space ghost coast to coast warren

Retail | How To

How to Start a Ghost Kitchen in 13 Steps

Published March 9, 2023

Published Mar 9, 2023

REVIEWED BY: Mary King

WRITTEN BY: Ray Delucci

1. Create Your Concept

• 2. Incorporate & Set Up Your Business

3. Brand Your Business

4. find a location.

• 5. Get Permits, Licenses & Insurance
• 6. Raise Funds

7. Take Mouthwatering Food Photos

• 8. Decide Ordering, Payment & Delivery

9. Consider Additional Software

10. source suppliers.

• 11. Hire & Train Staff

12. Market Your Ghost Kitchen

13. go live.

• Pros & Cons

Bottom Line

Ghost kitchens, delivery-only restaurants that rely on third-party delivery platforms or other online ordering sites for sales, have become a major force in the food industry. They drive sales for food businesses and give customers more food variety. With no physical space for customers to dine, ghost kitchens have generally low overhead costs and are relatively inexpensive to start ( $20,000–$60,000 on average compared to $40,000–$200,000 for food trucks, for example).

You can run an independent ghost kitchen from a freestanding commercial kitchen space, a shared commercial kitchen, or sublease space from an existing restaurant.

Learning how to start a ghost kitchen is pretty simple. Let’s walk through the steps.

The first step to getting your ghost kitchen off the ground is choosing a concept. Your ghost kitchen concept is, essentially, your menu and brand name. Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants, ghost kitchens’ names and menus need to be optimized to perform well in online searches.

When thinking of your concept, your goal is to hone in on a niche product that you can execute extremely well. Keep your menu streamlined and targeted to consumers looking for that exact product. A chicken wing concept is more likely to attract repeat orders with a name like Wing King rather than Third Street Bistro.

There are a couple of steps to creating your ghost kitchen concept.

Research your customer

Knowing your customer base and what they like to eat is key when creating your concept. Are you in a college town? Or do you offer food in a high-income, family-oriented community? Before settling on a concept, you should understand what customers are looking for, their lifestyle choices, and their price point.

Consider travel

All food from ghost kitchens travels to the customer. Consider the distance your food will likely travel and the time it will take to make the journey. For example, in a busy city, it may take twice as long for your food to travel short distances at the height of the dinner rush. So, think about foods that stand up to transport. Pizzas and wings are popular options for this reason. Curries, empanadas, and chicken sandwiches are also excellent choices.

Draft your menu

Create a group of dishes that will travel well and appeal to your likely customers. If you rely on third-party ordering and delivery platforms, you don’t need to worry about designing a menu layout at this point; the sites all have standard templates. On the other hand, if you’ll be using your own online ordering website, you’ll need to design a menu layout later.

Name your ghost kitchen

Your ghost kitchen name should be catchy, be easy to read on a page of search results, and mention the type of food on your menu. To get your creative juices flowing, check out our restaurant name generator .

2. Incorporate Your Business & Set Up A Bank Account

Once you’ve settled on a concept and a name, you’ll need to get some business bits out of the way. If you are adding a ghost kitchen as an additional revenue stream to an existing restaurant, you can skip this and move to step 3. But if you are operating as a new, independent ghost kitchen, you’ll need to incorporate so that your business can be licensed and insured.

• Incorporating your Business
• Setting Up Your Business Bank Account

There are several types of business structures; the most common are:

• Sole proprietorship
• Partnership
• Limited Liability Company (LLC)
• S corporation
• Corporation

Most ghost kitchens will find that an LLC is the best fit since it protects your personal assets in the event of a lawsuit or bankruptcy. If you plan to pay yourself more than $20,000 per year from your ghost kitchen, designating your LLC as an S corp may also be a good idea. You can explore other business structures in more detail by checking out our guide to choosing a business structure .

You can find all the forms you need to register your LLC on your state’s official business registration website. The costs range from around $50 to $500, depending on where you are located. If you find your state’s website confusing or tricky to navigate, you can also use legal sites like LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer to guide you through the process.

For step-by-step guidance, see How to Set up an LLC using LegalZoom .

You need a business bank account to receive payments from third-party platforms or payment processors and to pay suppliers. You can start by inquiring at the bank that handles your personal accounts or look for a bank that caters to small businesses. For step-by-step instructions, see our guides How to Open a Business Bank Account and The Best Small Business Checking Accounts .

