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'''Extreme Ghostbusters''' is an animated television series and sequel/spin-off of the animated series ''The Real Ghostbusters'', which in turn is a spin-off from the live-action comedy film ''Ghostbusters''. The series originally aired in the fall of 1997, and features a team of younger university-level Ghostbusters who are led by veteran Ghostbuster Egon Spengler. The premise is similar to the plot of ''Ghostbusters II''.

Contents

Premise

Production

Criticism

Video games

Home video

Cast

Characters

Episodes

References to other ''Ghostbusters'' incarnations

References to real places in New York

References to pop culture

External links

Premise

Set years after the end of ''The Real Ghostbusters'', lack of supernatural activity has put the Ghostbusters out of business. Each member has gone their separate way, except for 'Dr. Egon Spenger', who still lives in the Firehouse to monitor the containment unit, further his studies and teach a class on the paranormal at a local university. When ghosts start to reappear, Egon is forced to recruit his lone four students as the new Ghostbusters. The new Ghostbusters are 'Kylie Griffin', a girl genius and expert on the occult, 'Eduardo Rivera', a hip, cynical Latino slacker, 'Garrett Miller', a wheelchair-bound young athlete, and 'Roland Jackson', a studious machinery whiz. Filling the cast are 'Janine Melnitz', the Ghostbusters' previous secretary who returns to the job, and 'Slimer', a hungry ghost and general comic relief.
The series follows the adventures of the "Next Generation" of Ghostbusters tracking down and capturing ghosts all over New York and occasionally beyond the city. The series is styled as a supernatural comedy, following the trend set by its predecessor, but given an updated feel. This is reflected by the use of a gritty, rock/funk-inspired variation of Ray Parker Jr.'s song "Ghostbusters" as the opening theme.
Perhaps the most notable episode of the series is the two-part episode "Back in the Saddle", in which the three original Ghostbusters briefly return to team up with their successors. Dave Coulier (the voice of Peter Venkman), Buster Jones (the voice of Winston Zeddemore), and Frank Welker (the voice of Ray Stantz and originally Slimer) reprised their roles from ''The Real Ghostbusters''.

Production

Everything familiar to the previous series needed to be retooled design-wise as the character likenesses were owned by Columbia Pictures Television. That meant a new Ecto-1, different looks for Egon, Slimer, and Janine, and all-new background layouts consistent through Sony cartoons at the time.

Criticism

Some ''Ghostbusters'' fans often criticize the show for its new graphic style and also for abruptly replacing the original Ghostbusters with a new team. Other detractors of Extreme Ghostbusters have criticized the show for "pushing political correctness" due to how diverse the new team members were (though The Real Ghostbusters, much like Extreme Ghostbusters, had a black member in there as well).
However, the series was quite clear in its point that the original team had gotten older. None of them presented were on the same physical level they were shown to be in ''Real Ghostbusters'', partly through age and partly through quitting their jobs and lacking the proper exercise. Egon turned 40 during the series. Going by this series timeline, he would have been in his late twenties when ''Real Ghostbusters'' began, with the rest of the Ghostbusters being considerably older than the main characters of most other 1980s cartoons. The show was also the only direct sequel to a 1980s cartoon series and as such, opted for a realistic passage of time. Other franchises, such as Transformers, He-Man, and even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles opted for series relaunches rather than sequels.

Video games

Three video games based on the series were also created, two for the Game Boy Advance, and one for the PlayStation.

Home video

In 1998, three VHS volumes of the show were released by Columbia TriStar Home Video, all of which are now out of print. There are currently no plans for a DVD release. The episodes included on the VHS volumes were:

★ ''Volume 1'': "Darkness at Noon, Part 1", "Darkness at Noon, Part 2"

★ ''Volume 2'': "The Infernal Machine", "Grundelesque"

★ ''Volume 3'': "Back in the Saddle, Part 1", "Back in the Saddle, Part 2"

