This was Cartoon Network's first original production that became a hit (their actual first original show was something called The Moxy Show, which I actually barely remember). I remember seeing it advertisements for its premiere in 1994. I was familiar with the character of Space Ghost since the channel often showed the original cartoon. Not even being seven at the time, I couldn't understand what this show was really about. As I said in my retrospective on Cartoon Network, since the ads said that Space Ghost was out to destroy television as we know it, I thought it meant he was a bad guy on this show, like how Godzilla is a hero in some movies and a villain in others. (I was real young. Remember that.) When I watched the first show, I actually liked it. I didn't understand half of what it was supposed to be doing (being a parody of talk shows and other things in general) but I thought it was funny, so I kept watching it. I'm not sure my parents approved because, even before it really got into more mature humor, it was much more edgy and unusual than the other stuff the network showed at that time. The characters would often say stuff like, "Good God!" or use not so subtle innuendos. Of course, it went over my head, as I'm sure most kids that watched anything edgy at the time would say.
Describing this show for those who haven't seen it is difficult because its tone is hard to pin down. Basically, it's a parody of talk shows. Space Ghost, the intergalactic super hero from those Hanna-Barbera cartoons, is now a host of his own late night talk show. Two of his archenemies, the evil insect Zorak and the lava man Moltar, serve as his bandleader and director respectively as punishment for their crimes against the universe. Space Ghost often has two or three guests on per show, who show up on a monitor as he talks to them. What made the show unique is these guests are real people (not animated) and are celebrities (mainly B-list but still...). For a young kid, seeing these real people interact with cartoon characters really blurred the line between fantasy and reality. For years I wondered how they pulled this off and apparently the guests were actually interviewed by a writer or producer, some of whom actually wore a Space Ghost costume (!), with basic instructions given on how to respond to the characters. The actual episodes were built around these interviews. It's funny to know this because some of the guests seem game for it and play along while others apparently have no clue what's going on or who they're talking to. (I can imagine.)
I liked how the characters' personalities were changed from their original incarnations. Space Ghost is a far cry from the stoic, heroic hero he used to be. He's now egotistical, pompous, and whiny when things don't go his way. He also sometimes shows evidence that he may have severe mental problems. Throughout the course of the show, we learn his real name (Tad Ghostal) and that he has an extended family (including an evil twin brother named Chad and a mom who chastises her sons for trying to kill each other). In the first few episodes, he usually asked the guests if they were getting enough oxygen but as the show went on and he got a more swelled head, he clearly didn't give a crap about their well being and was sometimes downright hostile towards them. (The interviews were always more than a little awkward anyway.) Interesting note: George Lowe, the voice of Space Ghost on this show, replaced Gary Owens, the voice in the original show who tried to do it for this one as well but wasn't funny enough. Lowe's voice suits this version of the character much better in my opinion.
A lot of the humor of the show came from Space Ghost's interactions with his villainous co-workers. Both Zorak and Moltar clearly hate him, (especially Zorak), and plot to destroy him and escape. But, they both have distinct personalities. Zorak is definitely the more evil of the two. He's completely pitiless and not above killing his own family members if it suits him (which he actually did at one point!) A running gag through the show is whether he's a locust or a mantis (he often changes his mind on which he is). Moltar, while still a villain, is much cooler and laid back than Zorak and is also the most competent of them all. (He's my favorite of the three.) I love how he's the voice of reason in the madness that is the show. One other villain that I have to mention because he became real popular after this show is Brak, a weird, cat-like creature. On the original Space Ghost cartoon, he was a rather intelligent villain. He underwent a complete personality change for his modern appearances. He and his brother appeared on the first episode of this show, acting as a parody of Beavis and Butt-Head (although I didn't know that at the time). From then on, he acted like a complete moron with an equally dumb voice to boot. He got much more developed on the spin-off, Cartoon Planet, and he even got his own short-lived show, The Brak Show (which I thought was a dream when I first saw an advertisement for it.) We'll talk more about Brak when we get to Cartoon Planet.