Now that you have some of the dry business stuff out of the way, it’s time to get creative. Your ghost kitchen needs an eye-catching logo that is easy to read in search results and will look good printed on bags, stickers, and to-go containers. You don’t have to be a creative genius yourself; you can hire freelance designers easily via websites like Fiverr and Upwork.

A quick search for “ghost kitchen logo” on Fiverr yields portfolios from several eye-catching designers.

You can find freelancers in virtually every price range, but you should plan to spend anywhere from $50 to $400 for a logo design. For ghost kitchens, getting a complete brand kit is also a good idea. A brand kit typically comes with multiple copies of your logo that are optimized for various social media platforms, printed media, and website use. A brand kit for a ghost kitchen might also include stickers for sealing to-go bags, business cards, and menu designs that you can use in social media ads. Brand kits tend to be pricey, but you can generally find them for around $350 to $800, depending on the designer’s skill level.

Ghost kitchens can be housed in freestanding, independent delivery-only kitchens, shared commercial kitchen spaces, or subleased restaurant kitchens. Freestanding, delivery-only kitchens are the most expensive. You’ll need to buy all of your equipment and secure all required licenses, and you may need to secure building permits.

Shared commercial kitchen spaces are easier to find in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic encouraged a boom in commercial kitchen construction, and ghost operators can now find spaces in co-working kitchens built especially for ghost operations by CloudKitchens , Reef , and Kitchen United . You can also find general commercial kitchen spaces in your area by checking sites like the Kitchen Door and Commercial Kitchen for Rent.

Suppose commercial kitchens are filling up in your area. In that case, you can reach out to restaurants that operate during limited hours (breakfast only, dinner only, etc.) and ask if they would be interested in subletting their kitchen to you during the off-hours. Shared spaces offer one benefit that freestanding kitchens do not: they are often all set with the DOH on many of the rules considering owning a food operating space.

• Freestanding
• Commercial Kitchen
• Subleased Restaurant

5. Get Permits, Licenses & Insurance

Like any restaurant, your ghost kitchen will need several permits and licenses from your local fire, health, and tax authorities. Some permits are tied to the building itself and require site inspections. If you operate your ghost kitchen from a new, freestanding, independent location, you’ll need to obtain these.

If, however, you sublease from an existing restaurant or lease space in a shared commercial kitchen, you’ll want to verify that the kitchen has the proper permits in place before laying down rent and security deposits. On the other hand, if you are adding a ghost concept to your existing restaurant, your existing licenses should cover your ghost operation.

Additionally, your space will be inspected and graded by the local health department and you’ll need HACCP ( Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point ) plans and other food and employee safety requirements before operating. Many states require a manager on site to have a food safety manager’s certification, and you need an established system for food safety monitoring and traceability.

• Typical Licenses Ghost Kitchens Need
• Insuring your Ghost Kitchen
• Business license: This license comes from your state or county and authorizes your business to operate in your location. Prices vary from state to state.
• Employer identification number (EIN) : This number is given by the IRS and used to file your federal business taxes. There is no charge to obtain an EIN, and you can find directions and forms on the IRS website .
• State tax ID: This is your state’s version of an EIN. This number can be found through your local state government, or use the Small Business Administration’s directory to locate your state’s appropriate website.
• Sales tax license : This license allows your business to purchase wholesale goods tax-free.
• Food Manager’s certification: Most states require that any business serving food to the public have a food service manager’s certificate. You’ll need this even if you sublease space from a commercial kitchen. The certification requires you to take an in-person or online course and pass a test. You take the course and test through ServSafe; the cost is $179 for the course and test combined.
• Food Handler’s license: In many states, any employee who handles food must have a food handlers certificate. Like the Manager’s Certificate, this document requires the worker to take a class (usually around two hours) and pass a test. Your staff can take the course and test online or in person via ServSafe; the cost is $15 to $18.

The licenses required can vary by location. If you are opening a new, freestanding ghost kitchen and unsure about which licenses are required in your area, consider hiring an online legal service for help. For example, Incfile offers a research package that finds the necessary licenses for your business type in your location and includes all the paperwork you need to file, along with instructions. Pricing for Incfile’s Business License Research Package is $99.

