Charge up your Proton Packs and get the P.K.E. Meter running! One of the most popular animated series in television history to spin off from a major motion picture, The Real Ghostbusters, will soon be available for the first time on home video from Time Life. The 25-DVD set includes all 147 astonishing episodes of the seven-season series for over 55 hours of ghost-busting goodness — in their complete original form, but remastered for picture and audio perfection. Produced by some of the team members behind the legendary Ghostbusters motion pictures, The Real Ghostbusters features scripts by some of the top names in animation, science fiction, and horror history, and top-quality visuals, plus a voice cast that included Arsenio Hall, Dave Coulier (Full House), Maurice LaMarche (Pinky & The Brain), and many more! Read on for all of the details.
The Real Ghostbusters: The Complete Series also features over twelve hours of fascinating bonus material, including documentaries and twenty-one innovative on-camera commentary tracks featuring producers, writers, artists, voice actors, and other personnel. Also included is a never-before-seen promotional pilot, over eighty on-camera episode introductions, art and photo galleries, scripts, storyboards, informative booklets, and much, much more.
Housed in a specially-designed box that recalls the award-winning and innovative Man From Uncle "briefcase packaging" and the Get Smart "phone booth set," The Real Ghostbusters: The Complete Series 25-DVD set will be available for purchase exclusively online via The Real Ghostbusters DVD website www.realghostbustersdvd.com for $179.99.
"The Real Ghostbusters has had a strong and vocal fanbase for years, and the series has been one of the most requested shows for DVD release" says Jeff Peisch, head of Time Life's video division. "Time Life has a long history of releasing classic properties in a way that viewers appreciate, and we intend this Complete Series release to be extraordinary. From the digitally restored episodes to the extensive bonus materials, this set will have fans calling for the Ghostbusters again and again."
To produce the most comprehensive selection of extra materials ever seen for a complete animated television series box set, Time Life has engaged the services of Special Features producers Andy Mangels and Reed Kaplan. Mangels is a best-selling novelist, author of Animation on DVD: The Ultimate Guide, and the producer whom TVShowsonDVD.com called "legendary." Mangels and Kaplan are producing the five documentaries, 21 commentary tracks, and a multitude of other extra content surprises. The duo were assisted by James Eatock of cereal:geek magazine. "I hope that fans will be spooked by how much cool material we're putting together for this set," said Mangels. "We're including everything we can, short of duplicating the keys to the Ghostbusters car, the Ecto-1." Covers for The Real Ghostbusters set and its interior cases will be by comic artist Emiliano Santalucia and MVCreations.
Spinning off from the box office mega-hit Ghostbusters (1984), the animated series The Real Ghostbusters debuted on ABC in September 1986 to tremendous ratings, critical acclaim, and an audience that ranged from kids to adults. The series functioned as a direct sequel to the movie, following New York's paranormal investigator team — Dr. Peter Venkman (voice of Lorenzo Music, later Dave Coulier), Dr. Egon Spengler (Maurice LaMarche), Winston Zeddemore (Arsenio Hall, later Buster Jones), Dr. Ray Stantz (Frank Welker), their secretary Janine Melnitz (Laura Summer, later Kath Soucie) and their gooey green mascot Slimer (Frank Welker) — as they faced ghosts, goblins, trolls, demons, monsters, and even the Boogieman! In 1987, a syndicated version of The Real Ghostbusters aired Monday-Friday afternoons, while ABC continued to produce the Saturday-morning show.
The Real Ghostbusters eventually garnered a primetime special — which was nominated for an Emmy® award — and switched to a one-hour format in 1989, titled Slimer! and The Real Ghostbusters. This later version added a series of Slimer! short cartoons, aimed at a younger audience, but wacky and clever enough to still appeal to older viewers. By the time the series finally completed its run in 1991, 134 episodes had been created. The Real Ghostbusters was a hit in worldwide syndication, and also led to hugely successful toy lines, multiple comic book series, and fan clubs and web pages that keep the ghostbusting spirit alive — or undead — today.
I don't know about you guys, but this is pretty much the holy grail of my childhood...and it sounds like they are putting in everything they can. The only thing missing is the comic book series...Hmm still have one of those lying around my basement somewhere...
For me, this set means a lot. I'm willing to spend the money for it. The article says they produced 134 episodes, but the ad says 147. Somewhere along the line 13 episodes seem to have gone missing. Not sure if that's a good thing or not just yet.
But, even so, with all the extras (including a pilot that was never aired??), and a restored picture and soundtrack? Sure. I can buy a bootleg DVD that was Tivoed and burnt to 8 DVDs in the crapiest mode, or I can get the real deal, top quality and pay a little less with a pre-order.
Well, my childhood meant enough to me to pay it up. So, that's what I'm doing. Have fun with your bootlegs, guys. :)
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The Real Ghostbusters: The Complete Series also features over twelve hours of fascinating bonus material, including documentaries and twenty-one innovative on-camera commentary tracks featuring producers, writers, artists, voice actors, and other personnel. Also included is a never-before-seen promotional pilot, over eighty on-camera episode introductions, art and photo galleries, scripts, storyboards, informative booklets, and much, much more. 
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