The Ghost Busters facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Ghost Busters |
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Larry Storch, Forrest Tucker and Bob Burns as Spencer, Tracy and Kong
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| Created by | Marc Richards |
| Starring | Forrest Tucker Larry Storch Bob Burns |
| Theme music composer | Diane Hildebrand Jackie Mills |
| Opening theme | "Ghost-Busters" Theme (sung by Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch) |
| Ending theme | "Ghost-Busters" Theme (instrumental) |
| Composer(s) | Yvette Blais Jeff Michael |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 15 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Norm Prescott Lou Scheimer Dick Rosenbloom |
| Producer(s) | Norman Abbott |
| Production location(s) | United States |
| Running time | 31 minutes (including commercials) |
| Production company(s) | Filmation |
| Distributor | NBCUniversal Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | September 6 – December 13, 1975 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Ghostbusters (1986 TV series) |
The Ghost Busters was a funny live-action TV show for kids that aired in 1975. It was a sitcom about three clumsy detectives. Their job was to investigate strange and spooky events. The show made 15 episodes.
This TV series is not connected to the famous 1984 Ghostbusters movie. However, the movie company, Columbia Pictures, did pay the TV show's creators, Filmation, to use the "Ghostbusters" name. Just like the movie, this TV series also got its own animated sequel in 1986.
The show used a lot of slapstick humor. This means there were many silly physical jokes. The characters, both good and evil, were often clumsy. The show also gave a nod to classic movies. For example, the names "Spencer" and "Tracy" came from the actor Spencer Tracy. The name "Kong" was a clear tribute to King Kong.
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Meet the Ghost Busters Team
The team called themselves "The Ghost Busters." They were a group of detectives who were not very good at their job. They tried to solve mysteries about ghosts and other strange things.
- Kong (Forrest Tucker) was the leader of the group.
- Spencer (Larry Storch) was Kong's partner.
- Tracy (Bob Burns) was their assistant. Tracy was a gorilla! He also drove their old, barely working car.
Their office was in a run-down building in a city that was never named. The office itself was old, with peeling wallpaper. The only way they could talk to new clients was using a pay phone near the door.
How They Caught Ghosts
Each episode followed a similar pattern:
- First, a ghost or monster would appear. They would usually have a silly sidekick. This spooky character would promise to cause trouble for someone, the city, or even the whole world!
- After the opening credits, Kong would send Tracy and Spencer to a store. There, they would get their next assignment from someone named "Zero" (Lou Scheimer). Zero was never seen, only heard.
- The message was on a tape recording. It was hidden inside an everyday object, like a bicycle or a toy.
- In a funny tribute to the show Mission: Impossible, the recording would always end with Zero saying, "This message will self-destruct in five seconds." Tracy would count down, and then the message (and often the item it was hidden in) would explode right in Tracy's face!
The Ghost Busters' missions always led them to the same place: a spooky castle with a graveyard next to it. This castle was on the edge of the city. Kong would often point out that it was the only castle nearby. After many funny chases, the ghosts would be trapped. The team would send them back to the spirit world using a "Ghost De-Materializer." Kong would usually shout "Zap!" when he used it.
Spooky Characters They Met
The show often featured ghosts and monsters from popular stories and history. Some of these included:
- Dr. Frankenstein and his monster
- A Mummy
- The Red Baron
- The Canterville Ghost
- Count Dracula
- Billy the Kid
- Belle Starr
- The captain and first mate of the Flying Dutchman
The Main Actors
- Forrest Tucker played Kong
- Larry Storch played Eddie Spencer
- Bob Burns played Tracy (he was credited as the gorilla's "trainer")
- Lou Scheimer was the voice of Zero
The Animated Sequel Series
In 1986, after the Ghostbusters movie became very popular, the TV show got a new life. It was turned into an animated series called Ghostbusters. In this cartoon, Kong and Spencer's sons, Jake and Eddie Jr., took over their fathers' ghost-busting business. Tracy the Gorilla also joined them! Kong's first name was never said in the original show. Spencer's first name, Eddie, was mentioned in the second episode, "Dr. Whatsisname."
Episode Guide
| Nº | Title | Original air date | PC |
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| 1 | "The Maltese Monkey" | September 6, 1975 | TBA |
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The Ghost Busters must stop two bad guys, the Fat Man and the Rabbit. They want to bring back the ghost of gangster Big Al Caesar. He will help them steal the "Maltese Monkey," which holds the stuff dreams are made of.
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| 2 | "Dr. Whatshisname" | September 13, 1975 | TBA |
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Dr. Frankenstein returns! He is looking for the brain of the most easily fooled person in the world to put into his Monster. Guess who fits the bill? Eddie Spencer!
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| 3 | "The Canterville Ghost" | September 20, 1975 | TBA |
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The Ghostbusters need to get rid of a shy ghost, Sir Simon de Canterville, from a haunted house. But they don't know that a criminal named "Mr. C" is also after a valuable diamond worn by Sir Simon.
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| 4 | "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" | September 27, 1975 | TBA |
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A fortune teller named Sophia wants to remove a werewolf curse from Harry Albert. She tries to steal a special amulet that Spencer recently found.
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| 5 | "The Flying Dutchman" | October 4, 1975 | TBA |
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The ghost captain and his helper from the Flying Dutchman ship move into the castle. They are looking for new crew members for their ship. Who might be foolish enough to join them?
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| 6 | "The Dummy's Revenge" | October 11, 1975 | TBA |
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The ghost of a Vaudeville performer and his ventriloquist dummy, Elmo, come back to get even with three old vaudeville actors. The Ghost Busters get mistaken for these actors.
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| 7 | "A Worthless Gauze" | October 18, 1975 | #83007 |
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The Ghost Busters get involved with an Egyptian Queen and her mummy. They are looking for an ape-sorcerer who knows the secret to living forever.
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| 8 | "Which Witch Is Which?" | October 25, 1975 | #83008 |
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A witch's ghost returns to get revenge on a descendant of Edward Spencer. This ancestor caused trouble for witches in old Salem. The witch turns into a beautiful woman to trick Spencer.
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| 9 | "They Went Thataway" | November 1, 1975 | TBA |
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The ghosts of famous outlaws Billy the Kid and Belle Starr are back! They want to gather a new gang of cattle thieves. The Ghost Busters dress up as cowboys to stop them.
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| 10 | "The Vampire's Apprentice" | November 8, 1975 | TBA |
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Count and Countess Dracula return from the dead. They are looking for someone with warm blood. The Ghost Busters might be next!
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| 11 | "Jekyll & Hyde: Together, for the First Time!" | November 15, 1975 | #83011 |
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The ghost of Dr. Jekyll appears, bothered by his clumsy other self, Mr. Hyde. He needs to find someone with no personality to get rid of Hyde forever. Could Spencer be that person?
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| 12 | "Only Ghosts Have Wings" | November 22, 1975 | #83012 |
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The ghosts of the Red Baron and his mechanic return to fix their plane. They want to fight their old enemies, who look a lot like two of the Ghost Busters!
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| 13 | "The Vikings Have Landed" | November 29, 1975 | TBA |
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The ghosts of Erik the Red and Brunhilda return. They want to claim they discovered America before someone else.
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| 14 | "Merlin the Magician" | December 6, 1975 | TBA |
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Merlin the magician and his jester are being chased by their enemy, Morgan le Fay. She wants to trap them in this time. The Ghost Busters help the magician fight the sorceress.
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| 15 | "The Abominable Snowman" | December 13, 1975 | TBA |
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Spencer finds himself in trouble when a doctor is looking for a warm heart to put into the Abominable Snowman. This was the last episode of the series.
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