Like all small businesses, ghost kitchens need insurance to cover them in case of accidents, food-borne illness, or employee injury. Suppose you lease your ghost kitchen from a shared commercial kitchen or sublease from an existing restaurant. In that case, you will likely be asked to provide proof of your liability insurance (and workers’ comp if you have employees).

At a minimum, most ghost kitchens need:

• General Liability: this type of insurance protects you in the case of a third-party driver injuring themselves on your premises, as well as from Property damage and claims brought by nonemployees. Pre-existing restaurants likely already have a general business liability policy but should check with their provider to ensure that adding a ghost kitchen is covered in their current policy.
• Workers’ Comp: If you have employees, you will be required by law to have workers’ comp insurance to cover medical bills and lost wages if an employee injures themselves at work.
• Commercial Auto or Hired Not Owned Policy : If you employ a team of delivery drivers, you will need a commercial auto policy if they drive company-owned vehicles. If your drivers use their personal vehicles, you will need a “hired not owned” policy to cover your business if these drivers get in an accident during work hours.

6. Raise Funds (If Needed)

Ghost kitchens are generally a low-cost affair— $20,000 to $60,000 depending on how much of a premium kitchen you build out. If that is outside your budget, you’ll need to raise funds. Crowdfunding is a great option, as is reaching out to friends and family for contributions or loans. If you plan to approach a bank for a small business loan, you should create a business plan to strengthen your loan application.

Most ghost kitchens are housed within existing commercial kitchen spaces, so it is entirely possible to open a ghost concept without building or renovating a kitchen space. However, many ghost kitchens may discover that they need additional storage, especially if the business is busy. For example, if your chicken wing concept takes off, you may need to purchase additional freezers or reach-in refrigerators to hold enough stock for weekend rushes. If you work in a shared commercial kitchen like CloudKitchens, you may also need to supply your own equipment.

Mouthwatering food photos are an absolute requirement for ghost kitchens. To encourage new orders, your food needs to stand apart from competitors on the same ordering site. It is a good idea to hire a professional food photographer to assist. Costs range from $500 to $50,000, depending on your market and the photographer’s popularity.

You don’t need a photo of every item on your menu; great images of your top five to 10 items are usually enough to get started. Prioritize photos of signature dishes, dishes that turn the best profit for your business, and partnerships with other brands.

(Source: Unsplash)

The lowest-cost option, of course, is to take the photos yourself. If this is your only option, keep these food photography tips in mind:

• Choose a simple background: Nothing should distract from your food. When in doubt, a white plate on a bright background is a good idea.
• Focus on the food: Sides of sauce and garnishes are fine, but for your online ordering menu, you don’t want extra items like cutlery, wine glasses, and hands in the shot.
• Use even lighting: Good lighting does a lot to make a dish look appetizing. If you don’t have access to lighting equipment, photograph your food under natural light, diffused with parchment paper (which any kitchen should have on hand).

If your menu is filled with common comfort foods, you might be tempted to use stock images. If your finished dish doesn’t look like the image, however, your customers may be disappointed, and you may get many complaints and requests for refunds. Your food images should look like your actual finished dishes—and they should look as good as possible.

8. Decide Your Ordering, Payment & Delivery Strategy

There are three basic ways to accept online orders and payments and deliver your food: third-party platforms, direct internal systems, or a hybrid strategy. One of the most compelling aspects of a ghost kitchen business is extreme flexibility. You can start with one ordering and delivery strategy—say, relying on third-party platforms exclusively—and shift to another as your business grows.

The most straightforward online ordering, payment, and delivery strategy for fledgling ghost kitchens is to sign up with third-party platforms like DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats. The platforms handle your online orders, process payments, send delivery drivers, then deposit your portion of the revenue into your business bank account. Like many small business solutions, third-party platforms have pros and cons , though.

• Third-Party Platform
• Direct Online Ordering and Delivery
• Hybrid Strategy

Signing Up With Third-party Platforms

Signing up for third-party platforms is easy, and the contracts are nonexclusive. Most ghost kitchens rely on several third-party delivery platforms to boost their visibility. You can list your ghost kitchen on every third-party platform that operates in your location. When you sign up with DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, Uber Eats, Caviar, or others, you will be prompted to enter your restaurant information, like hours and phone number, along with your menu and sometimes menu photos.

