Writers
Although I'll be thrilled if anyone besides Jake bothers reading this, I must admit, it's a resource created with my own personal use in mind. When watching EGB, I find it interesting to compare episodes with common writers, though these are strangely rare; six writers have two episodes to their name, and one has three, which means the remaining twenty-five episodes were written by one-offs. Because there are so many, I always forget who's written what even before I've finished my watch-through, and now I've got to a stage where I want to have easy access to this information.
Listed below are the writers with more than one EGB episode to their name and/or one or more episodes of RGB, as this too is information I would like to have at my fingertips. For each writer I hash out my opinions on his (every one of them happens to be a man) EGB-writing strengths, weaknesses and inconsistencies (if any) and, where relevant, I consider the influence an RGB-related background seems to have had. What some people (RGB fans, really) may consider to be lacking is information on the quality of these guys' RGB episodes; this is simply because I am not in a position to judge.
See also: Episode Guide.
Listed below are the writers with more than one EGB episode to their name and/or one or more episodes of RGB, as this too is information I would like to have at my fingertips. For each writer I hash out my opinions on his (every one of them happens to be a man) EGB-writing strengths, weaknesses and inconsistencies (if any) and, where relevant, I consider the influence an RGB-related background seems to have had. What some people (RGB fans, really) may consider to be lacking is information on the quality of these guys' RGB episodes; this is simply because I am not in a position to judge.
See also: Episode Guide.
Duane Capizzi
'Fear Itself'
'Deadliners'
RGB episodes: 1
This is the writer whose two episodes I always remember are his; they appear back-to-back very near the beginning of the series, when I am still concentrating on the writers' names as they come up. These are both five-star episodes for me, and I was not a bit surprised to see that they were written by the same person. The characterisation is consistent across both of them, from Eduardo's hidden depths to his banter with Garrett to his dynamic with Kylie. Let's not forget Roland; Duane also understands his character as the team's anchor and a thoroughly sensible, courageous and useful guy to have around. I wouldn't have guessed there was any RGB in this writer's background; Duane's one episode certainly hasn't ruined him for EGB, as Egon, Janine and Slimer are used in what I consider to be very appropriate ways. On reflection, I suppose the one tell-tale sign is Slimer's involvement in 'Fear Itself', which feels overall more RGB than EGB.
Steve Cuden
'The Pied Piper of Manhattan'
'Ghost in the Machine'
Though I give his first episode three stars and his second only one, this combination does not surprise me. 'The Pied Piper of Manhattan' is fairly enjoyable because of its plot, with the characterisation being neither good nor bad, apart from a few dodgy moments. 'Ghost in the Machine' is similarly plot-driven with middle-quality characterisation, but (I'm sorry) badly written and overall less successful in my opinion.
Steven Melching
'In Your Dreams'
'Glutton for Punishment'
Jake and I were very interested to see this guy on the writing team, as he wrote several of the better episodes of The Mummy cartoon series, which a lot of people seem to hate but I quite like and Jake loves enough to have written a virtual season for it (you can find this via the Links page if you want it enough). It's also very interesting to us that The Mummy was developed for television by 'Rage' writers Tom Pugsley and Greg Klein, actually, but now back to Steven; for me, there is quite some difference between his two EGB episodes, so the combination does surprise me. I give 'In Your Dreams' a solid five stars for lots of lovely characterisation, helped along splendidly by a very sexy bit of Eduardo and Kylie shipper fodder, whereas 'Glutton for Punishment' lacks both of these elements. Egon and Slimer provide the best moments in that, so I wouldn't have been surprised to learn Steven had written some RGB, but evidently he hasn't. Having said all that, plot and characterisation aren't exactly bad in 'Glutton for Punishment', just much less stimulating for me than 'In Your Dreams'.
Richard Mueller
'Seeds of Destruction'
'A Temporary Insanity'
RGB episodes: 23
I quite like 'Seeds of Destruction' (I give it three stars) because I think the characterisation of Garrett and Kylie is interesting, though it doesn't exactly fit hand-in-glove with the series overall. The problem I do have with this episode is that Eduardo's sometimes haphazard approach to ghostbusting is greatly overdone, and then in 'A Temporary Insanity' (one star!), he tips over into the ridiculous. That episode suggests overall limited understanding of the new characters, with some decent moments for Janine and Slimer in particular, and plenty for Egon too, with several references back to the days of RGB (including the single use in this series of Slimer's 'Spud' nickname), so I was not surprised in the least when I saw that Richard had written a number of RGB episodes. A large number! I have always felt that this writer's RGB background rather damages 'A Temporary Insanity' as an EGB episode, which is why I've been surprised on more than one occasion when realising that he also wrote 'Seeds of Destruction'. Having said that, even the characterisation I like seems interpreted from basic character notes rather than a deep understanding, and the handling of Eduardo really goes to underline this. I'd feel bad if I didn't mention Roland as well; I guess these episodes really just make him uninteresting.
