Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Genre	Comedy[1] Surreal humor Talk show Satire Parody
Created by	Mike Lazzo
Based on	Space Ghost byAlex Toth
Written by	Matthew Maiellaro[a] Dave Willis[b] Matt Harrigan[c] Various[d]
Directed by	C. Martin Croker[e]
Voices of	George Lowe C. Martin Croker Andy Merrill
Opening theme	"Hit Single" bySonny Sharrock
Composers	Sonny Sharrock Eddie Horst Man or Astro-man?
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	11
No. of episodes	109[f](list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Mike Lazzo[g] Keith Crofford[h] Matt Harrigan[i] Elliot Blake[j]
Producers	Andy Merrill[k] Khaki Jones[k] Matt Maiellaro[l] Michael Cahill[m] Mike Lazzo[n] Keith Crofford[n] Dave Willis[o]
Running time	11–23 minutes[p] 5 minutes[q]
Production companies	Cartoon Network Productions Williams Street[r] Williams Street West[s]
Original release
Network	Cartoon Network
Release	April 15, 1994 (1994-04-15) – July 22, 2001 (2001-07-22)
Network	Adult Swim
Release	September 2, 2001 (2001-09-02) – April 12, 2004 (2004-04-12)
Network	GameTap
Release	May 30, 2006 (2006-05-30) – May 31, 2008 (2008-05-31)
Related
Cartoon Planet Aqua Teen Hunger Force Sealab 2021 Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law The Brak Show Perfect Hair Forever

Space Ghost Coast to Coast is an American adult live-action/animatedparodytalk show created byMike Lazzo forCartoon Network. A spin-off ofHanna-Barbera'sSpace Ghost, it is hosted by a reimagined version of the series protagonistSpace Ghost.^[2] It incorporatessurreal andnon-sequitur humor while reusing substantial amounts of animation from Hanna-Barbera series.^[2] It is the first TV show to be produced byWilliams Street (formerly known as Ghost Planet Industries), which was formed during production of the third season and later started programming blockAdult Swim in the early 2000s.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast is one of the first original series produced for Cartoon Network, and the earliest not to broadcast pre-existing cartoons. It premiered on April 15, 1994, and originally ended on December 17, 1999.^[3] It was revived on May 7, 2001, and was moved to the new Adult Swim late-night programming block on September 2, where new episodes premiered until April 12, 2004. Two final seasons were released exclusively onGameTap from 2006 to 2008.109 episodes were aired over 11 seasons.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast helped launch the careers of the animatorsAdam Reed,Matt Thompson,Andy Merrill, Jim Fortier, Pete Smith,Michael Ouweleen,Erik Richter,Dave Willis, andMatt Maiellaro. It produced the spin-offsThe Brak Show,Aqua Teen Hunger Force,Perfect Hair Forever, andHarvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. The series inspired or influenced other series for Adult Swim, includingSealab 2021 andThe Eric Andre Show.

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Space Ghost Coast to Coast uses a subvertedtalk show format hosted bySpace Ghost as he interviews live-action guest stars, whom Space Ghost usually believes to be fellow superheroes, appearing on a monitor beside Space Ghost's desk. In early episodes, Space Ghost begins his interviews by asking guests about their superpowers. His interactions with guests can be awkward because the guests' answers are often changed to humorously match Space Ghost's questions in post-production. Later episodes feature guests being allowed to interact directly with the characters. Space Ghost is depicted to be highly idiotic with a weak grasp of basic concepts and lack of common sense, becoming more and more eccentric and egomaniacal with how he manages the show and treats his guests.

Space Ghost'sbandleader, an evil talkingmantis named Zorak, and his director-producer, a red-helmeted lava man named Moltar, work forced unpaid labor for Space Ghost, ostensibly as punishment for their crimes committed onthe original series. Because of their history as enemies of Space Ghost, they never get along with him even as co-workers and often make it very clear that they hate him and disrupt the show as retaliation for their forced labor. Zorak is especially hateful towards Space Ghost due to being his arch-enemy, whereas Moltar just puts up with being forced to do the show against his will, but will chime in to antagonize Space Ghost from time to time alongside Zorak.