To speed the signup process, you’ll need to have a few things handy:

• Your location address, phone number, and email address
• A PDF copy of your menu or a web link to your menu
• Business bank account information

You start by navigating to the platform site and finding the area designated for “merchants” or “partner restaurants.” Most platforms’ signup pages operate similarly, so let’s take a look at DoorDash as an example:

First, navigate to the Partner sign up page from the DoorDash homepage. (Image from DoorDash)

The signup screen will prompt you to choose a plan; either Basic, Plus, or Premier. (Image from DoorDash)

After choosing a plan, you will be prompted to select your preferred hardware for receiving orders. (Image from DoorDash)

Once you have selected your hardware, you will be prompted for your menu, location hours, number of locations, and business type. (Image from DoorDash)

Ghost kitchens should select “Virtual/Online Only” as their business type. (Image from DoorDash)

You’ll next be prompted to enter your business bank account information and confirm that you agree to DoorDash’s Terms and Conditions. (Image from DoorDash)

Once your sign-up is complete, you’ll receive an email with a link to your DoorDash Merchant portal. (Image from DoorDash)

From the Merchant portal, you can view your sales, edit your menus and business hours, and explore other data. (Image from DoorDash)

Most third-party platforms grow so quickly that they cannot maintain an accurate list of all the ZIP codes they service. In most cases, you’ll have to begin the signup process to see if the app operates in your area. However, once you enter your business address, the system will generally let you know if its service is unavailable in your location.

Recently, third-party platforms like DoorDash and Grubhub have carved out varying levels of delivery service. On those platforms, ghost kitchens can choose to use the sites only for online ordering and handle deliveries with an in-house driver team. Alternatively, ghost kitchens that accept online orders and payments via their own online ordering site can hail third-party drivers on-demand for a flat rate per order. Some sign-up sites will prompt you to choose delivery preferences as well.

Setting Up Direct Online Ordering & Delivery

Setting up direct online ordering and delivery is more involved than signing up with third-party delivery platforms, but not by much. We’ll walk you through the process using Square Online. It is a good fit for ghost kitchens because it integrates with Square’s POS, includes online payment processing, and is free to use when you create a Square account. All you pay are the card processing fees. There are additional fees for delivery, which we’ll explore in detail below.

First, you’ll need to create a Square account. (Image from Square)

Once you have an account, you can create your Square Online store from your Square Dashboard. (Image from Square)

You can allow pickup or delivery orders. (Image from Square)

You can create a streamlined shopping page or a full website with an online store. If you don’t have an existing website for your ghost kitchen, the full site is recommended. (Image from Square)

Square’s site creator allows you to easily add content blocks to your site, including Instagram image carousels and customer testimonials. (Image from Square)

Finally, you can choose to find a custom domain (for a monthly membership fee) or use a Square subdomain for free. (Image from Square)

You add items to your Square Online store via the Square Dashboard. (Image from Square)

You can toggle on delivery via on-demand third-party drivers or an in-house team. Fees apply to either arrangement. (Image from Square)

Square supports two options for delivery: on-demand third-party delivery or in-house delivery. For on-demand third-party delivery, Square integrates directly with DoorDash, UberEats, and Postmates. Square charges $1.50 per third-party delivery, and the platforms charge their own rates separately.

Square also has tools for map-based driver dispatch if you want to manage a team of in-house drivers. The driver management tools cost 50 cents per order—which is nice because you only pay for what you use. If you upgrade to the Square for Restaurants POS, you can integrate with multiple third-party delivery platforms as well and receive all of your online orders on one central tablet. The baseline POS is free and has no long-term contracts, so it’s a good fit for ghost kitchens. Learn more from our Square for Restaurants review .

Any third-party delivery platform you work with provides you with a tablet to receive orders. In some cases, you can also receive orders via your merchant portal on mobile devices you already own. Keep in mind, though, you’ll get a tablet for each platform you work with. So, if you work with three different platforms, you’ll have three separate merchant portals and potentially three different tablets.

Operating with multiple tablets for several delivery apps has earned an industry nickname, “tablet hell.” Beyond cluttering your prep areas, “tablet hell” has other drawbacks. These platform-provided tablets don’t contain other software to support your business, log employee hours, keep track of your inventory, or collect customer data. To streamline your ghost kitchen operation and prepare it for growth, adding a point-of-sale (POS) system is a good idea.

