The Real Ghostbusters is an American animated television series based on the 1984 film Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...

. The series ran from 1986 to 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television

Columbia Pictures Television

Columbia Pictures Television was the second name of the Columbia Pictures television division Screen Gems . The studio changed its name on September 4, 1974.-1974-1982:...

, DiC Enterprises

DiC Entertainment

DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...

, and Coca-Cola Telecommunications

Coca-Cola Telecommunications

Coca-Cola Telecommunications was a short-lived first-run syndication unit of Columbia Pictures Television created in 1986 that was a merger between CPT's first-run syndication department and The Television Program Source...

. "The Real" was added to the title after a dispute with Filmation

Filmation

Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...

 and its Ghost Busters properties. The series continues the adventures of paranormal investigators Dr. Peter Venkman

Peter Venkman

Peter Venkman, Ph.D. is a fictional character from the Ghostbusters franchise. He is a parapsychologist and member of the Ghostbusters, appearing in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters...

, Dr. Egon Spengler

Egon Spengler

Egon Spengler is a fictional character appearing in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters and later Extreme Ghostbusters. He is a member of the Ghostbusters, and one of the three doctors of parapsychology on the team...

, Dr. Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore

Winston Zeddemore

Winston Zeddemore is a fictional character appearing in the Ghostbusters films, TV series, and video games. He was played by Ernie Hudson in both movies and was voiced by Arsenio Hall in the first two seasons of The Real Ghostbusters. Buster Jones provided Winston's voice in the remaining seasons,...

, their secretary Janine Melnitz

Janine Melnitz

Janine Melnitz is a fictional character in the Ghostbusters series. She is the Ghostbusters' secretary and confidante.-Importance to the Ghostbusters:...

 and their mascot ghost Slimer

Slimer

Slimer is a fictional green ghost featured in the 1984 supernatural comedy movie Ghostbusters , whose popularity soared from the subsequent spinoff animated television series The Real Ghostbusters. Slimer later starred in his own Slimer! cartoons when The Real Ghostbusters was extended to a...

.

There also were two ongoing Real Ghostbusters comics

The Real Ghostbusters (comics)

The Real Ghostbusters is a comic series spun off from the animated series of the same name. Versions were published by Marvel UK and NOW Comics. Publication of the series began on March 28, 1988.-NOW Comics:...

, one published monthly by Now Comics

NOW Comics

NOW Comics was a comic book publisher founded in late 1985 by Tony C. Caputo as a sole-proprietorship. During the four years after its founding, NOW grew from a one-man operation to operating in 12 countries, and published almost 1,000 comics books....

 in USA and the other published weekly (originally biweekly) by Marvel Comics

Marvel UK

Marvel UK was an imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint US produced stories for the British weekly comic market, though it later did produce original material by British creators such as Alan Moore, John Wagner, Dave Gibbons, Steve Dillon and Grant Morrison.Panini Comics obtained the...

 in the United Kingdom, and a popular toy line manufactured by Kenner

Kenner

Kenner Products was a toy company founded in 1947 by three brothers, Albert, Phillip, and Joseph L. Steiner, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, and was named after the street where the original corporate offices were located, which is just north of Cincinnati's Union Terminal.Kenner introduced its...

 (the toyline lasted longer than the television series itself).
The series follows the continuing adventures of The Ghostbusters, secretary Janine, accountant Louis, and their mascot Slimer, as they chase and capture rogue spirits around New York and various other areas of the world.
A short pilot episode was produced, but never aired in full.