Not only was this show a parody of talk shows but it pretty much went after everything. Sometimes whole episodes would parody something, sometimes only small segments would, and there was a lot of breaking of the fourth wall as well. The animation was interesting because for the first few seasons, they used animation from the original show and edited it into the sets. I guess as the show got more popular and they got more money, they began creating original animation for the characters. What I'll do now is talk about some of my favorite episodes and moments. These will be from the first four seasons and I'll tell you why afterward.
Spanish Translation: The very first episode. I'm pretty sure I saw this first as well. It starts funny enough with Space Ghost reassuring everyone that the Ghost Planet outside the window is actually very far away even though it looks close. Of course, as soon as he says that, the planet slams into the studio and sends everyone reeling. One section that always bewildered me was when Space Ghost asks Susan Powter if she was ever kidnapped by dingos when she lived in Australia and she says she escaped the "bush" easily. They then cut to a MST3K-style parody using an odd clip of a plant-like monster (the "bush") stalking a city. (Turns out that was a clip from Ultra-7.) That always bewildered me as a little kid because I wanted to see that film. Besides the Beavis and Butt-Head parody with Brak I mentioned earlier, this episode also has a fake advertisement for a CD of Zorak and Moltar singing children songs. It's just weird.
Gilligan: The guests on this episode were three casts members of Gilligan's Island: Bob Denver, Dawn Wells, and Russell Johnson. Being only six, I had no idea what they were talking about but I managed to enjoy it nonetheless. I liked how Space Ghost thought the show was real and all three guests had to convince him that it wasn't. Zorak shows up in an actual scene from the show where Gilligan is singing Hamlet! My favorite part was the end section with Johnson. First, he can't remember the theme song, which really irks Space Ghost, and when he asks him if he's more like Beavis or Butt-Head, Space Ghost blasts him for saying the word "butt."
CHiPs: This the first episode where we learn Moltar's fixation with the show CHiPs. Space Ghost's guests are Bill Carter and Joe Franklin. The banter between both of these guys and Space Ghost is pretty good, especially with Franklin. I like how Franklin says, "When I was born, something terrible happened... I lived." The third guest was supposed to be Johnny Carson but Moltar's been too busy watching TV and he's lost the signal. Best Part: Space Ghost stresses, "Here's Johnny!" as Moltar frantically switches between random shows and movies (one of which I think was Gone with the Wind) until finally settling on footage of a weird scorpion/crab thing. (I have no idea what that is.) The quiet awkwardness that follows is gold.
Bobcat: One I often remembered because Bobcat Goldthwait was the voice of the main character of that Moxy Show I mentioned earlier. The interview between Space Ghost and Bobcat is all over the place. This is where we find out Space Ghost's real name, as well as Bobcat's real identity being Joey Lawrence. Best of all, Bobcat asks Space Ghost if he thinks he's pretty. I like his reaction before sincerely answering the question. Bobcat clearly looks like he's having fun with this show. Afterward, Space Ghost interviews the Ramones and he's none too thrilled when they get his party cake that was intended for him and Bobcat. Zorak apparently gave it to them. (It's revealed he's a big fan.)
Banjo: One of my favorites. Space Ghost has created a sea-monkey farm while Zorak is trying to control his mind during the show. Gaining control, Zorak makes Space Ghost say stupid things and make weird noises. Some of the stuff include him asking Schooly D if he wants to watch him swallow a live mollusk and randomly saying that he saw a lawn gnome once but it didn't scare him. He eventually puts a stop to it by blasting Zorak. The segment with Weird Al Yankovic is hilarious. (Whether you like Weird Al or not, he's always entertaining.) Zorak hypnotizes both him and Space Ghost into holding a B-flat and then he makes Al contort his body. The best part comes when Banjo, Space Ghost's sea-monkey, bursts into the studio, now having grown to an enormous size due to vitamins Space Ghost gave him earlier. He goes on a rampage until Space Ghost is forced to blast him. "BANJO!!!" he screams. Over the credits, you hear Moltar take a bite out of Banjo's carcass.
