The first network season of The Real Ghostbusters, and its only
official first-run syndicated season, the show was a monster hit. Major
league numbers, #1. Naturally, as soon as that happened, everyone started
to try and figure out how to "fix" it. Everyone starts protecting his
investment. They want to play it safe. Which inevitably leads to the
show getting screwed up, but that never stops them.

So the network brought in consultants, who said that this is a kid's
series, so you have to have *kids* in it (this after steadfastly refusing
to diverge from the desire on our part to continue the tradition of the
movie, using only adult characters). The Junior Ghostbusters, one of the
lamest ideas in TV history. Then they started on Janine...who was much to
their dismay a strong female character. They felt that she should be
changed to a more warm, nurturing character, that her dry sense of humor
was too aggressive, and that she should be made more into a "mommy figure"
(to use their terms).

Her clothes, eccentric and personalized, were deemed "slutty," and
had to be replaced by dresses and soft blouses. She should be made more
deferential to the male characters. She had to lose the pointed glasses
she wore, replacing them instead with round glasses because "sharp objects
frighten children."

Janine was a strong, forceful, independent character who could take
care of herself, and you didn't mess with her. She was sharp, and funny,
and just a real kick to write for. This was the kind of character I'd
fought to preserve, and it had proven to be a hit...and now they wanted to
turn that upside down and turn her into a mommy. Ain't nothing wrong with
mommies. But there's plenty of mommy-figures in cartoons; why not provide
an alternative view...a working career woman who is generally satisfied
with her life? Leaving aside the role-model question for the moment, I
happen to really, really, *really* love writing strong female characters.
I love strong female characters in general. Most of my relationships
have been with strong-willed, independent, very bright women. I love it
when I'm outsmarted or one-upped; it makes me work harder.

So when they did *this*...I shot back a very loud "Not a chance." NOt
on this show. I went to meetings. Got into huge arguments with these
so-called consultants. Finally, I said that if they were going to do this,
they'd have to do it without my participation; I refused to participate in
the lobotomy of that show, or that character. So I resigned. Later, when
their new "approach" to the show began to nosedive, I was asked if I'd
return. I was then working on POWER, and couldn't...but agreed to write
some episodes on the following conditions: 1) the new story editors were
not to so much as *touch* my scripts, or the deal was off; 2) in my
unverse the Junior Ghostbusters did not exist, and would not appear in any
of my scripts; and 3) I wrote the old Janine, not the "new" Janine, and
that was with all of her attitudes intact. They agreed.

And that is the story.

jms