In addition to a POS, your ghost kitchen may also benefit from:

Kitchen and Receipt Printers

If you have multiple prep areas and pick-up areas in your kitchen, setting up individual printers helps you keep orders organized. You can program printers to print hot and cold items at separate stations and set up a receipt printer to print sticky labels with delivery information to enclose bags.

Kitchen Display Screens

Busy kitchens may prefer KDS screens in place of kitchen printers. These screens can separate orders by prep area and have the added benefit of color-coding orders as they are completed. This helps keep everyone on the same page. Using a KDS also gives you searchable data points to gauge the efficiency of your kitchen operation so that you can quickly identify opportunities for improvement. Finally, they can help integrate and plan food cooking periods so your kitchen operates more efficiently during a business rush.

Online Ordering Software

Your ultimate goal will be to get at least a portion of your business from direct customer orders; An online ordering system may be built into or integrated with your POS system, or you can use one of several good free-standing online ordering options. We list several great options in our ranking of restaurant online ordering software .

Delivery Management Software

You may not need delivery management software right away, but it is good to have it on your radar. To keep more of your money in your business, it may ultimately make the most sense to hire your own team of delivery drivers. You can also look for a POS that includes delivery management tools .

Customer Relationship Management Tools

Besides the significant downside of paying high commission fees, working with third-party delivery apps means you won’t get any of that customer data. For a ghost kitchen, customer data is precious. It shows you where your most frequent customers are located, how far your food is traveling, and if repeat customers order the same things or respond to specials and promotions. Like delivery management software, CRM tools may not be something you need right away, but you will want to add them as your business grows. Most restaurant POS systems have CRM tools.

Intermediary Tools

Between relying on third-party platforms and evolving to operate an in-house order and delivery operation, you might need some stepping stones. For example, Tablevibe is an app that allows you to add QR codes to your delivery receipts. Customers scan the code and are prompted to provide feedback to you directly. This provides you with customer data alongside customer feedback, which you can use to communicate specials or direct ordering instructions.

Ghost kitchens operate with tight margins and a high volume of sales. You’ll need to open accounts with wholesale distributors to keep your kitchen supplied with food, beverages, and takeout containers. Because storage space can be limited in a ghost kitchen, look for suppliers that deliver to your location multiple times per week so that you don’t overtax your refrigerators and freezers.

Your suppliers are an important part of controlling cost, and the decision between cost of goods and quality may be the most important decision you make. Finding reputable suppliers that offer competitive pricing without sacrificing food safety and quality is one of the most important aspects of the ghost kitchen business.

In addition to your menu ingredients, you need to think about how you will package each food for travel. Will individual burgers be packaged differently than combo meals? Do you have a plan for keeping French fries crisp and soup hot? The slideshow below can give you some inspiration. With consumer sentiment leaning toward eco-friendly options and 74% of consumers stating they would pay more for sustainable packaging , that is our focus for this slideshow.

Segmented fiberboard clamshells are ideal for everything from tacos and lobster rolls to salads and entrees. (Image from Worldc Centric)

This vented cardboard clamshell helps keep fried foods crisp in transport. (Image from Novolex)

You can transport hoagies and subs intact with a sturdy cardboard clamshell. (Image from Burrows)

This Bio Tek segmented cardboard container is excellent for transporting entrees with sides. (Image from Restaurantware)

Clear bowls in various sizes are ideal for salads and cold dishes. (Image from World Centric)

These cold cups from Fabri-Kal use the same size lids regardless of the cup’s size. (Image from Fabri-Kal)

These double wall hot cups from World Centric can be custom printed to reflect your brand. (Image from WorldCentric)

11. Hire & Train Staff

Your ghost kitchen needs at least a few staff members to keep up with order flow during busy times. Ghost kitchens tend to have primarily kitchen staff, though you may choose to self-deliver your food, in which case you’ll also need delivery drivers. Depending on your culinary ability, you may also need to hire a chef to develop your recipes. While chef consultants can be pricey, they offer insight into flavors and trends that can benefit your business in the long term. According to CloudKitchens, most ghost kitchens employ a staff of two to four employees.

Staffing shortages in the restaurant industry are well-known, but hiring restaurant staff is not impossible. You can increase your odds of finding a good ghost kitchen staff by

• Writing a detailed job description:

You’ll get more relevant applications if your job posting lists the skills you need and the experience you are looking for.