Batmantis: Another favorite of mine. It's definitely one of the best parodies of the 1960's Batman ever. Moltar has been kidnapped by someone calling herself, "Your Mother," and Space Ghost, along with Zorak's super hero alter-ego Batmantis, try to save him. Adam West keeps popping up, acting unwilling to help Space Ghost and wanting to shill his book. Lee Meriwether also has some pretty tense moments with Batmantis wile Space Ghost flirts with Eartha Kitt. A great running joke is the adversarial Your Mother, who's always referred to as such and there's a debate on whose mom she is. There are plenty of fourth wall breaking and blatant references to the old 1960's show, not the least when Space Ghost fires his rays and a word pops up each time. It even has that cheesy narration when they go to a break. Moltar is apparently doomed when Your Mother throws the switch that will kill him but as Space Ghost screams, it's revealed it was all a dream. Awesome episode.
Gum, Disease: This episode always broke me up. Moltar is really sick and it's causing problems for Space Ghost's attempts to interview Branford Marsalis and Danny Bonaduce. One instance is so funny to me that I'll spell it out. When Branford mentions something about strange mixes, Space Ghost says that for breakfast, he had a sausage and mayonnaise soup with a cream of corn omelet. Poor Moltar, who has a weak stomach, begs him to stop but Space Ghost goes on with some milk he left in the sun for a week (Moltar goes "Blecch!") and some fuzzy bread. Moltar can't take it and throws up in his helmet! That just kills me. Later, Moltar tries to scat along with Branford, Space Ghost, and Zorak but he coughs in the middle of it. Then, Space Ghost tells Danny Bonaduce to say "Ah," but he does it so loud that it breaks the windows of the studio. Funny stuff. Unfortunately due to dumb legal issues, this one isn't on DVD.
Hungry: This episode features Zorak's little nephew Raymond (just a miniaturized animation of Zorak with a little kid voice). I remember Raymond biting a horse (off-screen), all three of them arguing with a pizza guy who's really slow, and most memorable of all, Zorak eats Raymond off-screen! Space Ghost first calls him barbaric but then asks if there's any left! Pretty crazy episode.
Jerk: Space Ghost wants to put on a really good show but everyone else is determined to mess it up. You've got an entire audience full of Zorak's relatives, Space Ghost and the latter calling each other a jerk, Space Ghost's evil twin Chad calling and preparing to come to the studio, and the IRS calling. I love when Space Ghost tells Moltar to give him a big laugh but Moltar plays a short laugh clip, with Space Ghost asking, "That's a big laugh?" In the end, Space Ghost looses it, (This isn't a talk show, it's a freak show!) and yells at everyone to get out. The ending is creepy with Space Ghost left alone in the studio... or he thinks he is at first!
$20.01: Tired of Zorak and Moltar trying to kill him all the time, Space Ghost fires them and replaces them with a computer that goes haywire and takes over the show. Highlights include Zorak asking Moltar to take of his helmet (he does off-camera and you hear Zorak yell Good God!), Space Ghost chastising the computer for not having his guests laugh at his jokes and the computer says, "You didn't make any jokes" (the music that follows just completes it), Space Ghost cutting a huge fart when he uses his "smell ray", and a 2001 send-up at the end.
Lovesick: Space Ghost has broken up with his girlfriend and is not into the show tonight, which features Carrot Top. Space Ghost clearly hates Carrot Top and doesn't want to do the interview and the former, being the annoying person he is, makes it worse. When Space Ghost decides to get rid of him, Carrot Top starts hacking for some reason and Space Ghost sends him to Moltar, who's watching CHiPs, of course, and isn't too happy when he's interrupted. Even funnier is when the next guest is a cow and Space Ghost pours his heart out to him. Zorak chastises him for talking to a cow but suddenly the cow starts talking and goes on a long rant, blasting the show and all the characters.
Maybe some of these episodes aren't people's favorites but they're the ones that stuck out to me the most when I was a kid. I stopped watching the show after a while because it started to get just plain weird (that Freakshow episode especially) and not as funny to me. And like I said, I was out of Cartoon Network during my high school years. Little did I know that Space Ghost, Coast to Coast continued on Adult Swim and got all the more raunchy as it went on. I should probably watch the later seasons because I'm sure they're funny as well. For now, I've got good memories of this show. It was off-beat but downright funny as well. Hope others have enjoyed this.
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