Early seasons feature music played by Zorak and his band "The Original Way-Outs". The original theme song, "Hit Single", was composed byfree jazz guitaristSonny Sharrock and performed by Sharrock on guitar,Lance Carter on drums, Eddie Horst on bass, andAlfreda Gerald on vocals. Sharrock and Carter recorded songs for the show that were later compiled on thealbumSpace Ghost Coast to Coast. As a tribute to Sharrock, who died in May 1994 shortly after the show first aired, the episode "Sharrock" featured fifteen minutes of unedited takes of music recorded for the show.

Seasons 4–6 feature a new closing theme byMan or Astro-man?, and in later seasons the opening theme and titles were nearly abandoned. Alternate songs are sometimes used as theme music, including theCHiPs theme song for the episode titled "CHiPs". An hour-long musical season finale featuring the bandsYo La Tengo andCornershop was planned for the 1998 season but never produced.^[4]

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Space Ghost Coast to Coast was conceptualized by Cartoon Network programmerMike Lazzo after he was asked to develop acartoon to appeal to adults.^[1] It began as an attempt to revive Hanna-Barbera'sWacky Races alongside Khaki Jones and Andy Merrill, which eventually transitioned into focusing solely on Space Ghost.^[5] The series' original title stemmed from early 1993 when Andy Merrill andJay Edwards were brainstorming names for a marathon of the 1960sSpace Ghost for Cartoon Network, trying to find things that rhyme with "Ghost". Because of budget limitations,Ned Hastings recycled clips from the original series and reorganized them on anAvidnon-linear editor for a "talk show" style program. Because the series remixedlimited animation, editing took the most time in production.^[6] The characters' crudely animated lips, awkward movements that resembled "paper dolls glued to Popsicle sticks", andcontinuity errors became part of the joke.^[7] Production of the first season was handled by Crawford Communications at Atlanta due to its proximity to Cartoon Network headquarters. Lazzo managed to poach animatorC. Martin Croker from Crawford to the network; in addition to being the show's principal animator, it was also his idea to haveZorak and Moltar be Space Ghost's sidekicks, voicing both characters with sufficient mastery to have impressed Lazzo.^[5]

Merrill assembled aproof of concept test pilot in April 1993, using archival footage ofDenzel Washington, and Merrill voiced Space Ghost. The pilot never aired but an edited version later appeared on DVD, with Washington removed.^[8]

A second pilot was developed, interviewingEmma Thompson.Gary Owens, who originally voiced Space Ghost in the 1960s show, portrayed the character for the pilot.^[9] George Lowe was eventually cast as Space Ghost whenCoast to Coast was officially picked up. Owens later made a cameo appearance on the show.^[9]

The series premiered on April 15, 1994,^[10][11] having aired initially at 11:00 p.m. ET on Friday nights, with an encore showing of the episode on Saturday night. Later, the program was moved to various late-night time slots, usually on weekends. Cartoon Network'sAdult Swim often aired two 11-minute episodes back-to-back with advertisements to make a 30-minute programming block. In its first few years, Cartoon Network showed episodes of the original 1960s and 1980sSpace Ghost cartoons (sometimes with an addedlaugh track) after each 11-minute episode ofSpace Ghost Coast to Coast.Ghost Planet Industries was founded around the premiere of the third season as it progressively split from Cartoon Network management.^[3]

In February 1995, an episode ofSpace Ghost Coast to Coast was simulcast on Cartoon Network,TBS, andTNT for the "World Premiere Toon-In" special debut of Cartoon Network'sWorld Premiere Toons series. In the special, Space Ghost interviews a few of the new directors, while the Council of Doom members are the judges of the cartoon clips. The first run ended on December 17, 1999, with the episode "King Dead".