Steve Perry
'Ghost Apocalyptic Future'
RGB episodes: 3
I've seen various online locations where hardcore RGB fans say that they consider this to be one of the better episodes of EGB. I don't know how far the writer is responsible for this, but as Egon, Slimer and Janine never hog the spotlight and the story really is EGB-focused, I'll venture to suggest it's not because of them. As an EGB fan full of carefully cultivated opinions, I do not like this episode. I give it two stars for being watchable and having some nice shippy moments, but overall I feel that it falls into the dreaded trap of style over substance; the plot is showy without making much sense, and the characterisation is nothing special.
Bruce Reid Schaefer
'Fallout'
RGB episodes: 3
I had to include Bruce simply because I'm including everyone who wrote for RGB, but it's a bit difficult to know what to say about him. I give 'Fallout' three stars; there's nothing wrong with the characterisation of the new team, and the RGB background doesn't encroach, although Egon has all the best lines and we do have this guy to thank for Janine's sister having a name in canon (Doris). Thinking about it, then, he gets the balance about right. Well done, Bruce!
Steve Roberts
'The Infernal Machine'
'Grease'
'The Sphinx'
RGB episodes: 1
As you can see, this particular Steve is the most prolific EGB writer. His episodes, not clearly all from the same mind but not surprising either, make a pleasing combination for me. All of them have good characterisation and a healthy dose of humour and, unlike others, Steve has shown (me) that he is versatile. I only give the 'The Sphinx' three stars, despite it being better written than other three-star episodes, because I prefer more focus on the new characters; it's mean of me, as the characterisation of my favourite awesome foursome is good, and we all know this is a great episode for Egon. Because of this episode, I wasn't surprised to learn that Steve had been on the writing team for an RGB episode ('Poultrygeist', along with Duane Capizzi, very interestingly; I wonder if it's generally considered much good), but his RGB awareness certainly doesn't encroach on his EGB-writing skills. Steve has also successfully showcased the notoriously not-quite-so-compelling Roland in 'The Infernal Machine' (four stars), while 'Grease' (five stars) has just the right amount of whole-cast characterisation to see us through a funny, well-calculated farce.
Neil Ruttenberg
'Home Is Where the Horror Is'
'Heart of Darkness'
I find this combination absolutely astonishing. I always manage to remember that the writer of 'Home Is Where the Horror Is' has one other episode to his name, and that it's one of the ones I'm not crazy about, but I always forget it's 'Heart of Darkness'. I find that one absolutely dire; I give it only one star, whereas I give 'Home Is Where the Horror Is' four. When I first made the discovery, I just had to try and reason it out, and since then I've realised that the strength of 'Home Is Where the Horror Is' is its compelling plot, while characterisation is quite thin on the ground. What the team say and do to facilitate the plot is about right (although Neil doesn't seem to know that Kylie and Eduardo are trying to have a ship), whereas 'Heart of Darkness' tries to do more in terms of characterisation, and that for me is its downfall. As far as I'm concerned, Kylie in particular suffers as she is characterised by attempts to amplify what she has on the surface. She spouts clichés about magic and science, suddenly shares her sadness about Grandma Rose with whoever will listen, and demonstrates that she is what's generally called 'strong' by physically and verbally attacking a demon who's come to rob the museum she's visiting; it's all just rather obvious and overdone. 'Home Is Where the Horror Is', in my opinion, works much better for its compelling plot and unambitious characterisation.
Brooks Wachtel
'The Luck of the Irish'
'Back in the Saddle, Part 2'
Another thing that always surprises me is that no writer of either 'Back in the Saddle' episode was ever an RGB writer, but maybe RGB fans are less surprised. Then again, maybe they're not. Both these episodes get three stars from me. I have said elsewhere, including on this website, that other Ghostbusters sharing screen-time with my favourite awesome foursome doesn't appeal to me; having said that, I find Part 2 of 'Back in the Saddle' more interesting than Part 1, and I think Brooks did about the best with it (to satisfy me, I mean) that anyone could. I realised recently (writing this in March 2018) that a huge aspect of Part 1 I find boring is the old and new teams going through the process of 'forming, storming, norming and performing', but I guess that was inevitable, so I won't blame the writers and I'll venture to suggest that Brooks Wachtel couldn't have handled it any better. As it is, Brooks was given two chances to show me he was a decent EGB writer, and he didn't waste them.
