The Real Ghostbusters is a cartoon series based on the film Ghostbusters which was made by Columbia Pictures. This cartoon series focused on the adventures of Peter Venkman, Ray Stanz, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zedmore. Other characters include Jenine Melnitz, and Slimer and later Lewis Tulley was added to the series. This series lasted from Sept. 13, 1986 to Oct. 5 1991.

Slimer was a globby, voracious green spirit, called only "Green Ghost" in the first film. The cartoon gave him more personality and made him more of a sympathetic character. The versatile Frank Welker provided his semi-intelligible gibberings.

For season four (premiering on Sept. 10, 1988), the show's title was changed to Slimer and The Real Ghostbusters because the producers, recognizing Slimer's popularity, wanted to give him more camera time. They even gave him a couple of arch-nemeses: a scruffy cat named Manx and an obsessive scientist named Norman Dweeb, who constantly pursues him.

This series takes place in between Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II.

A more recent, short-lived incarnation was Extreme Ghostbusters, which featured three younger Ghostbusters lead by former Ghostbuster Egon and Secretary Jenine.