On September 2, 2001, new episodes and re-runs moved to Cartoon Network's late-night programming block Adult Swim during the block's premiere. The series ended its television run in 2004 with its 93rd episode, "Live at the Fillmore".^[3]

In 2006, the series returned as a five-minuteweb series onTurner Broadcasting'sGameTap online service, in which Space Ghost interviewed celebrities from the video game industry and GameTap's artist of the month. The series officially concluded with the final webisode on May 31, 2008. As of today, it is unknown if Williams Street still have copies of the GameTap episodes after the show later got removed in 2008, following GameTap's shutdown in 2010,^[12] and Adult Swim has not aired the GameTap seasons, released on home media, nor on any streaming services since. Despite this, almost all of the 17 episodes from the GameTap seasons are found.^[13]

OnApril Fools' Day 2014, Adult Swim broadcast an unannouncedSpace Ghost Coast to Coast marathon with new material in the form of commercials featuring Space Ghost, Zorak, and Moltar in a voice-recording booth ad-libbing lines from episodes. The series has seen occasional marathons on Adult Swim since, including one on October 22, 2021, in promotion of an Adult Swim tie-in withCarl's Jr.

In commemoration of the show's 30th anniversary, Adult Swim streamed a 16-episode marathon loop on the Adult Swim YouTube channel. The stream lasted for one month.

• Space Ghost (voiced byGeorge Lowe) was a 1960s superhero who fought supervillains. In the 1990s, he was brought back as a host for his own late-night talk show.
• Zorak (voiced byC. Martin Croker) is amantis-likealien who is the band leader and Space Ghost's sidekick. Known for his hatred of Space Ghost, he is Brak's best friend although he gives him little respect. Though Space Ghost's prisoner, Zorak retains his membership in the Council of Doom. He co-hostsCartoon Planet and its revival with Brak.
• Moltar (voiced byC. Martin Croker) is the show's director and producer. He is an alien who has a body that is made entirely oflava, and he normally wears an orange and gray full-body containment suit which has a breathing receptacle. He is defined by two things: his role as thestraight man on the show (much to his chagrin), and his passion for the showCHiPs, in particular starErik Estrada.

• Brak (voiced byAndy Merrill) is alion-like alien who, although a villain, is the weakest and least-threatening one on both this program and the earlierSpace Ghost series. He appears on the series periodically, often with the Council of Doom, of which he is a member, and is often victimized by Space Ghost. He co-hostsCartoon Planet and its revival with Space Ghost and Zorak.
• Tansut (voiced byDon Kennedy) is an overweight and cowardly alien in an orange costume and helmet. His outfit makes him appear much more menacing than he actually is. He is a member of the Council of Doom. For about half the episodes of season 4, he announces the show off-screen until he is fired by Space Ghost.
• Lokar (voiced byAndy Merrill) is alocust-like alien who is prone to violent outbursts. Lokar seems to harbor a grudge towards Space Ghost, and constantly seeks his destruction, perhaps more for his boorishness than anything else. Lokar is a member of the Council of Doom, though he is not so much evil as a snob.
• Metallus (voiced by Michael Tew in 1994) is a big metallic creature who is a member of the Council of Doom. In his first appearance, Metallus did speak English similar to the original cartoon but it was changed to only talking in a reverb-heavy metallic drone, rendering his every word incomprehensible, though other characters seem to understand him.
• Black Widow (voiced byJudy Tenuta) is a 300-year-old sorceress who has often tried to get a man. Black Widow has a thing for Space Ghost much to the disgust of him and her fellow Council of Doom members.
• Chad Ghostal (voiced by Brad Abelle) is Space Ghost's evil twin brother. He is abeatnik with a love forjazz music and uses outdated beatnik slang while also being a womanizer.
• Harvey Birdman (voiced by Scott Finnell) is the host of the show in the episodes "Pilot" and "Sequel." He then gets a job as a lawyer in his own spin-off showHarvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, where he is voiced byGary Cole.

