THIS IS THE SHOW WAS MADE IN THE 1980S, IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME, WATCH!

Banshee Bake a Cherry Pie

Original Air date: October 28, 1987^[1]

Writers: Dennys McCoy and Pamela Hickey

Director: Dale Schott

Main Cast:

• Lorenzo Music as Peter Venkman
• Frank Welker as Raymond Stantz
• Maurice LaMarche as Egon Spengler
• Arsenio Hall as Winston Zeddemore
• Laura Summer as Janine Melnitz
• Frank Welker as Slimer

(Rating 4 of 5)

Summary: Peter is excited about his new stereo and getting the latest record of the artist Shanna O' Callahan.  Egon is not too impressed with Peter’s purchases.  As Peter begins to play his new record explosions go off in the firehouse climaxing with the destruction of Peter’s new stereo.  The noise that they heard was the noise of a banshee, according to Egon.  Egon explains that Banshees can destroy or control with their voice.  Ray and Winston notice that Shanna O' Callahan’s posters are up and she is about to go to a national broadcast with a performance at Carnegie Hall.  They conclude through the record that she must be the banshee and she is doing this to use her mind control powers and take over the entire country.

Peter is excited about his new record.

                The Ghostbusters confront Shanna’s business manager who throws them out.  They then sneak around and confront Shanna, who quickly reveals her powers to get floor beneath them to collapse and sends Peter into a weird dream where he was in a music video.  Even after Egon wakes him up Peter is still under her spell. 

Now look at the mess his record player caused.

                The Ghostbusters disguise themselves as rockers and try to pass themselves as Shanna’s body guards.  When they entered her room Peter saw Shanna's true form in the mirror and that cured him of his obsession on her but he was knocked out by her scream and the banshee escaped.  

Ghostbusters disguised  

                When Peter recovered his fellow Ghostbusters battled the banshee on stage of Carnegie Hall. When Shanna started to sing it backfired for Egon had already sabotaged her equipment to have the sound echo back and this forced the Banshee into her true form.  At this point the Ghostbusters were able to trap her.  The audience, thinking this was all just part of the show enthusiastically applauded.  Peter introduced himself as “Dr. V” to the audience and they continued to cheer thinking he was a performer.  Shanna's now ex-manager almost talked him into staying, but Peter decided to leave with his team of Ghostbusters.

What Shanna really looks like.

My Take: This was a very interesting and fun episode.  This episode is so dated, everything from Peter’s new stereo to those 80s rock outfits.  It does make me glad that I was a young as I was in the 1980s.  I missed the whole big hair rock era.  I was too busy watching GI Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Beetlejuice, and The Real Ghostbusters. 

                

                 Now for my stray observations:

·         Poor Peter it’s like he can’t buy anything new.  First the car and now this.

·         Egon not liking the radio even before it acted weird.  This just highlights the Ghostbusters’ poor choice for a living arrangement.  Having a bunk house with your friends might seem like fun.  But what happens when you disagree about things like this?/

·         How did Shanna get famous if every one of her records caused such destruction?

·         Peter dreams about being in a 1980s music video.  That is all I have to say about that.

·         The Ghostbusters are really bad drivers; I would hate to share the road with them.

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[1] Listed original air dates for entire syndicated season may not be correct.