slimer sends Louis and the real Slimer to the Ghost World.
• Elementary My Dear Winston: The ghostly Sherlock Holmes and Watson arrive in New York, and Winston helps Holmes find Professor Moriarty.
• Slimer's Curse: Slimer wins the lottery, but his winnings are cursed.
• Partners in Slime: A ghost named Poso kidnaps Janine and Louis, forcing the Ghostbusters to get help from another ghost.
• Til Death Do Us Part: The Ghostbusters get a temporary secretary who turns out to be a ghost who wants to marry Egon.
• Three Men and an Egon: A confrontation with a clock monster makes Egon younger and younger, and he might disappear forever.
• Kitty-Cornered: Slimer finds a cat that can make all his dreams come true.
• If I Were a Witch Man: The Ghostbusters are called to stop a witch who wants revenge on the descendants of those who imprisoned her, including Egon.
• It's About Time: The firehouse is about to be torn down, and the Ghostbusters are sent back to 1959 by a trap accident.
• The Halloween Door: A group tries to end Halloween by breaking a seal, which opens the real world to many ghosts.
• Jailbusters: The Ghostbusters are tricked and captured by ghosts, who put them on trial for crimes against ghosts.
• Surely You Joust: The Ghostbusters get involved with knights and dragons to free a captured Janine.
• Future Tense: The Ghostbusters get a new TV that shows Ray visions of their future, including their deaths.
• Venk-Man!: Peter gets hit by Egon's experimental ray and becomes a muscular superhero, but it won't last.
• Loose Screws: Slimer breaks a trap, and its leaking essence makes inanimate objects come to life.
• The Ghostbusters! Live, from Al Capone's Tomb!: The Ghostbusters are on live TV at Al Capone's tomb when they are transported to the other side.
• Revenge of the Ghostmaster: The Ghostmaster returns and casts a spell that shuts off all electronic equipment near the Ghostbusters.
• Slimer Streak: Stuck on a train, the Ghostbusters have to play games to bring it to a halt.
• The Ransom of Greenspud: A trio of ghosts kidnaps Slimer and demands the Ghostbusters free another ghost.

Season 6 (1990; ABC Season 5)

• Janine, You've Changed: The Ghostbusters realize Janine has changed a lot, and a supernatural fairy godmother is the cause.
• You Can't Teach an Old Demon New Tricks: A cabinet sends the Ghostbusters to another dimension where a demon wants to learn magic tricks.
• The Haunting of Heck House: The Ghostbusters have a chance to earn a lot of money if they can stay one night in a haunted house without their proton packs.
• Ghostworld: A ghost uses an amusement park called Ghost World to gain control over the Ghostbusters.
• Mean Green Teen Machine: The Ghostbusters are invaded by surfing, pizza-loving ghosts who try to trap them in their dreams.
• Spacebusters: Winston gets to go to a space station, but a nasty ghost is absorbing life force there.
• My Left Fang: The Ghostbusters arrive in a German town and are asked to save ghosts from a creature that feeds on them.
• Russian About: In Russia, the Ghostbusters face a cult trying to awaken an ancient powerful creature.
• The Slob: Professor Dweeb teams up with a ghost called the Glob to catch Slimer.
• Deja Boo: Professor Dweeb uses a machine to watch Slimer's past adventures with the Ghostbusters.
• Afterlife in the Fast Lane: The Ghostbusters and Slimer compete in a race for charity, but a ghost tricks them into entering the Netherworld.
• Guess What's Coming to Dinner: The Ghostbusters return from vacation to find a ghost family has moved into their firehouse.
• Stay Tooned: A cartoon character comes to life from the TV, and his antics become dangerous.
• Very Beast Friends: Ancient Sumerian gods possess Peter and Ray, making them argue and mutate into powerful beings.
• Busters in Toyland: Louis buys his nephew toys possessed by ghosts, who take the boy to Toyland.
• The Magnificent Five: The Ghostbusters have a ghostly showdown with the outlaw Black Bart in a Texan town.

Season 7 (1991; ABC Season 6)

• The Treasure of Sierra Tamale: Peter's dad returns with a plan to find treasure in Mexico, and Ray and Slimer join him.
• Not Now, Slimer!: Slimer has to deal with Professor Dweeb by himself, while the Ghostbusters face a squid ghost created by angry ghosts.
• Attack of the B-Movie Monsters: The Ghostbusters and Slimer go to Tokyo to battle ghosts that look like Japanese movie monsters.
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Street: New York suffers an earthquake, and Peter is taken underground by giant insects to meet their master, an Egyptian god.