InCanada,Space Ghost Coast to Coast previously aired onTeletoon'sTeletoon at Night block,^[14] and periodically airs on theCanadian version of Adult Swim.^[15]

Space Ghost Coast to Coast has received generally positive reviews from critics. In January 2009,IGN namedSpace Ghost Coast to Coast as their 37th favorite animated TV show in their Top 100 Best Animated TV Shows article.^[16] In 2013,IGN placedSpace Ghost Coast to Coast as number 18 on their list of Top 25 animated series for adults.^[17]

Alex Toth, the creator of Hanna-Barbera'sSpace Ghost, was rumored to have been displeased with the usage of his characters in parody, but Toth wrote letters in which he admitted to appreciating all adaptations of his work.^[18]

In a 2012 interview,Eric André mentioned being a big fan of the show, stating it was a major influence on him while developing his own series for Adult Swim,The Eric Andre Show. Before shooting Andre would rewatch several episodes ofSpace Ghost Coast to Coast in a row in order to "absorb as muchSpace Ghost" as he could. Andre would also ask executive producer and Adult Swim president Mike Lazzo several questions about the series, as he was an executive during its production run. To Andre's surprise Lazzo had no interest inSpace Ghost Coast to Coast, saying "Space Ghost is dead to me".^[19]

The character Space Ghost has hosted variousCoast to Coast-style interviews outside of the series, including an interview withJim Carrey and film directorChuck Russell for the 1995 VHS release ofThe Mask, a 2009 interview withZoe Saldaña to promoteJames Cameron'sAvatar, a 2010 interview withJack Black to promoteGulliver's Travels, a 2010 short withSteve Nash to promoteVitaminWater,^[20] a 2011 interview withTommy Wiseau interspersed during commercial breaks on Adult Swim's April Fools' Day broadcast ofThe Room, and a 2012 interview withWill Ferrell andZach Galifianakis to promoteThe Campaign. Space Ghost has appeared in commercials forCoca-Cola,Dr Pepper,AT&T,Nestea,Esurance, and VitaminWater as well as network promos for Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. Space Ghost, Moltar, Zorak, Brak, andMojo Jojo fromThe Powerpuff Girls appear in a 2002 interview with professional soccer playerHugo Sánchez on the Latin America Cartoon Network channel, and again in 2003 interviewingÓscar Pérez Rojas, which also features Eustace fromCourage the Cowardly Dog.^[21]

Space Ghost frequently makes cameo appearances in episodes of or promos for other Cartoon Network or Adult Swim animated series, including a 2002 promo forThe Powerpuff Girls Movie, the 2002The Brak Show episode "Runaway" and 2003's "Enter the Hump", the 2003Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode "The Dressing", a 2004 promo interview forTom Goes to the Mayor, the 2004 Adult Swim specialAnime Talk Show, the 2006Robot Chicken episode "Suck It", the 2007 filmAqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, the 2011Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Bold Beginnings", and the 2011 Adult Swim pilotEarth Ghost, a reworking of a 2007 live-action pilotLowe Country.^[22] Space Ghost also appears on the 1998 seriesDonny & Marie to promote the CDSpace Ghost's Surf & Turf, and as the announcer for the 2011 video gameCartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion, with some of his dialogue alluding toCoast to Coast.^[23]

Space Ghost appears in or is referenced in various musical works. The character is mentioned in the opening lyrics ofcello rock bandRasputina's song "The Olde Headboard", which is featured on their 1998 albumHow We Quit the Forest.Space Ghost Coast to Coast is featured in theDanger Doom song "Space Ho's".^[24] RapperSpaceGhostPurrp named himself after the titular character and used the character's image for the cover of hisNASA mixtape. British indie bandGlass Animals referencesSpace Ghost Coast to Coast on their 2020 albumDreamland with a song of the same name.

From 1997 to 2003,Space Ghost Coast to Coast comics were published in anthology comicsCartoon Network Present,Cartoon Network Starring andCartoon Cartoons byDC Comics. Issue 40 of the comic bookScooby-Doo Team-Up features a non-satirical Space Ghost in his traditional role as a space-traveling superhero, albeit one who captures Moltar and Zorak with the help of Scooby-Doo. Sidekicks Jan and Jace say that the two villains are clever and that once, to keep him from interfering in their plans, they even "hypnotized him into thinking he was a talk show host! Fortunately, he snapped out of it after eight seasons." On hearing that, Space Ghost frowns and says, "I don't want to talk about it."

