Let's Go Extreme

My last two writings were about my two favorite animated versions of the Ghostbusters: 1986's "Filmation's Ghostbusters" and 1997's "Extreme Ghostbusters." They couldn't be any more different from each other yet they have so much in common. Here's how:

BOTH SHOWS ARE SPINOFFS OF POPULAR KIDVID SHOWS: "Filmation's Ghostbusters" is a spinoff of Filmation's live-action Saturday Morning show "The Ghost Busters" from 1975, which was the Number Two SatAM show after Filmation's other live-action hit "The SHAZAM!/Isis Hour". "Extreme Ghostbusters" spun off from 1986's "The Real Ghostbusters," the ultra-popular syndicated and SatAM DiC cartoon series based on the ultra-popular 1984 live-action movie.

BOTH SHOWS HAVE THE THEME OF PASSING ON THE GHOSTBUSTERS TORCH TO A YOUNGER GENERATION: In "Filmation's Ghostbusters," Kong and Spenser Senior retire, handing over the business to their grown sons, Jake Junior and Eddie Junior; Tracy the Gorilla works with the sons like he did with their fathers. "Extreme Ghostbusters" has original Real Ghostbuster Egon Spengler recruiting Eduardo Rivera, Garrett Miller, Roland Jackson and Kylie Griffin--the four teenage students of his Paranormal Studies class at New York Community College, whom he mentors. Oh yeah--Janine Melnitz and Slimer return to the Firehouse as well.

BOTH NEW TEAMS HAVE A DIMWITTED, COWARDLY BRUNET MEMBER CALLED A FORM OF THE NAME EDWARD, WHOSE VOICE ARTIST ALSO VOICES A HEROIC CARTOON CHARACTER: "Filmation's Ghostbusters" has Eddie Spenser, Jr., voiced by Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime in the orginal 80s "Transformers" cartoon franchise. In "Extreme Ghostbusters," Eduardo Rivera is voiced by Rino Romano, who also voices the Dark Knight (and his alter ego Bruce Wayne) in the 90s WB cartoon "The Batman."

BOTH SHOWS HAVE TWO EPISODES FEATURING THE ELDER TEAM MEMBERS FIGHTING ALONGSIDE THE YOUNGER ONES: "Filmation's Ghostbusters" has two episodes--"Father Knows Beast" and "Back to the Past"--where Kong and Spenser Senior temporarily come out of retirement to fish their sons and Tracy out of trouble using their wisdom and expertise. The first has the sons dealing with a Scottish troll their dads busted forty years ago and Kong and Spenser Senior use their old Ghostbusting equipment to re-defeate him; the other story, the show's Halloween episode, has the sons and Tracy transformed into five-year-olds by a witch so Prime Evil's ghosts can scare them out of ever wanting to grow up to be Ghostbusters and the dads encourage their little boys to face their fears just in time for the spell to wear off and the guys to grow up brave again. "Extreme Ghostbusters" has a two-parter featuring Real Ghostbusters Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz and Winston Zeddmore, celebrating Egon's birthday along with the Extreme Ones. At first, things get off to a rocky, generation-gappy start, but by the time Part Two rolls around, the two teams come together to defeat a giant Bermuda Triangle-style phantom just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving together--at a dinner where Slimer eats both their Thanksgiving turkeys!

Well, there you have it--"Filmation's Ghostbusters" and "Extreme Ghostbusters"--two fun cartoons that are products of their decades but have so much in common, including one more thing: Both the "Ed" characters are my favorites on each show. Yay Eddie Spenser, Jr. with your aviator outfit, high-pitched voice and clumsiness! Viva Eduardo Rivera with your frequent siestas, "Maybe he's dead" catchphrase and denying your crush on Kylie! I just LOVE those dimwitted brunet cowards, I do!