• Offering competitive compensation:

Check local job listings and see what similar jobs pay in your area. If you can, offer a higher hourly rate and list it in your job posting.

• Posting the job on industry-specific sites:

General job sites like Indeed are great for reaching a high number of applicants. But if you need a specialized employee with food and beverage experience, consider restaurant-specific job sites like Culinary Agents and Poached .

You’ll need to train your team to cook your menu items and package them for delivery. The amount of training your staff requires will depend on the size and complexity of your menu and your employees’ experience level.

If you have a couple of experienced line cooks who are familiar with your style of food, training may take only a couple of days. On the other hand, if your team has little kitchen experience, you should allow at least a week. For a less experienced team, it may help if you start with ServSafe’s food handlers’ training so that everyone is on the same page regarding food safety.

Third-party delivery platforms offer multiple marketing tools that can boost your kitchen’s visibility on their sites. Take care to read the fine print of these marketing deals, though. Preferential marketing placement that lists your kitchen above others serving similar foods often incurs a higher commission rate. These marketing tiers are an excellent way to reach new customers, but make sure that the rates and contract length make sense for your business.

You can also market your ghost kitchen on social media sites. Instagram and Facebook get the attention of a ton of foodies and are home to a massive number of food influencers. At an absolute minimum, your brand should have accounts on both Facebook and Instagram. You can purchase ads on either site, set maximum ad budgets, and target users with a specific interest in your type of cuisine in your city. To drive sales, you can include direct links to your online ordering site on your accounts and even on individual posts. It may even be worthwhile to offer a free meal to local food Instagrammers to boost your ghost kitchen’s visibility.

One great way to market ghost kitchens is through influencer marketing. One only has to look at the successful ghost kitchen brand MrBeast Burger —run by the popular YouTuber MrBeast—and the $100 million dollars in revenue the brand has hit since December 2020 to see just how effective this can be. Influencers work within an online brand, so getting them in a local space to showcase your product to their audience is a great way to tap into a niche and loyal customer base.

With your menu, branding, and staff in place, you’re ready to start receiving orders! Don’t be discouraged if your first days or weeks are on the slow side. It may take a couple of weeks before you see some sales volume. In your downtime, design some social media ads and interact with local food influencers on Instagram to help drive future orders.

As your orders start to come in, keep an eye on what is selling and solicit customer feedback. One of the most appealing aspects of a ghost kitchen is its flexibility. You can shift your menu or pivot your operation quickly if something isn’t working. Be flexible, and be ready to add new concepts to your kitchen as consumer tastes change or you get a fresh menu idea. You’ve already done the hard work, so adding your next concept will be a piece of cake.

Pros & Cons of Operating a Ghost Kitchen

The ghost kitchen concept has been developing since the early 2010s, but consumer demand for food delivery in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic led to an explosion in ghost kitchens. Is now the time for you to launch your own ghost kitchen?

There are definitely pros and cons, so here’s what you should consider:

Ghost Kitchen Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can i open a ghost kitchen in my house.

In 48 states, it is illegal to operate a restaurant of any kind from your home. Even in Utah and California, where micro-enterprise home kitchen operations (MEHKOs) are legal, local ordinances typically prohibit home restaurants from using third-party delivery drivers. Though, if you live in a county that allows MEHKOs, there is usually nothing prohibiting you from delivering food from a home-based restaurant yourself or offering the food for takeout. Currently, no other states support a legal way for cooks to operate home-based restaurants, though several states currently have bills under review.

Do ghost kitchens always use third-party delivery apps like DoorDash?

Ghost kitchens don’t have to operate on third-party platforms, though most do. Some ghost kitchens operate independently, relying on social media advertising to drive customers to their independent online ordering site. This can be a time-intensive strategy, so most ghost kitchens at least get their start on third-party platforms and then build independent online ordering and delivery pipelines later. iEight Sushi is an example of a ghost kitchen that went the opposite direction—it started with independent order and delivery streams but now offers delivery through Grubhub.

Are virtual franchises a scam?

If you currently own a restaurant, you may be receiving phone calls and emails and seeing Facebook ads from companies offering you a “turn-key” virtual brand to run from your existing restaurant kitchen. The virtual franchise business model is completely legitimate and can be an attractive secondary revenue stream for your restaurant.