Space Ghost: Coast to Coast has been released on home media in three widespread DVD volumes and two additional volumes only available for purchase through the now-defunct Adult Swim online store. The final six episodes of the television run have never had an official DVD release. Nearly every episode was available to buy through a "build your own DVD" feature on Adult Swim's website. Thus the final season episodes, early episodes that were left off the first volume, and unedited shows that had been altered on the official releases were now available to own, but only in DVD-ROM form.

In 2006, episodes were made available on theXbox Live Marketplace.^[25][26] The series, along with other Adult Swim shows such asRobot Chicken,Aqua Teen Hunger Force,Samurai Jack andRick and Morty, was released onHBO Max on its May 2020 launch.^[27] It was removed when the streaming service rebranded as Max.^[28]

ASpace Ghost Coast to Coast promotional CD titledSpace Ghost Coast to Coast: Yeah, Whatever... featuring four tracks was released in 1995.^[30] A comedy album titledSpace Ghost's Musical Bar-B-Que was released byKid Rhino and Cartoon Network in 1997.^[31] A follow-up album,Space Ghost's Surf & Turf, released the following year.^[32]

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Space Ghost Coast To Coast was an important precursor to Cartoon Network's adult oriented programming block,Adult Swim, revolutionizingadult animation with its clever use oflimited animation andsurreal humor.^[33]

Cartoon Planet, a spin-off featuring Space Ghost, Zorak, and Brak hosting a variety show on the Cartoon Planet, premiered on Cartoon Network and its sister network TBS in 1995. In 2000, a special starring characters Brak and Zorak,Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak, was released on Cartoon Network, with it serving as a predecessor to spin-off seriesThe Brak Show.^[34]

Aqua Teen Hunger Force^[t] andCartoon Network Studios'Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law were based on characters that previously appeared on the series, though in the former's case the SGCTC episode responsible was produced and aired after the series was produced.Harvey Birdman uses traditional animation toflash animation, the rest uses the same limited animation style asSpace Ghost Coast to Coast.The Brak Show includes the characters Brak and Zorak, recurring characters onSpace Ghost Coast to Coast.

In 2007,Cartoon Network Spain produced an adaptation of the series which aired as part of the Adult Swim block on TNT Spain.^[35] This version replaces the guests with Spanish celebrities.

In 2020, a puppet version of Brak appeared in unofficialYouTube videos uploaded byAndy Merrill.^[36] This puppet version was brought to Adult Swim in an official capacity through skits produced for the programming blockCheckered Past in late 2024, during reruns ofCartoon Planet.^[37]

On January 21, 2023,Jason Segel announced in a podcast that he wrote a script for a live-action version ofSpace Ghost Coast to Coast.^[38]

Four boulders found on the planetMars were named after Space Ghost, Zorak, Moltar, and Brak.^[39][40]

Zorak and Brak make various cameos in the seriesJellystone! Season 3's "Space Con" features Space Ghost, Brak, Zorak, and Moltar, with Lowe and Merrill reprising their roles. The episode makes references toSpace Ghost Coast to Coast and its spinoffsCartoon Planet andThe Brak Show.

• Take Two with Phineas and Ferb, animated series with a similar premise
• Tooning Out the News, animated news program with a similar premise
• Earth to Ned, a puppet talk show with a similar premise
• The Eric Andre Show, a live-action talk show with a similar premise.

Informational notes

Citations

Wikiquote has quotations related toSpace Ghost Coast to Coast.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toSpace Ghost Coast to Coast.

• Official website
• Space Ghost Coast to Coast atCartoon Network(Archive)
• Space Ghost Coast to Coast atIMDb 
• Space Ghost Reunion Panel (Audio) on December 5, 2011, byCinefamily

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