DVD REVIEW: THE GHOST BUSTERS

Shane | 5 October 2016 | Reply

DVD REVIEW: THE GHOST BUSTERS
Shock Entertainment
July 2016
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
7 /10

Not to be confused with the ‘80s movie or its recent remake, The Ghost Busters was a live action children’s series from 1975 which put Larry Storch and Forrest Tucker together in an attempt to rekindle their comedic chemistry from the long-running F-Troop.

Storch and Tucker play Spencer and Kong, who alongside gorilla sidekick Tracy (Bob Burns) bumble through private investigator cases involving the paranormal, including such characters as Dr Frankenstein and his monster, the Captain of The Flying Dutchman, The Red Baron, vampires and mummys.

The Ghost Busters is decidedly low budget and there is a certain amount of bumbling around not just in the script. That said, it’s got a cult charm to it, and the slapstick fooling around provides plenty of laughs.

Additional appearances from guest stars Bernie Kopell (Get Smart, The Love Boat), Ted Knight (Mary Tyler Moore Show, Caddyshack), Lenny Weinrib (H R Pufnstuf), Ann Morgan Guilbert (The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Nanny), Ji Backus (Gilligan’s Island) and more provide an extra edge of ‘where do I know that face from’ for the viewer.

Apparently the show rated well enough to warrant a second series, but Filmation production company decided to put the money behind another, higher rating show. It later spawned an animated reboot in 1986, probably riding off the success of the 1984 Dan Ackroyd/Harold Ramis film by Columbia Pictures (who incidentally paid Filmation for licence to use the name).