The Real Ghostbusters Complete Collection DVD box set, released in North America by Time-Life on November 15, 2008.
The animatedtelevision seriesThe Real Ghostbusters premiered on ABC on September 13, 1986. It continued airing weekly until the series conclusion on October 5, 1991.[1] After the first season aired, the series entered syndication, during which new episodes aired each weekday. 65 episodes aired in syndication simultaneously with the official second season in 1987. At the start of the third season in 1988, the show was renamed to Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters and expanded to an hour-long time slot, during which the regular 30-minute episode aired along with a half-hour Slimer! sub-series which included two to three short animated segments focused on the character Slimer and returned to ABC. At the end of its seven-season run, 173 episodes had aired, including the syndicated episodes and 13 episodes of Slimer!, with multiple episodes airing out of production order.[1]
Sony Pictures Entertainment released several DVD volumes of the show in North America in 2006. They include random episodes and no extras. Time-Life released the complete series in a single 25-disc box-set collection on November 25, 2008.[2][3] The discs were packed in five plastic or steelbook volumes, housed in a box modeled on the Ghostbusters' firehouse, a design chosen in a fan vote.[4] Beginning the next year, the separate volumes were released on their own, first in the United States. Sony only released a 2-disc set featuring all 13 episodes from Season 1 in Australia and the UK.
Sony later released most of the series on individual disc volumes in 2016 (the first 5 volumes were also made available in a boxed bundle). In October 2017, the entire collection of all 10 volumes was released in a 10-disc box set. It was not complete as 29 episodes, or approximately 20% of the series, was omitted. No extras were included, and several episodes were modified in that their opening title cards were removed. Some of this box set's missing episodes from earlier seasons are found on Sony's 2006 (out-of-print) DVD releases.
Every episode of the series (including Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters) was released in 2018 through both a 21-disc DVD and 3-disc Blu-ray (non upscaled transfers) by German distributor Turbine, including both English and German audio tracks.
With the exception of the syndicated episodes, all the others are arranged in airing order. The events of episodes would later be adapted as comic books and video games.
Series overview
Episodes
The Real Ghostbusters
Season 1 (1986; ABC Season 1)
Season 2 (1987; syndication)
Season 3 (1987; ABC Season 2)
Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters
Season 4 (1988; ABC Season 3)
Season 5 (1989; ABC Season 4)
Season 6 (1990; ABC Season 5)
Season 7 (1991; ABC Season 6)
Slimer! sub-series (1988)
Crossover special (1990)
Sony DVD release
From July 5 to September 6, 2016, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment have released most of the series (approximately 80% complete) in 10 volumes. A total of 29 episodes are missing throughout this release of the series, leaving all seasons incomplete with the exception of Season 4. Season 7, as well as the Slimer! sub-series, is omitted entirely.
Notes
^ a b"Slimer, Is That You?" was written for the syndicated season, but produced and aired in the second network season. "Transylvania Homesick Blues" was written for the second network season and switched places during production with "Slimer, Is That You?", airing in syndication and resulting in the use of Season 1 character designs.
^During this seasons' hour-long block, two or three Slimer! shorts were shown, with an episode of The Real Ghostbusters, rerun or debut airing, sandwiched in between.
^During this season, the hour-long block would feature either a 14- minute episode of The Real Ghostbusters, a 21-minute episode, and a 7-minute Slimer! short rerun, or two 21-minute episodes of the former.
^14-minute episode. This, and "Something's Going Around", aired alongside a rerun of the Slimer! short "Room at the Top".
^14-minute episode. This, and "Elementary My Dear Winston", aired alongside a rerun of a Slimer! short.
^14-minute episode. This, and "Partners in Slime", aired alongside a rerun of a Slimer! short.
^14-minute episode. This, and a rerun of "Mrs. Roger's Neighborhood", aired alongside a rerun of the Slimer! short "Quickslimer Messenger Service".
^Aired alongside a rerun of a previous season episode.
^14-minute episode. This, and a rerun of "Troll Bridge", aired alongside a rerun of a Slimer! short.
^Aired alongside a rerun of "Camping It Up".
^14-minute episode. This, and a rerun of "Loathe Thy Neighbor", aired alongside a rerun of a Slimer! short.
^First aired as a prime-time special.[1]
^Aired alongside a rerun of a previous season episode.
^14-minute episode. This, and "Future Tense", aired alongside a rerun of a Slimer! short.
^14-minute episode. This, and a rerun of "Flip Side", aired alongside a rerun of a Slimer! short.
^14-minute episode. This, and a rerun of a previous season episode, aired alongside a rerun of a Slimer! short.
^Aired alongside a rerun of a previous season episode.
^14-minute episode. This, and a rerun of a previous season episode, aired alongside a rerun of a Slimer! short.
^14-minute episode. This, and a rerun of "Standing Room Only", aired alongside a rerun of a Slimer! short.
^14-minute episode. This, and a rerun of "Xmas Marks the Spot", aired alongside a rerun of a Slimer! short.
^The hour-long block now consisted of two full-length episodes of The Real Ghostbusters.
^Either this or "Very Beast Friends" originally aired alongside a rerun of "Baby Spookums".
^"Deja Boo" aired in both hour-long and half-hour-long versions. Both versions tell the same story. The half-hour version contains flashbacks from "The Copycat", "Halloween II 1/2" and "Sticky Business". In the hour-long version, flashbacks from "The Two Faces of Slimer" are also shown. The half-hour version was paired up with an encore airing of "The Slob".
^Aired alongside a rerun of "Ghosts 'R Us".
^Aired alongside a rerun of the Primetime special "The Halloween Door".
^Aired alongside a rerun of "Big Trouble With Little Slimer".
^Either this or "My Left Fang" originally aired alongside a rerun of "Baby Spookums".
^Aired alongside a rerun of "The Bogeyman is Back".
^Aired alongside a rerun of "Sticky Business".
^The show was now scaled back to a half-hour.
^This segment, and a repeat of "A Mouse in the House" (without "A" in the title), were shown alongside a rerun of "Slimer, Is That You?".
^This and "Movie Madness" were shown alongside a rerun of "Halloween II 1/2".
References
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y zThe Real Ghostbusters Complete Collection (Booklet). Fairfax, Virginia: Direct Holdings Americas, CPT Holdings. 2008. 80083-Z.
^Lambert, David (2008-07-25). "The Real Ghostbusters – Formal Press Release from Time Time for their Exclusive Complete Series Package". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 2008-07-30. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
^Lambert, David (2008-11-02). "The Real Ghostbusters – Small Date Change for Time Life's Complete Series Set is Made Up by FedEx Shipping". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 2008-11-13. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
^Lacey, Gord (2008-08-11). "The Real Ghostbusters – Cover Art 'Winner' Plus Release Date Update". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 2009-01-25. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
^Eatock, James & Mangels, Andy (2008). The Real Ghostbusters Complete Collection booklet, p. 3. CPT Holdings, Inc.
^US Copyright Office, official registered airdate
^"The Real Ghostbusters: The Rise and Fall of the Coolest Cartoon of the 1980s". 7 October 2021.
^"TV Listings". Daily News. New York City, New York. January 30, 1988.
