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In It's About Time, the Firehouse, by the Mayor's mandate, must be torn down to make way for an urban renewal project. In the midst of their packing, Peter inadvertently short-circuits a Ghost Trap and catapults them all back to the year 1959![2]

Cast[]

Winston Zeddemore

Egon Spengler

Slimer

Ray Stantz

Peter Venkman

Janine Melnitz

Mayor (Late RGB) (mentioned)

Walter Cronkite

Ghost Invaders

Engine Company 93

Demon Invader

Equipment[]

Ecto-1

Proton Pack

Particle Thrower

Containment Unit

Energy-Siphoning Device

Trap

Environmental[]

Time Slip

Locations[]

Firehouse

Plot[]

Ecto-1, covered in slime, was stuck in the usual daytime traffic. Inside, the Ghostbusters were also drenched in slime and silent as some classic 1950s music played on the radio. Ray spoke up and mused how great the '50s were, and ignored Winston's sarcasm about open roads. Egon countered each decade had its own inherent problems. Ray still concluded he would take the '50s over the present. Eventually, everyone sang along to the song playing. Back at the Firehouse, the guys learned the Firehouse was going to be torn to make way for a new expressway. Without any other choice, the guys started packing. Down in the basement, Egon, Ray, Winston, and Slimer solemnly packed while the Ghost Traps were safely bled of energy.

Peter marched down and declared they weren't going fast enough. Ignoring Egon and Winston, Peter grabbed a trap and disassembled it. There was a flash of light and Peter then the others vanished. The trap also vanished. The trap soon reappeared in the basement and shot the guys out. Something was different with the basement: the Containment Unit was gone. Upon hearing the alarm, they ran upstairs and witnessed a fire truck leave the Firehouse. They watched a television set by the front desk and realized they got sent back to April 10, 1959 due to the trap accident. Ray and Slimer were overjoyed to be in the 50s but Egon became increasingly concerned. While Ray got his hair done at a barber shop, Egon stated they were trespassing and could disrupt the natural order of things. Winston spotted Ecto-1 on the street and ran up to it. However, it was still a hearse.

Three ghosts appeared in an alley and attacked. They grabbed Slimer and dunked him in a garbage can full of trash. The guys walked up to a store front with televisions reporting bizarre ghost sightings from the past hour. Egon realized that was how long they were in the 50s and they caused a strain on the space-time continuum. As a result, a hole was torn in the time fabric and ghosts invaded. Winston correctly guessed the only way to close the hole was for them to go back to the present. Egon agreed but revealed the trap had to recharged to the exact power level it was at during the accident. The firefighters returned to the Firehouse covered in slime. The guys posed as observers and asked the chief if the truck had a power generator.

The company and the guys soon ended up at the source of the haunting, the hole in the fabric of time. While Egon and Slimer recharged the trap, the others connected water hoses and blasted the ghosts. A demon soon appeared and fought back with its powerful breath. The trap recharged finally, after Slimer cooled off the generator with an extinguisher. Egon recreated the accident. The guys vanished and the hole was sealed. Slimer and the Ghostbusters landed back in the basement. Janine came in and declared the Firehouse was saved. It was declared a historical monument because some firemen saved the city from a terrible ghost invasion in 1959. Janine was surprised Peter knew the year. Everyone lined up and danced their way upstairs singing a 50s tune.

Quotes[]

Fire Chief: (speak to the phone) Engine Company 93. More ghosts where?
Both: (singing) Maybellene, why can't you be true

Oh, Maybellene, why can't you be true You've started back doin' the things you used to do

Trivia[]

  • The episode was recorded on July 5 and 6, 1989.[3]
  • Frank Welker recorded alone on July 6, 1989.[4]
  • This episode was only 15 minutes long.
  • Ray loves the 1950s.[5]
  • The song the Ghostbusters sing in the beginning and end of the episode is Maybellene by Chuck Berry
  • Ray was born in 1959 (making him 30-31 years old in this episode).[6]
  • When Peter comes down to the basement, he mentions Don King, a famous boxing promoter, in reaction to the others' hair.[7]
  • The news anchor mentions the date, April 10, 1959. This is one of the few times an exact date is known in an episode.[8]
  • Some of the footage shown during a news segment are recycled scenes from previous episodes of The Real Ghostbusters, "Something's Going Around" and "Standing Room Only".
  • A Trap can be recharged.[9]
  • As a result of the Ghostbusters and Slimer's journey to the past, the Firehouse was declared a national monument in the present.[10][11]

References[]

  1. Marsha Goodman (1989). Episode Call Sheet and SAG Report - "It's About Time" (1989).
  2. Eatock, James & Mangels, Andy (2008). The Real Ghostbusters Complete Collection booklet, p. 35. CPT Holdings, Inc.
  3. Marsha Goodman (1989). Episode Call Sheet and SAG Report - "It's About Time" (1989).
  4. Marsha Goodman (1989). Episode Call Sheet and SAG Report - "It's About Time" (1989).
  5. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "It's About Time" (1989) (DVD ts. 01:21-01:22). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "I love the 50's."
  6. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "It's About Time" (1989) (DVD ts. 01:27-01:30). Time Life Entertainment. Peter says: "Ray, you weren't even born until 1959."
  7. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "It's About Time" (1989) (DVD ts. 03:03-03:05). Time Life Entertainment. Peter says: "What is this, a Don King convention?"
  8. Reporter (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "It's About Time" (1989) (DVD ts. 04:42-04:44). Time Life Entertainment. Reporter says: "And that's all the news on April 10, 1959."
  9. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "It's About Time" (1989) (DVD ts. 07:34-07:37). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "First, the Trap must be charged to the precise power level the original accident occurred."
  10. Janine Melnitz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "It's About Time" (1989) (DVD ts. 12:11-12:13). Time Life Entertainment. Janine says: "The Mayor just called - our Firehouse has been declared a national monument!"
  11. Janine Melnitz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "It's About Time" (1989) (DVD ts. 12:17-12:23). Time Life Entertainment. Janine says: "It seems some firemen who worked here years ago were big heroes. They saved the city from a terrible ghost invasion in...um..."

Gallery[]

Episode Screen Caps[]

Collages and Edits[]

RGB DVD Boxset Features[]

 
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