Brands like Future Foods, Nextbite, Virtual Dining Concepts, and The Local Culinary develop virtual restaurant concepts—sometimes partnering with influencers or public figures—to pitch to existing restaurants as add-on businesses. The virtual restaurant brand provides recipes, training, and branded packaging to franchisee kitchens, enabling concepts like Mario’s Tortas Lopez , and HotBox by Wiz Khalifa to serve throughout the country. If you have the staff and the space, a virtual franchise can be a low-risk way to test the ghost kitchen concept.

Ghost kitchens are an accessible and easy way to enter the food industry as an operator. These virtual restaurants only require a small staff, about half the permits, and 10% of the capital required for a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant. They allow for creativity and the ability to reach a wide customer base. With proper planning and knowledge of what is needed to execute one, ghost kitchens can be a lucrative and rewarding way to sell food to consumers in 2023.

About the Author

Ray Delucci

Ray Delucci is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America with a Bachelor’s in Food Business Management. He has experience managing restaurants in New York City, Houston, and Chicago. He is also the host of the Line Cook Thoughts Podcast, where he interviews and shares the stories of foodservice workers. Ray currently works in food manufacturing and food product development.

Was this article helpful?

Join Fit Small Business

Sign up to receive more well-researched small business articles and topics in your inbox, personalized for you. Select the newsletters you’re interested in below.

• The A.V. Club
• The Takeout
• The Inventory

Photos: The Financial District in New York is a ghost town today

New York City’s Financial District is located in a low-lying area of Manhattan, and much of the area has been evacuated for Hurricane Sandy. The storm is expected to hit the East Coast of the US later on Monday.  The New York Stock Exchange closed  due to the storm, and many markets have been disrupted . Here’s a look at the quiet streets of the Financial District:

📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief

Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.

• Cast & crew
• Episode aired Sep 4, 1998

Space Ghost watches "The Warren Show" and notices he's the guest being interviewed by Warren. Space Ghost never remembers being a guest on Warren's show, so he, Moltar, and Zorak travel to W... Read all Space Ghost watches "The Warren Show" and notices he's the guest being interviewed by Warren. Space Ghost never remembers being a guest on Warren's show, so he, Moltar, and Zorak travel to Warren's cave to inquire on the situation. Upon arrival, Space Ghost discovers that the rep... Read all Space Ghost watches "The Warren Show" and notices he's the guest being interviewed by Warren. Space Ghost never remembers being a guest on Warren's show, so he, Moltar, and Zorak travel to Warren's cave to inquire on the situation. Upon arrival, Space Ghost discovers that the replicant who was on "The Warren Show" is named Gary, a nod to the original Space Ghost actor... Read all

• Matt Maiellaro
• George Lowe
• C. Martin Croker
• See more at IMDbPro

• Space Ghost

• (as Colonel Bruce Hampton)
• Warren's monitor
• Mike Lazzo (uncredited)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia Three variations of Space Ghost's line after he blasts Warren exist: "When you see 'em in Poland!", "When you see 'em in Pelham!", and "When you see 'em in Conyers!"
• Alternate versions The "1998 Episodes" DVD contains the original, extended airing that ran 36 minutes instead of 12, and repeats the entire episode 3 times before rolling the credits.
• Connections References Space Ghost (1966)
• Soundtracks Dry Throat (uncredited) Music by Steve Race

User reviews

• September 4, 1998 (United States)
• Big Deal Cartoons
• Ghost Planet Industries
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 15 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

• Edit source
• View history

Warren is Space Ghost 's mentor in Space Ghost Coast to Coast . He only appears in the episode of the same name . Warren is a live-action plant who hosts a talk show called The Warren Show . Warren is also a sexual predator as he desired to get close to Space Ghost and touch him in inappropriate ways. His new protege is Gary .

Warren appeared in the 2014 Ghost Planet livestream that was on the Adult Swim website.

• According to Matt Maeillero, Warren was based on the shaking bushes from the Disney ride Snow White's Scary Adventures . [1]

References [ ]

• ↑ https://tumblr.com/muttonchopsalley/space-ghost-coast-to-coast-s5e6-warren-when-you/ujoowituigm0
• 3 Space Ghost

Space Ghost: Coast to Coast

Information

© & TM - Cartoon Network - 2009

Accessibility

Copyright © 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.