And now, I want to mention the writers who gave me my five-star episodes. No need to analyse them; all I'd do is say they're great in various ways.
'Fear Itself'
'Deadliners'
RGB episodes: 1
This is the writer whose two episodes I always remember are his; they appear back-to-back very near the beginning of the series, when I am still concentrating on the writers' names as they come up. These are both five-star episodes for me, and I was not a bit surprised to see that they were written by the same person. The characterisation is consistent across both of them, from Eduardo's hidden depths to his banter with Garrett to his dynamic with Kylie. Let's not forget Roland; Duane also understands his character as the team's anchor and a thoroughly sensible, courageous and useful guy to have around. I wouldn't have guessed there was any RGB in this writer's background; Duane's one episode certainly hasn't ruined him for EGB, as Egon, Janine and Slimer are used in what I consider to be very appropriate ways. On reflection, I suppose the one tell-tale sign is Slimer's involvement in 'Fear Itself', which feels overall more RGB than EGB.
Steve Cuden
'The Pied Piper of Manhattan'
'Ghost in the Machine'
Though I give his first episode three stars and his second only one, this combination does not surprise me. 'The Pied Piper of Manhattan' is fairly enjoyable because of its plot, with the characterisation being neither good nor bad, apart from a few dodgy moments. 'Ghost in the Machine' is similarly plot-driven with middle-quality characterisation, but (I'm sorry) badly written and overall less successful in my opinion.
Steven Melching
'In Your Dreams'
'Glutton for Punishment'
Jake and I were very interested to see this guy on the writing team, as he wrote several of the better episodes of The Mummy cartoon series, which a lot of people seem to hate but I quite like and Jake loves enough to have written a virtual season for it (you can find this via the Links page if you want it enough). It's also very interesting to us that The Mummy was developed for television by 'Rage' writers Tom Pugsley and Greg Klein, actually, but now back to Steven; for me, there is quite some difference between his two EGB episodes, so the combination does surprise me. I give 'In Your Dreams' a solid five stars for lots of lovely characterisation, helped along splendidly by a very sexy bit of Eduardo and Kylie shipper fodder, whereas 'Glutton for Punishment' lacks both of these elements. Egon and Slimer provide the best moments in that, so I wouldn't have been surprised to learn Steven had written some RGB, but evidently he hasn't. Having said all that, plot and characterisation aren't exactly bad in 'Glutton for Punishment', just much less stimulating for me than 'In Your Dreams'.
Richard Mueller
'Seeds of Destruction'
'A Temporary Insanity'
RGB episodes: 23
I quite like 'Seeds of Destruction' (I give it three stars) because I think the characterisation of Garrett and Kylie is interesting, though it doesn't exactly fit hand-in-glove with the series overall. The problem I do have with this episode is that Eduardo's sometimes haphazard approach to ghostbusting is greatly overdone, and then in 'A Temporary Insanity' (one star!), he tips over into the ridiculous. That episode suggests overall limited understanding of the new characters, with some decent moments for Janine and Slimer in particular, and plenty for Egon too, with several references back to the days of RGB (including the single use in this series of Slimer's 'Spud' nickname), so I was not surprised in the least when I saw that Richard had written a number of RGB episodes. A large number! I have always felt that this writer's RGB background rather damages 'A Temporary Insanity' as an EGB episode, which is why I've been surprised on more than one occasion when realising that he also wrote 'Seeds of Destruction'. Having said that, even the characterisation I like seems interpreted from basic character notes rather than a deep understanding, and the handling of Eduardo really goes to underline this. I'd feel bad if I didn't mention Roland as well; I guess these episodes really just make him uninteresting.
Steve Perry
'Ghost Apocalyptic Future'
RGB episodes: 3
I've seen various online locations where hardcore RGB fans say that they consider this to be one of the better episodes of EGB. I don't know how far the writer is responsible for this, but as Egon, Slimer and Janine never hog the spotlight and the story really is EGB-focused, I'll venture to suggest it's not because of them. As an EGB fan full of carefully cultivated opinions, I do not like this episode. I give it two stars for being watchable and having some nice shippy moments, but overall I feel that it falls into the dreaded trap of style over substance; the plot is showy without making much sense, and the characterisation is nothing special.
