Don't get excited…just an idea, not a rumor of things in progress.

I've come to realize that I may be stepping on a big fruit pie by constantly trashing ideas of a new Ghostbusters movie. I don't believe it will ever happen for an endless number of reasons, but like you all I would love to see the guys together again. I don't want to kill the dream, honestly.

But here's the idea, and its something we all can push from this base, IF you want it to happen. GHOSTBUSTERS: THE SERIES.

22 hour-long episodes in syndication per season (or on SciFi/Disney/whatever) that is a cross between the movies and the Real Ghostbusters.

Yeah, I know there would be no room for the original guys, but perhaps its time to move onto a new team in the firehouse, get to know them, and watch them develop from inside the firehouse and on the streets of New York.

Just my humble suggestion to be positive about the future of a franchise I love.

It's a good idea, but it would be too expensive to produce.

Ahhhh… wouldn't take much more than, say Xena or Lost World, Star Trek franchises or such. 1,000,000 an episode offset by ad revenue.

Imagine a decent movie would cost 50 mil to make…that's 50 episodes. PLUS we get to see our favorites every week for a year!

Nah… it just wouldn't work. Whether you replace the old players with new ones reprising the old roles or cast a new generation, you'll never satisfy enough fans. It'll fall into the trap of most TV shows, being a limited budget… On a side note, the FX in Xena/Hercules could get downright cheesy at times.

I also don't forsee this working… mostly because live action films have transferred to television terribly in the past. Anyone remember the Bill and Ted television show? If you do, more power to you. With the exception of a handful, say MASH, all that I see are failures, Working Girl, Ferris Bueller, et al.

Worked well enough for two cartoons which made “cheesy” a regular thing.

Worked well enough for two cartoons which made “cheesy” a regular thing.

Cartoons are a whole different ballgame. For one, you can do all kinds of credible-looking stunts without it costing you anymore than your current animation budget. In live-action, digital fx are really costly and the alternative - cheesy special effects won't win your audience over.

Second, there's a lot more suspension of disbelief in cartoons - you don't say “Yeah right” when you see really cheesy things going on cartoons because, they're just cartoons. It's kid stuff, really. We hold a bigger standard for live action TV.

Buffy the Vampire slayer, crappy movie, awesome TV series

or how about, Stargate SG-1? I don't really watch that one, but it must obviously be good for how long it has been on.


All a successful Ghostbusters TV series would need is a good cast and a good group of writers.

The reason Buffy has been so successful is because of the way the characters interact, it just isn't about a ‘mission’ it's about life too.

That is why I'm personally ALL for a Ghostbusters tv series, but if they did it, they'd have to actually invest some money into writers.

-Mav

Testify, Brother Maverick and Hallelujah!

I ask, what's worth fighting for more? An inferior, rushed 90 minute film and swan song…or the chance to do it right, do it well and re-ignite the franchise?

Oh, I think it could be done and done well enough to make even this critical bunch of fanatics proud.

Dig this, the DREAM TEAM of production teams…

Ivan Reitman, Dan Aykroyd, Joe Medjuck, Michael Gross - Producers

Rennaissance Pictures or Sony Studios housing and bankrolling… or BEST BUST Studios (more on that later)

Effects by ILM

The writing pool - ooohhhhh here is where I get excited.

Remember the writers for the Real Ghostbusters? Stellar talent.
J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, and one of the best genre writers out there)
David Gerrold
Michael Reaves
Richard Mueller

Add a pilot written by Dan Ayrkoyd & Harold Ramis

Add additional episodes written by
Mike Nelson, Trace Beaulieu, Kevin Murphy, Paul Chaplin, Mary Jo Pehl…collectively known as the cast of Mystery Science Theater.

Add
Various Second City and SNL writers…

Add
Joss Whedon, Kevin Anderson, Peter David, Kevin Smith, Garth Ennis, Neil Gaimen, Jeff Loeb, Warren Ellis, Brian Michael Bendis…pretty much a stable of the greatest comics writers who ever were.

If we're gonna dream, let's dream BIG, baby…a big future, not another flash of joy followed by darkness.