The Final Episode #83: Ghostbusters (Filmation) (1986)

 

Several months ago, like when this blog was brand spanking new, I had a series of blog posts where I would review TV shows. I don't do that anymore because it's kinda pointless as the Final Episode is also kind of a review of the tv series overall. I do actually plan to bring that back to discuss some VERY short lived shows or stuff I cannot find the Final Episode of. I'm mentioning this too you because I asked for recommendations of shows to review. I got a few from a SWELL FELLOW NAMED DAMIEN. I don't think I ever did any of his recommendations because I'm an asshole. I realized I wanted to keep this one for the Really Cool, Super Great, Awesome as fuck, SCARIEST THING YOU'LL EVER SEE, Halloween Spectacular. Cuz it had ghosts and stuff in it. It didn't take a lot to get on my hey I could do this for Halloween list. The other reason is if I don't do what the people want AS SOON AS POSSIBLE my brain will then decide that I have to discuss something else like Babar the Elephant and it will stick in my brain for a very long time. 

Now it's time to discuss information that you all know ab out this show. This was Filmation's (you know Fat Albert, He-Man, She-Ra, BraveStarr) Ghostbusters series that they put out after the movie was such a hit. Filmation could do this because they had a live action tv series called Ghostbusters in the 1970s. It was actually somewhat successful for Filmation. They just didn't do a second series because they only had enough money for a second series of either Ghost Busters or Shazam. Anyway they still had the rights for the name and it caused a big old kerfuffle. Filmation got some money and yet still went out of business only a few years later. Anyway, they decided that it was time to ape the other Ghostbusters series called The Real Ghostbusters, so the kids can know that those are the ones from the movie they probably shouldn't have been able to see (it was like rated R wasn't it?) although to be fair the Filmation Ghostbusters are the REAL Ghostbusters as they got their first, but are they the BEST Ghostbusters?

This show had the sons of the Ghostbusters from the original series and the gorilla (yes a gorilla was a ghost buster in the original series) teaming up with a reporter lady, a future lady and a car that could talk and also change into a plane fight Prime Evil (who was a robot skeleton in a cool robe and yes he was voiced by Alan Oppenheimer who also voiced Skeletor. He was also the voice for Alistar Crane in Passions. I will take every chance I can to mention Passions.) The show ran for 65 days from September 8th to December 5th, 1986. That's no joke only 5 days before the Real Ghostbusters series. It's the reason this one is getting done first. The show was distributed by Tribune Distribution. The same company that distributed Geraldo, T&T, and Soul Train. When someone goes off about how the past only had the most intelligent and series fare for us to watch, bring up Soul Train. It was a show about black people dancing that literally lasted for three and a half decades. And yes the only reason I brought up the distribution company was so that I could make that sad attempt at a joke.

The Final Episode of Filmation's Ghostbusters aired on December 5th and was entitled "The Way You Are" and was directed by someone named Rich Trueblood. I bet he's a vampire. It was written by J. Larry Carroll who wrote a movie for Charles Band AND Tourist Trap alongside like 9,000 cartoon episodes. He is my new favorite person. Sorry Rich Trueblood. Anyway the episode starts out with Eddie, Jake and Tracy trying to catch a sexy lady ghost. This ghosts name is apparently Apparitia. She makes me feel things in my underwear. Uh She was voiced by Linda Gary who voiced a lot of characters from Filmation shows. She's joined by Fib Face who was voiced by Lou Scheimer. You know one of the dudes that ran the studio. Eddie fucks up and causes them to land in a chasm but Jake literally pulls out a damn gun and shoots fuckin bubble gum at these ghosts. You'd think the Gum would go right through them but I'm clearly overthinking a children's television show from three and a half decades ago. Uh, the two of them get gummed and frozen. Sending them back to Hauntquarters (what a cool name).

Back at Hauntquarters Prime Evil has a freak out because he wants the Ghostbusters destroyed. A weird looking skeleton man with a fucking monocle comes in and says OLD CHAP I DO SAY I WILL DESTROY THEM GHOSTBUSTERS FOR YOU. actually he doesn't say that but I do believe everyone with a monocle should be British. That's why the monopoly man does not have one. He's a true blue blooded AMERICAN DAMNIT!  Anyway he asks to use Castle Blackstone to do the destroying. He knows that there's a Wizard at that castle. The Should Be British Skeleton goes off and Prime Evil and Brat-A-Rat (a weird lizard rat creature) is sent to go after him. Prime Evil doesn't believe in no wizard but he wants to make sure. 

Eddie looks over Ghost Command while the gang goes off to see a movie. It's apparently a movie that Eddie enjoyed. Anyway just after they leave The Should Be British Skeleton just calls up fuckin Eddie and gets his dumb ass to go to Castle Blackstone. Doesn't even call the other Ghostbusters. Of course he gets there and is turned into a fucking icicle. The other Ghostbusters come back from the movie and THEY go to Castle Blackstone just to get turned into icicles too. Fucking PRIME EVIL shows up and pretty much fucks up the Should Be British Skeleton after he messes with Brat A Rat. I don't know why he even bothered to send Brat A Rat if he was gonna show up too. Prime Evil is a weirdo. He is very happy that the Ghostbusters are in bad shape but he realizes that Eddie has escaped.

Prime Evil sends for ALL the Ghosts that show up in this show. I like the scared skeleton and the totally cool werewolf with the best name ever FANGSTER. Eddie finds the Wizard who apparently just lives in a painting that goes to a entire different world. I don't know why the Wizard even keeps Castle Blackstone around. I guess it's because Castle Blackstone is too cool looking to get rid off. Eddie wants to become a superhero and after trying to get him to realize that it's okay to make mistakes and your friends will still care about you the Wizard turns him into a superhero. Super Eddie then goes around kicking the fucking SHIT out of everything. They get stuck and are about to be squished by the old walls moving in between each other like every cartoon ever made. Anyway Super Eddie pretty much pushes the wall back so hard that it knocks the ghosts out. They were pulling some kind of pully system to get the wall to squish the guys. Prime Evil has everyone run like babies.

Jake, Tracy and the Lady Reporter all freak out about where Eddie is and Eddie realizes that he has to become Eddie again. He runs off to the wizard. The episode ends and we get our little moral PSA that ended like a shit ton of 80s cartoons. This one talks about being yourself even if yourself is a big dumb idiot who always fucks shit up. Just own being that big dumb idiot that always fucks shit up. The episode ends.

FINAL VERDICT: I had a really good time watching this show. Filmation shows have a weird charm to them that I can't help but enjoy. I don't know if it's the voice acting (which is top notch) or the weird backgrounds (Castle Blackstone is really fucking cool looking). I don't know if this will top the Real Ghostbusters Final Episode but it's still a worthy Final showing for a fun cartoon.