Bruce Reid Schaefer
'Fallout'
RGB episodes: 3
I had to include Bruce simply because I'm including everyone who wrote for RGB, but it's a bit difficult to know what to say about him. I give 'Fallout' three stars; there's nothing wrong with the characterisation of the new team, and the RGB background doesn't encroach, although Egon has all the best lines and we do have this guy to thank for Janine's sister having a name in canon (Doris). Thinking about it, then, he gets the balance about right. Well done, Bruce!
Steve Roberts
'The Infernal Machine'
'Grease'
'The Sphinx'
RGB episodes: 1
As you can see, this particular Steve is the most prolific EGB writer. His episodes, not clearly all from the same mind but not surprising either, make a pleasing combination for me. All of them have good characterisation and a healthy dose of humour and, unlike others, Steve has shown (me) that he is versatile. I only give the 'The Sphinx' three stars, despite it being better written than other three-star episodes, because I prefer more focus on the new characters; it's mean of me, as the characterisation of my favourite awesome foursome is good, and we all know this is a great episode for Egon. Because of this episode, I wasn't surprised to learn that Steve had been on the writing team for an RGB episode ('Poultrygeist', along with Duane Capizzi, very interestingly; I wonder if it's generally considered much good), but his RGB awareness certainly doesn't encroach on his EGB-writing skills. Steve has also successfully showcased the notoriously not-quite-so-compelling Roland in 'The Infernal Machine' (four stars), while 'Grease' (five stars) has just the right amount of whole-cast characterisation to see us through a funny, well-calculated farce.
Neil Ruttenberg
'Home Is Where the Horror Is'
'Heart of Darkness'
I find this combination absolutely astonishing. I always manage to remember that the writer of 'Home Is Where the Horror Is' has one other episode to his name, and that it's one of the ones I'm not crazy about, but I always forget it's 'Heart of Darkness'. I find that one absolutely dire; I give it only one star, whereas I give 'Home Is Where the Horror Is' four. When I first made the discovery, I just had to try and reason it out, and since then I've realised that the strength of 'Home Is Where the Horror Is' is its compelling plot, while characterisation is quite thin on the ground. What the team say and do to facilitate the plot is about right (although Neil doesn't seem to know that Kylie and Eduardo are trying to have a ship), whereas 'Heart of Darkness' tries to do more in terms of characterisation, and that for me is its downfall. As far as I'm concerned, Kylie in particular suffers as she is characterised by attempts to amplify what she has on the surface. She spouts clichés about magic and science, suddenly shares her sadness about Grandma Rose with whoever will listen, and demonstrates that she is what's generally called 'strong' by physically and verbally attacking a demon who's come to rob the museum she's visiting; it's all just rather obvious and overdone. 'Home Is Where the Horror Is', in my opinion, works much better for its compelling plot and unambitious characterisation.
Brooks Wachtel
'The Luck of the Irish'
'Back in the Saddle, Part 2'
Another thing that always surprises me is that no writer of either 'Back in the Saddle' episode was ever an RGB writer, but maybe RGB fans are less surprised. Then again, maybe they're not. Both these episodes get three stars from me. I have said elsewhere, including on this website, that other Ghostbusters sharing screen-time with my favourite awesome foursome doesn't appeal to me; having said that, I find Part 2 of 'Back in the Saddle' more interesting than Part 1, and I think Brooks did about the best with it (to satisfy me, I mean) that anyone could. I realised recently (writing this in March 2018) that a huge aspect of Part 1 I find boring is the old and new teams going through the process of 'forming, storming, norming and performing', but I guess that was inevitable, so I won't blame the writers and I'll venture to suggest that Brooks Wachtel couldn't have handled it any better. As it is, Brooks was given two chances to show me he was a decent EGB writer, and he didn't waste them.
And now, I want to mention the writers who gave me my five-star episodes. No need to analyse them; all I'd do is say they're great in various ways.
- Siobhan Byrne ('The Unseen')
- Duane Capizzi ('Fear Itself' and 'Deadliners')
- Patricia Carr ('Be Careful What You Wish For')
- Adam Gilad ('Simer's Sacrifice')
- Marty Isenberg ('The True Face of a Monster')
- Greg Klein ('Rage')
- Lane Raichert (''Til Death Do Us Start')
- Steven Melching ('In Your Dreams')
- Martin Olson ('Grundelesque')
- Thomas Pugsley ('Rage')
- Lara Runnels ('Be Careful What You Wish For')
- Steve Roberts ('Grease')
- Bob Skir ('The True Face of a Monster')
- Alexx Van Dyne ('Killjoys')