Cast

★ Egon Spengler - Maurice LaMarche

★ Janine Melnitz - Pat Musick

★ Eduardo Rivera - Rino Romano

★ Roland Jackson - Alfonso Ribeiro

★ Garrett Miller - Jason Marsden

★ Kylie Griffin - Tara Strong

★ Slimer - Billy West

★ Mayor McShayne -Billy West

★ Peter Venkman - Dave Coulier

★ Ray Stantz - Frank Welker

★ Winston Zeddemore - Buster Jones

Characters

'Egon Spengler' - The only original Ghostbuster to make a long term return to the series, Egon took on the role of mentor for the new Ghostbusters. Having lived in the old Fire Station since the first team disbanded, Egon is sometimes flustered from both the younger team and Janine's rekindled affections.
'Janine Melnitz' - Taking Egon's course at College in the pilot episode, Janine soon returns to her role as the receptionist (and according to Egon, accountant and collector) to the Ghostbusters. She still keeps her smart tongue from the original series and has seemed to develop exceptionally bad baking skills along the way.
'Eduardo Rivera' - Seemingly a lazy, sarcastic, and somewhat stupid character, Eduardo nevertheless makes himself an integral part of the team by being determined and (to an extent) reliable. Eduardo also has one of the more questionable lines of the show; in part two of the series premiere, "Darkness at Noon," when Roland and Garrett try to stop him from kissing a possessed Kylie, a clueless Eduardo simply replies "Why not? She's legal!" This played into a long running subplot dealing with a love/hate relationship between Eduardo and Kylie. Eduoardo's catchphrases are either "Maybe he/she is dead." (spoken whenever someone goes missing or else unaccounted for) and "We're scientists." in many occasions. In "Rage," Eduardo reveals to have an older brother who hates Eduardo for being a Ghostbuster. In "Deadliners," it's revealed that Eduardo is a fan of J.N. Kline's book series, ''Vathack'', and uses this knowledge to stop the monsters from bringing his ghoulish characters to life.
'Roland Jackson' - The mechanic of the group. Roland is certainly the most practical and mechanically gifted of the new Ghostbusters, helping Egon repair and improve the Proton Packs and Ecto-1. Roland also seems to have the most clear head of the group, when slapstick gags aren't involved at least.
'Garrett Miller' - Despite being confined to a wheel chair throughout the entire series (in the episode "Grease," it's revealed that Garrett was born with the inability to walk), it does little to affect Garrett's ability as a Ghost Buster. He is the most head strong and enthusiatic of the new Ghostbusters, even going as far to sign onto a college course so that he can listen to Egon talk about the original team. In the episode "Fear Itself," it's revealed that Garrett is claustrophobic, but he manages to keep this a secret. In "The True Face of A Monster," it's revealed that Garrett was once friends with a group of vandals who have been defacing a Jewish temple (and Garrett broke ties with them when he realized that they were racist). Garrett is the only Ghostbuster in the history of the franchise never to be made as a toy (all other Ghostbusters received at least two toys, including Louis and Janine).
'Kylie Griffin' - The only member of the new team to have any sort of paranormal knowledge before signing up as a Ghostbuster, Kylie was actually in awe of Egon when the series began but this soon shifts to a more equal footing. Kylie's calm exterior often sets her as a foil against Eduardo's brashness, as part of the ongoing love/hate dynamic between the two. She is also the one who most commonly wields the Ghost Traps. She is depicted as something of a "Goth" girl, judging by the black hair and lipstick. In the episode "Grease," it's revealed that her parents divorced and she currently lives alone with her cat.
'Slimer' - Slimer remains the most unchanged of all the characters in terms of personality. However, he is given a less cartoony look to fit in with the series' overall style.

Episodes

Episode	Title	Original Airdate

References to other ''Ghostbusters'' incarnations

★ The Ghostbusters firehouse underwent numerous revisions, presumably remodeling done either before the business closed in 1992 or while Egon lived there. Wallpaper was redone and furniture replaced. In addition, a helipad was painted on the roof, an elevator installed, a fire exit built into the garage, the fencing in the alleyway replaced by a concrete wall and an alleyway entrance was added to the basement.

★ Egon teaches at Columbia University. This is the same school that Egon, Ray, and Peter were fired from in the first movie.

★ In Season 2 of ''The Real Ghostbusters'', Janine went through several drastic changes which affected her appearance, voice, and character that proved to be increasingly unpopular. The changes led to a brief return by ''Real Ghostbusters'' producer J. Michael Straczynski, who wrote the episode "Janine, You've Changed", offering an explanation behind Janine's changes. The character design for Janine in ''XGB'' appears to resemble an older version of how she originally appeared in the 1986 cartoon, however Laura Summer and Kath Soucie did not reprise their roles unlike the vocal actors for the four original Ghostbusters.

★ Maurice LaMarche and Frank Welker were the only two original cast members of ''The Real Ghostbusters'' (from the series premiere in 1986) to reprise their roles. Both Buster Jones and Dave Coulier were brought into the series starting with the ABC run, replacing Arsenio Hall (Winston Zeddemore) and Lorenzo Music (Peter Venkman), respectively.

★ Sam Hain, though never appearing in an episode in the series, appears in the opening credits and also received a toy, marking him as the only ''Real Ghostbusters'' ghost to be made as a toy. Unlike his incarnation on the original ''Ghostbusters'' cartoon and his ''XGB'' toy design, the cartoon version featured a smaller-proportioned pumpkin head, complete with a pointy carrot nose.

★ The "top hat demon" seen in the ''Real Ghostbusters'' episode, "Slimer, Come Home", also makes a brief cameo appearance in the intro sequence.

★ The episode "Grundelesque" is the only episode to serve as a direct sequel to a ''Real Ghostbusters'' episode. In this episode, a second Grundel appears and the original is freed from the Containment Unit. It is revealed that Kylie's childhood friend Jack was the second Grundel. However, the episode was also filled with inconsistencies -- the "ten years" mention, with Kylie recounting the Grundel taking Jack when she was seven, would make her 17 (though in part two of the series premiere "Darkness at Noon," Eduardo insinuated that Kylie was at least 18 years old). Due to a change in vocal actor, the Grundel's character and voice seem drastically different in reflection to its earlier appearance. Like all aspects from the show that originally appeared in ''The Real Ghostbusters'', the appearance of the Grundel has also shifted.

