There's been a resurgence of interest in Ghostbusters lately. It actually pre-dates the release of the new Ghostbusters video game. However, I wonder how many of my more corporeal readers remember the original Ghost Busters.
The television show aired in the seventies courtesy of Filmation. It was a short lived attempt to compete with the Krofft line up of live action children's programming. In all fairness, many of Krofft's shows didn't last very long either.
The Ghost Busters stands apart as a horrible vehicle for a whole lot of talent. Besides a wealth of guest stars, the show's two main characters were played by Forest Tucker and Larry Storch of F-Troop fame. These gentleman worked so well together in other projects, but their chemistry couldn't save The Ghost Busters from an early grave. Not even the career gorilla styling of Bob Burns as Tracy the ape kept Filmation's scripts from arriving cold and ready for the ground.
The humor was decidedly low brow, and it wasn't the first or last time writers underestimated their child audience. In this spectator's humble opinion, Larry Storch carried the show, though without his usual level of energy. Without him, it would not have lasted half a season. True, Mr. Tucker's solo career is more notable, but he did not bring that experience on this outing.
You would think, from my comments so far, that I'd warn those who's clocks are still ticking to save their time. Not at all. Bad writing, inconsistencies, and lame jokes aside, the show still offers laughs and interest for the true fan. I would especially recommend renting the DVD set to anyone born in the late sixties/early seventies. They might remember some of the actors involved, and a little bit of nostalgia can be a great thing. You might just find yourself recalling other Saturday morning shows and those variety programs your parents watched in the evenings.
If nothing else, the theme song alone will scare any unwanted presences away.
