In the five - year interruption between 1984’sGhostbustersand 1989’sGhostbusters II , the supernatural clowning franchise found a raw home in animation . The DiC productionThe Real Ghostbusters , which aired from 1986 to 1991 , trace the continuing adventure of Peter Venkman , Ray Stantz , Egon Spengler , and Winston Zeddemore , a quartet of touch - trapper assist by their secretary , Janine , and a friendly green blob of protoplasm call Slimer . For more on the show — including why it postulate that curious “ real ” adjective in the title and which original moving-picture show cast appendage got release down for a voiceover role — suss out out these proton fact .
1. A legal dispute put the “real” inThe Real Ghostbusters.
WhenGhostbustersdebuted in 1984 , some moviegoers may have think it sounded a little familiar . In the seventies , the vitality company Filmationproduceda live - action series calledGhost Bustersabout a squad of paranormal tec and their Gorilla gorilla sidekick . ( It endure for one time of year in 1975 . ) When Filmation president Lou ScheimerconfrontedColumbia Pictures about the deed of conveyance and premise similarities , the studio record into an understanding that paid Filmation for use of the name .
by and by , Filmationdecidedto produce an animated version of theirGhost buster , which they were well within their legal right to do . to maintain control of the audience ’s perceptual experience of the feature dealership , Columbia go after their own labor with the DiC animation companionship . They style itThe Real Ghostbustersas a means to specialise it from the Filmation edition , a move that minimized — but probably never eliminated — consultation confusion .
2. The show turned down Ernie Hudson.
It may sound like an urban legend , but it ’s unluckily true . Hudson , who play everyman Ghostbuster Winston Zeddemore in both characteristic films , waswillingto recapitulate his part for the animated series and was expect to audition for the show ’s director as a formalness . In 2012 , Hudson told The A.V. Club that when he showed up for the reading , the film director tell him that the functioning “ was all ill-timed ” because “ that ’s not how Ernie Hudson did it in the movie . ” The man was obviously unaware he was speak to Hudson . The producers never called him back and the role end up going to Arsenio Hall .
3. Network executives were concerned Janine’s glasses might scare children.
accord to author J. Michael Straczynski , the creative team behindThe Real Ghostbusterswas largely left to go after their own looping of the storey in the first season with only minimum net interference from ABC . But by time of year 2 , executive started to interest over some apparently trivial details , motivated in part by their working relationship with the inquiry confabulate house Q5 Corporation : Q5monitoredchildren ’s programming and offer hypnotism to make show more appealing to puerile audiences . Straczynskirecalledthat there was a fairish amount of controversy over the design of Janine ( played by Annie Potts in the films ) , whose eyeglasses appeared to be too pointy for their comfort .
" Well , Janine has these knifelike chalk and kid are frightened by sharp object , so get ’s make them round , " one executive said . They also want Janine to be less confrontational and more of a female parent figure to the mathematical group . Fed up with the mandate , Straczynski left the series .
4. The show almost canned Ray Stantz.
In addition to press out vexation over Janine , ABC had other suggestions for changes in the serial . Q5 recommend the show write out the character reference of Ray Stantz , played by Dan Aykroyd in the film , because he did n’t appear to function any benefit to the program in their metrics . The showrunners laughed off the suggestion .
5. The Egon actor was told not to do a Harold Ramis impression but got the job anyway.
Veteran voiceover actor Maurice LaMarche was one of several performer to try out for the series . When he arrived , he wastoldby producer Michael C. Gross not to essay and impersonate Harold Ramis , who played Spengler in the film . LaMarche could n’t cerebrate of another overture and wound up approximate Ramis in his tryout . He left , thinking he ’d bombed . But he was engage for the character after Gross told him they plausibly need at least one actor to sound like someone from the motion-picture show .
6. The voice of Peter Venkman got replaced for not sounding enough like Bill Murray.
Despite the game design to keep the cartoon voices separate from the feature article film worker , there were continued concerns that the show ’s performing artist were n’t enough like their movie counterparts . Voiceover thespian Lorenzo Music , better have it away as the voice of Garfield , was substitute midway through the show ’s ladder when Bill Murraycommentedto film director Ivan Reitman that Music did n’t sound anything like him . Murray was n’t look to get Music replaced , but the edict came down regardless : Full Housestar Dave Coulier stepped in as Venkman .
7. It was retitledSlimer! and the Real Ghostbusters.
Owing to the popularity of brother Slimer , the green ghoul who swan the fire station that double as Ghostbusters military headquarters , the show wasrenamedSlimer ! and the Real Ghostbustersin 1988 . A Ralstoncerealof the same name followed in 1990 .
8. There was a spin-off.
The Real Ghostbustersstopped product in 1991 , two year afterGhostbusters IIleft theaters . With a third movie ostensibly grounded , Columbia decide to try and keep the dealership ’s fortunes fall withExtreme Ghostbusters , a 40 - installment series that was a direct continuance of the first animated series . InExtreme Ghostbusters , Egonleadsa new team of investigators — mostly other twentysomethings — with backing from Janine and Slimer . The original Ghostbusters make appearances in the two - part finale .
The serial is also famed for including anodto theHellraiserfilm franchise , a decidedly non - kid well-disposed conception , in the “ Deadliners ” episode . Some of the champion are design in court to the Cenobites seen in the 1987Hellraiserfilm and its sequels .