★ A statue of Peter Venkman, using the animation model from ''The Real Ghostbusters'' (although close-up shots of this statue appear to have a digital blur over the face, leading weight to suggestions of licensing problems), sits in a glass case on the second floor of the Firehouse. The figure is in full pose and complete with one of the original, fully-working Proton Packs on its back. To this date, the reason for the statue has never been revealed. The only time it was ever aknowledged was when Janine took its equipment to chase after a ghost.

★ The episode "Slimer's Sacrifice", while not a direct sequel, possibly references events from the ''RGB'' episode "Ragnarok and Roll." Surt, a demon who wishes to bring about Ragnarok, is in the Containment Unit. His likely time of capture would be in "Ragnarok and Roll", when Ragnarok nearly occurred once before in the Ghostbusters history.

References to real places in New York

★ During the opening storm sequence after the intro sequence of 'Darkness at Noon', the viewer is treated to shots of Rockefeller Center and the statue of Prometheus within the lower plaza, the Chrysler Building is also given a prominent scene.

★ Grand Central Station and its main concourse serve as the start and the end of the episode 'Be Careful What You Wish For ', the concourse and the well known clock above the information desk are shown at the opening of the episode and the station is shown again, however partly in ruins in the finale.

★ Penn Station is referenced in the episode 'A Temporary Insanity', however, the station is no longer a large over-ground terminal (The over-ground structure was demolished and eventually replaced by Madison Square Garden). Despite a full underground terminal existing, the station shown in the episode is in fact Grand Central Station.

★ 550 Central Park (In real life, 55 Central Park West) from ''Ghostbusters'' makes a brief appearance (complete with church) as one of the investigation sites in the episode 'The Sphinx'.

★ The Brooklyn Bridge is the scene of a troll attack in the finale of 'Rage'.

★ The George Washington Bridge acts as the background to one of the last battles in 'Back in the Saddle - Part 1'

★ A large collection of New York locations are seen in 'Back in the Saddle - Part 2' as the entity known as the Burmuda Triangle devours Manhattan, including The Statue of Liberty, the 'Twin Towers' of the World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, Times Square, Washington Square Park and the Washington Square Arch, Bethesda Fountain and Bethesda Terrace.

References to pop culture

★ One key difference between ''RGB'' and ''EGB'' was in its handling of pop culture references. ''RGB'' typically used parodies or original creations for television shows and music with a few exceptions. ''XGB'' featured Eduardo mentioning Michael Jackson, Henry Rollins, and the TV series ''Columbo'' by name, and Kylie is mentioned as being a Nine Inch Nails fan as well as referring to Eduardo as Christian Slater in the episode "The Infernal Machine" (where Roland becomes possessed by a demon who wants him to build a machine that will bring him into the mortal world). The use of direct references instead of parodies might bear a link to properties owned directly by Sony, although it might also relate to a wish by the writers to convey a more "realistic" world in which the XGBs inhabit.

★ The villains of the episode "Deadliners", the Vathack, resemble the mutilated Cenobites of Clive Barker's ''Hellraiser'' series and have similar motives to them as well.

★ The episode "Home Is Where the Horror Is" featured a reference to the real-life game show ''Wheel of Fortune''.

★ The episode "The Pied Piper of Manhattan" takes its inspiration from the children's tale, ''The Pied Piper of Hamelin''.

★ Two episodes feature references to other series made by Sony. The episode "Grease" featured two FBI agents clearly based on Agent Kay and Agent Jay from '', and the episode "Bird of Prey" features a movie theatre playing "Gozilla vs. Killerwatt." a reference to '' and one of the early episodes of ''The Real Ghostbusters'' featuring a ghost named Killerwatt.

★ In the episode "Deadliners", a children's horror writer is named "J.N. Kline", a reference to Jeff Kline, one of the show's executive producers. The name abbreviation may also be an indirect reference to horror writer R.L. Stine (whose horror books, specifically Goosebumps [which is a children's series, similar to the books featured in this episode], were popular at the time of this episode).

★
★ The episode also included similarities to the films ''In the Mouth of Madness'' (a writer's story becoming reality), ''Wes Craven's New Nightmare'' (demons summoned by a story, taking the form of its characters), and the villains seemed modeled after the Cenobites from Clive Barker's classic horror film ''Hellraiser''.

★ The episode "Sonic Youth" (where Roland becomes enamored with a siren whose being bullied by a banshee) is a direct reference to indie rock band Sonic Youth.

External links

★

★ Spook Central: The Ghostbusters Companion

★ Ghostbusters Prop Archive

★ Ghostbusters.net

★ Proton Charging - Ghostbusters news and information

★ Ghostbusters Headquarters

★ Extreme Ghostbusters at TV.com