Television series

The Real Ghostbusters

Name: The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Action, Adventure, Children
Released: 1986
Cast: Kath Soucie, Laura Summer, Arsenio Hall, Buster Jones, Dave Coulier

Urban fantasy
Superhero
Light-hearted

The Real Ghostbusters transforms the beloved 1984 film into a weekly cartoon that captures the same irreverent spirit. It's sharp, funny, and genuinely inventive—not a cheap cash-grab spinoff but a show that understands what made the movie work and runs with it. For anyone who loves comedy with adventure, monsters, and chemistry between characters. Pure joy.

TVMaze rating

4.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you grew up on Saturday morning cartoons and still enjoy a monster-of-the-week format where the gags land as hard as the ghosts, with Slimer stealing every scene he is in.

Skip it if you want a serialized story that builds toward a finale, since each episode mostly stands alone and the animation and voice work show their age next to modern kids' shows.

What it asks of you: Half an hour per episode and a lot of them, so you dip in and out rather than binge in one sitting, with a light, playful tone that rarely lingers on anything heavy.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Batman: The Animated Series1992

Batman: The Animated Series proved you could make a cartoon adaptation that rivals the film it's based on. Rich voice work, dark production design, and stories that treat the material seriously while staying playful. A complete artistic vindication.

But If you prefer your Batman live-action and grounded, the animated style will feel like a step backward, even if it's beautifully crafted.

Gargoyles1994

A show about monsters protecting a city from the shadows, with serialized storytelling, genuine dramatic weight, and characters you grow to love across dozens of episodes. It proves animated series could be serialized and serious before streaming made that normal.

But It starts as a Saturday morning cartoon but demands real attention. Some find the shifts in tone jarring, and the early episodes feel slight compared to what comes later.

The Venture Bros.2003

Adult cartoon that mines the same vein: adventure, weird science, found family, and comedy that assumes you're smart. Deeply rewatchable, endlessly inventive, and genuinely touching about failure and loyalty beneath the jokes.

But Slow burn. The first season is rougher than later ones, and if you need plot to move quickly, its meandering will frustrate you.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Real Ghostbusters

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Constantine2014

Both follow a competent eccentric and their team as they face the supernatural with banter and science (or magic, same difference). Both are more interested in character chemistry than plot coherence.

A live-action supernatural detective show with the same core DNA as Ghostbusters: one expert plus a small team talking their way through impossible situations, mixing comedy and dread. Matt Ryan's Constantine is magnetic, and the show understands pulpy adventure.

But Cancelled after one season, so you get only thirteen episodes. The special effects look cheap at points, and it can't decide between gothic horror and Saturday morning fun.

Ghostbusters II1989

The film sequel that came out during the cartoon's run. Same cast, same chemistry, new supernatural threat. It leans harder into comedy than the first, and the production design of 1980s New York is gorgeous.

But Considered weaker than the original by many. The plot feels thinner, and the magic doesn't quite spark the same way.

Futurama1999

Comedy-adventure with a found family at its heart, mixing episodic jokes with real emotional stakes and continuity. Smart, warm, and willing to go dark or earnest between the laughs.

But Cancellation limbo means multiple endings that feel incomplete. If you need closure, this will drive you mad.

Beetlejuice1989

Cartoon based on Tim Burton's film, kept the darker tone and visual style, and pairs a loud obnoxious ghost with a deadpan teenager for chemistry that mirrors Ghostbusters' ensemble approach.

But Pitched squarely at kids, so the humor is broader and the stakes are lower. Can feel hollow compared to the Ghostbusters' slightly edgier tone.

The Fairly OddParents2001

A comedy adventure about a kid and his supernatural helpers with genuine heart under the chaos. Well-crafted joke delivery and surprising emotional moments among the absurdity.

But Aimed at a younger demographic than Ghostbusters and relies more on slapstick. The constant chaos exhausts some viewers.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker1972

The template Ghostbusters adapted for comedy: a compulsive, smart-mouthed hero investigating the paranormal week to week. Kolchak plays it straight; Ghostbusters plays it for laughs. Same structure, opposite tone.

A 1970s journalist hunts weird supernatural phenomena week to week, mixing procedural storytelling with genuine creepiness. Darren McGavin is perfect—funny and tough in equal measure. Every episode is a complete story but they build.

But Pre-Ghostbusters, so the tone is darker and drearier. If you want jokes and lightness, this leans into genuine unease. Also, the special effects are 1974.

Infinity Train2019

Both are adventure cartoons that don't condescend to their audience, mixing genuine threat with wonder. Both treat weird premises seriously. But Ghostbusters makes you laugh; this makes you think and feel something uneasy.

An animated series about a teenage girl trapped on a mysterious train filled with surreal, dangerous cars. Each episode brings new monsters, mysteries, and logic puzzles. Visually stunning and emotionally earned in ways most kids' cartoons aren't.

But Not a comedy—it's atmospheric and strange and sometimes unsettling. If you're coming from Ghostbusters for laughs, this goes in a completely different emotional direction. Also: it ended on a cliffhanger.