Slimer for Hire

4 min read

"Slimer for Hire" is the sixth aired episode of Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters Season 1, and the first episode on DVD (Vol. 5, Disc 3). After Peter Venkman scolds Slimer for emptying the refrigerator again, Slimer sets out to earn his own money -- picking up jobs as a dishwasher and a dog walker. Meanwhile Professor Dweeb debuts a new invention, the Ecto Vac, and pursues Slimer across the city with it.

Written By: Pat Allee & Ben Hurst

Air Date: October 15, 1988

Production Number: 166007A

Episode (Aired): Season 1, Episode 6

Episode (DVD): Vol. 5, Disc 3 (01a)

Recorded: June 1, 1988

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Plot

Peter discovers the refrigerator is empty again after just going shopping that morning, and lectures Slimer about the cost of food. Once Peter leaves to restock, Slimer resolves to find a job and help out.

At his residence, Professor Dweeb unveils his latest gadget to his long-suffering poodle Elizabeth: the Ecto Vac. The device is designed to sniff out ectoplasm and suck it up into a lead-lined ghost trap body. Dweeb's demonstration goes poorly -- the Ecto Vac inhales a photograph of Slimer, the drapes Elizabeth is cleaning herself with, and nearly Elizabeth herself -- but Dweeb is undeterred.

Slimer visits the Ritz Cafe, where his friend Luigi takes him on as a dishwasher. Slimer cannot resist licking the food off the dirty plates rather than washing them, and the cafe's boss Rafael throws him out. Luigi pays him $1 anyway. Dweeb and Elizabeth arrive at the cafe with the Ecto Vac and set it running; the slime-coated plates swarm into the vacuum and the device is overwhelmed without ever catching Slimer.

Slimer runs into his friend Rudy near what appears to be 185 Central Park West and takes on a second job walking Rudy's two dogs. The dogs chase a kitten into the Central Park Zoo, where Slimer collides with a gorilla. Dweeb reappears with an upgraded device, the Improved Ecto Vac, a wearable suit mounted on tank treads. The Improved Ecto Vac captures the gorilla instead of Slimer; the gorilla roars, and the machine drags Dweeb and Elizabeth away at speed. Slimer returns the exhausted dogs to Rudy and collects another $1.

Back at the Firehouse, Peter is restocking the refrigerator when Slimer arrives and presents him with his $2 earnings. Peter is moved by the gesture. The mood lasts until Chilly Cooper's ice cream truck jingle drifts in through the window; Peter caves and hands the money back to Slimer, who races off happily for ice cream.

Characters

Slimer (voiced by Frank Welker) -- the lead; takes two jobs to help pay for food after Peter's lecture.
Peter Venkman (voiced by Dave Coulier) -- scolds Slimer at the start and is touched by Slimer's gesture at the end.
Professor Dweeb (voiced by Jeff Altman) -- Slimer's obsessive nemesis; introduces the Ecto Vac and Improved Ecto Vac in this episode. He is somewhat more restrained here than in later appearances.
Elizabeth (voiced by Charlie Adler) -- Dweeb's poodle and long-suffering companion; frequently suffers collateral damage from Dweeb's inventions.
Luigi -- Slimer's friend; runs or works at the Ritz Cafe and hires Slimer as a dishwasher.
Rafael -- the boss at the Ritz Cafe; dismisses Slimer after discovering the licked plates.
Rudy -- a friend who hires Slimer to walk his two dogs in Central Park.
Chilly Cooper (voice only) -- an ice cream vendor whose jingle is heard outside the Firehouse at the episode's close.

Equipment

Ecto Vac -- Professor Dweeb's first attempt at a slime-tracking capture device. The deluxe model sniffs out ectoplasm and vacuums it into a lead-lined ghost trap body. Deployed at the Ritz Cafe, it inhales a stack of slime-covered plates and fails to capture Slimer, appearing only in this episode.

Improved Ecto Vac -- Dweeb's upgraded follow-up, consisting of a wearable suit fixed to tank treads for greater mobility. Taken into Central Park, it inadvertently captures a gorilla rather than Slimer; the angry gorilla causes the device to flee, dragging Dweeb along with it. Also appearing only in this episode.

Dweeb's Van -- Dweeb's transport to Central Park.

Locations

Firehouse -- the Ghostbusters' headquarters; the episode opens and closes here.
Dweeb Residence -- where Dweeb introduces Elizabeth to the Ecto Vac.
Ritz Cafe -- Luigi's restaurant; the site of the Ecto Vac's first failed field test.
Central Park -- Slimer walks Rudy's dogs here; Rudy's address appears to be on 185 Central Park West based on a plaque seen in the episode.
Central Park Zoo -- the dogs chase a kitten inside; Dweeb deploys the Improved Ecto Vac here.

Trivia

The episode was recorded on June 1, 1988, and first aired October 15, 1988.
Slimer earned exactly $2 across both jobs: $1 from Luigi and $1 from Rudy.
Professor Dweeb is noticeably more subdued in this episode compared to later Slimer! appearances.
The address plaque visible when Rudy meets Slimer reads "185," placing the encounter near 185 Central Park West.
This episode marks the debut of both the Ecto Vac and the Improved Ecto Vac, gadgets exclusive to this episode.

References

Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters, "Slimer for Hire" (Season 1, Episode 6; aired October 15, 1988; production no. 166007A)

Slimer for Hire

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Plot

Characters

Equipment

Locations

Trivia

References