DefunctTV: The History of the Original Ghost Busters
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In this extra spooky Halloween episode of DefunctTV, Kevin takes a look at the original Ghost Busters sitcom created by Filmation, predating the popular 1984 comedy.
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Danse Macabre – Light Dance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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@bouncehoper
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
I DEFINITELY remember both cartoons from my childhood (born in '84) and never saw the 70s show. Honestly, I think at one point I reasoned they were two different teams from the same base. LOL.
@reddragonlegacy
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
Not sure why this is the video that this thought came to me on, but you should totally do "WMAC Masters". It was a campy "martial arts" show. Think American Gladiators meets sort of Power Rangers? Rounds of combat took place in rides and shows all over Universal Florida. Like Earthquake (aka Disaster! A Major Motion Picture right…Starring you!), the Wild West Stunt Show, and I think the main area by the "World Sphere"? I gotta go back and rewatch it now.
@admiral_m_10k35
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
smh smh another reason to dislike "the real" ghostbusters
@ellepalmer
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
4:58 I hope someone else got fired that day…
@laurenmp7486
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
Filmation was also notable for having writers and animators who were openly gay, at a time when that would get you fired elsewhere. That was down to Scheimer just not caring if someone was openly gay and also knowing these were people who might not have opportunities elsewhere and he thought that was BS. And fun trivia, Lou Scheimer went to art school with Andy Warhol.
@BuckarooBanzai84
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
1:24 I’m sorry, but after all these years, I HAVE to say something; the proper syntax is “had WRITTEN”. 🙂↕️
@goORIOLES236
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
Gotta respect the fact that it looks like a public access show.
@allirogorilla
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
Rick Baker designed the "Tracy" gorilla head.
@JonatasAdoM
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
I had the theme of Ghostbuster's playing in my head as you were talking about it.
@JonatasAdoM
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
So this was during the age of the Gorilla DC craze wasn't it.
@AllenHansford-xz3mv
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
I think I remember that TV show 😺😺😺😺😺😺😺😺😺😺🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@AllenHansford-xz3mv
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😢😢😢😢😢😢🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@Willowthewanderer
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
I remember watching this as a child. Honestly, it was formative of a lot of my sense of humor.
@nicolasbecerra6601
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
How haven't I seen this already?
@rosskwolfe
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
0:26 – "Alumni" is a plural. Dan would be an "alumnus".
@some_antics
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
"The peak of physical comedy, it seamed, could be easily reached with a man in a gorilla suit." Man, what a line. 😂
@theghsgang
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
I Prefer Watching Rankin/Bass/Larry Kenney Shows than for Filmation's Shows
@babyeinsteinremakemasters-7622
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
Also, there was an episode of Dino Dan that parodied Ghostbusters, and they even rewrote the Ghostbusters theme into a dinosaur version. 😂 🦖
@FL0ra_favvn
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
I think we should remake Ghostbusters (1984) where everything is exactly the same except there's a fifth Ghostbuster who's Tracy the gorilla
@SouthernBelleReviews
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
Wow this is cool history we never talk about! How did you even learn about this? Thank you! 👻
@ThompsonSteamtrain
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
Rename this video as the history of Filmation.
@ronaldbrasseur9327
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
I loved that show (original live action).I remember watching as a young tike
@AbbaKovner-gg9zp
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
My kid sister maintains to this day that the Filmation version is the superior cartoon.
@Pennyswizzle13
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
Idk why i never googled this but i swear that Ghostbusters was some fever dream shit i saw as a child. I remember knowing the Ghostbusters movie characters and that cartoon just threw me off. It's been a distant memory and i thought they were some side characters to the real Ghostbusters cartoon or something
@cepininja1927
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
2:45 filmation ❤️❤️❤️
@hiroprotagonest
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
I've seen the Ghostbusters cartoon on a channel that aired a lot of Filmation reruns, but I thought that was a copycat trying to take advantage of a "Ghostbusters vs Ghost Busters" technicality. The original license holder, interesting! I think I would have liked the live-action show more. There's something about a live-action gorilla wearing silly hats that's just so good.
@Gossamer24
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
I had never heard of this series but it's fascinating how that copyright/name issue went down, I had no idea.
@jotun_616
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
Wow. Turned down for the name, used it anyway. Turned down by huey lewis, stole his song smh. What a buncha shitbags
@Kylelikesguitars
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
I found the original cartoon as a kid and I actually liked it more than the real ghost busters show
@Rydonatello
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
I believed for most my life that I had imagined/ dreamed this show. .My mother must have gotten me a VHS tape of this thinking it was the Ghostbusters we all know. I would have been between 2 and 5 at this time. It was only about 8 years ago that I discovered about all this. I never asked anyone about it growing up because it was such a bizarre thing to explain.
@daviddyer3543
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
Belushi should have had PEPSI instead of Coke….
@slappy0077
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
all the "ghosts" were metaphors for the anti-Semites that Dick Rosenbloom worked with in Beverly Hills Oy Vey!
@christopherwesterberg8555
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
@mikesavad
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
That sitcom looked dumb. But I do remember that cartoon with the ape, and was always confused how and why it was called ghostbusters when it had nothing to do with the ghost busters or why the other one called themselves the real one.
@ianwalker1966
April 11, 2026 at 4:51 am
I really used to enjoy watching this as a kid in the 70's in the UK. I remember getting a bit confused when the film was released as I expected it to feature the original TV cast. I've just started re-watching episodes with my wife who doesn't remember it being a few years younger than me as they can all be found here on YouTube. Really enjoying them again as daft as the storylines are. I like how Tracy the Gorilla keeps changing his hat and outfits to fit the story 😂