Slimer! sub-series (1988)

These are shorter cartoons that aired alongside The Real Ghostbusters episodes.

• Slimer for Hire: Slimer tries working at a cafe and walking dogs, but Professor Dweeb is always trying to catch him.
• Cruisin' for a Bruisin': Mr. Grout hires Bruiser to keep Fred in his hotel room, but Slimer tries to outsmart Bruiser.
• Nothing to Sneeze At: With the Ghostbusters sick, Slimer is in charge of the firehouse and must deal with a hungry cat.
• A Mouse in the House: The cat, Manx, chases a mouse, causing chaos, and Slimer gets blamed.
• Cash or Slime: Slimer goes to a department store to buy a gift, but he has to deal with a security guard dog.
• Doctor Dweeb, I Presume: Slimer goes to the doctor's with Janine and tries to avoid Professor Dweeb in the hospital.
• Quickslimer Messenger Service: Slimer takes a job as a messenger, but Professor Dweeb sets traps for him.
• Pigeon-Cooped: Slimer teaches a pigeon to fly while trying to keep it away from Manx.
• Go-Pher It: Slimer tries to do some gardening but has to deal with a gopher that loves tulips.
• Scareface: Ghosts are partying, but two gangster ghosts appear, and Slimer tries to pretend to be their boss.
• Sticky Fingers: Slimer tries to wallpaper the kitchen, but Dweeb and Elizabeth try to stop him.
• Don't Tease the Sleaze: Slimer accidentally lets a foul-smelling ghost out of the containment unit and tries to get it back.
• Room at the Top: Slimer wants quiet to read his comic book, so he builds a shack on the roof, but Manx complicates things.
• Tea But Not Sympathy: Manx fakes being sick, and Slimer has to babysit him as he causes trouble.
• Special Delivery: Luigi asks Slimer to deliver food for a party, but Manx wants the food.
• Out with Grout: Slimer and Bud try to get Mr. Grout a new job to stop him from bossing them around.
• Dr. Strangedog: Slimer overhears a mad scientist dog planning to turn humans into dog servants.
• The Dirty Half-Dozen: Two gangster ghosts return for revenge on Slimer, putting the Ghostbusters to sleep.
• Movie Madness: Slimer helps clean a movie theater to get into a monster movie for free, but Professor Dweeb is there.
• Slimer's Silly Symphony: Egon gives Slimer a conductor's baton, inspiring him to start his own symphony.
• Little Green Sliming Hood: Peter reads Slimer the story of Little Red Riding Hood, and Slimer imagines himself in the story.
• Monkey See, Monkey Don't: Slimer has a funny encounter with the police.
• Beach Blanket Bruiser: Bruiser tries to stop Slimer from sneaking onto the beach.
• Class Clown: Slimer helps Donald by bringing scripts to his school, avoiding the tough guard.
• Dog Days: Slimer helps Fred pass obedience school.
• Up Close and Too Personal: Slimer uses his video camera to film Manx, leading to Manx's revenge.
• Sweet Revenge: Professor Dweeb dresses as Slimer for Halloween and has to deal with Slimer's chores and ghosts.
• Rainy Day Slimer: Since it's raining, Slimer draws pictures of an amusement park and pretends to visit it.
• Slimer & the Beanstalk: Peter reads Slimer the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, and Slimer imagines himself and his friends in it.
• Space Case: Slimer gives a vacationing space alien a tour of the city.
• Show Dog Showdown: Slimer and Fred enter a dog show to win food, competing against Dweeb and Elizabeth.
• The Not-So-Great Outdoors: While camping, Slimer and Chilly encounter mischievous rabbits.
• Unidentified Sliming Object: Two spacemen mistake Slimer for a typical Earthling and take him to their home.

DVD Releases

Over the years, many DVD sets of The Real Ghostbusters have been released.

• Early Releases (2006): Sony Pictures Entertainment released some DVDs with random episodes. These didn't have many special features.
• The Complete Collection (2008): Time-Life released a big box set with all 140 episodes. This was a fan-favorite because the box looked like the Ghostbusters' firehouse!
• Later Sony Releases (2016-2017): Sony released more individual DVD volumes. However, these sets were not complete, missing about 29 episodes and the entire Slimer! sub-series. Some episodes even had their original opening titles removed.
• German Release (2018): A German company called Turbine released a complete collection on both DVD and Blu-ray, including all Slimer! episodes and both English and German audio.

Images for kids

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  The Real Ghostbusters Complete Collection DVD box set, released in North America by Time-Life on November 15, 2008.