Internet Service Terms Apple TV & Privacy Cookie Policy Support

"Warren" is the fifth episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast season five, and the sixty-second overall. It aired on September 4 , 1998 on Cartoon Network . It was written by Matt Maiellaro .

While watching The Warren Show , Space Ghost discovers he has been replicated.

• 1 Detailed summary
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3 Characters
• 4 Organizations
• 5 Locations
• 8.1 Development
• 8.2 Filming
• 11 Behind the scenes
• 13 Everlasting influence
• 14 Critical reception
• 15 In other languages
• 16 Home availability
• 17 References

Detailed summary

Memorable quotes.

In order of appearance:

Organizations

• The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (mentioned)
• Space Ghost's residence
• Warren's planet
• Poland (mentioned)
• Power bands
• Inviso belt
• Phantom Cruiser

Development

It was copyrighted in 1998.

The music was composed by Sonny Sharrock and Man...or Astro-Man? The musicians were Sharrock, Lance Carter , Eddie Horst , Alfrieda Gerald , and Man...or Astro-Man?

Dates are in order of release:

• United States: September 4, 1998 on Cartoon Network

Behind the scenes

• Space Ghost's apartment was first seen in " BooBooKitty ."
• Space Ghost replicant's description of his powers are actually Superman 's.
• Space Ghost says Warren was the wind beneath his cape, which is a paraphrase of the Bette Midler song, "Wind Beneath My Wings."
• The talking television sounds like the synthetic voice of English theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking.
• When the guys meet the replicant called "Gary" at the cauldron, Gary Owens occasionally flickers.
• A gag credit is Nathan Cook as Space Ghost's male secretary.
• Special thanks are given to Khaki Jones , Lisa D. Ellis, Kenny Crow, Eric Santacroce, Chris Moore, Tom Roche , and Wilem Madison.
• The DVDs include the full version which is just the same episode played three times, running at 35 minutes.
• The Adult Swim website skips this episode, but if it hadn't, it would've been counted as episode 6.

Everlasting influence

Critical reception, in other languages, home availability.

• April 12 , 2005 : Warner Home Video releases Space Ghost Coast to Coast: The 1998 Episodes on DVD.
• November 28 , 2012 : Madman Entertainment releases Space Ghost Coast to Coast: All Talk Collection on DVD.
• Pages with broken file links
• Coast to Coast episodes
• Space Ghost episodes
• Space Ghost
• Williams Street
• Written by Matt Maiellaro

Navigation menu

Page actions.

• View source

Personal tools

• Create account
• Recent changes
• Random page
• Facebook page
• Facebook group
• YouTube channel
• What links here
• Related changes
• Special pages
• Printable version
• Permanent link
• Page information
• Cite this page

• This page was last edited on 21 April 2023, at 20:45.
• Content is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike unless otherwise noted.
• Privacy policy
• About Hanna-Barbera Wiki
• Disclaimers
• Cookie policy

Home | Ghost Planet Central | Episode Guide | Previous | Next

Choose a format: Regular Table Indented Condensed

(Television set, with "The Warren Show" title screen)

Announcer: (intro music) And now back to "The Warren Show".

(Shot of Space Ghost's apartment, with Moltar and Zorak)

Space Ghost: Ooh, I love Warren!

Warren: Tell us, Space, what are your superpowers?

Gary Owens: (as Space Ghost) I developed a few of my own, I, for example, can leap tall buildings in a single bound, I jump over buildings, I also have x-ray vision, and I can make change for a dollar.

Moltar: (laughs)

Zorak: (laughs)

Gary Owens: Thank you.

Space Ghost: Wait a minute! I don't remember...

Gary Owens: I can also bend my thumb, by the way.

Space Ghost: I've never been on "Warren"! That guy's a replicant!

Gary Owens: I can bend a spoon with my mind, but it has to be a plastic spoon. (TV laughter)

Moltar: Whoa!

Gary Owens: I can't do the real spoon. (TV applause)

Space Ghost: This is such bull! (blasts TV set) I am super-unsatisfied to be replicated in this way! Super-unsatisfied! I need to get to the bottom of this. Come on, boys! Let's take a ride!

Zorak: Pick me up a hitch-hiker, would'ya?

Space Ghost: You're coming with us, Zorak. We'll go see Warren, then we'll swing by the department store and get you some new slacks.

Zorak: And a hitch-hiker?

Space Ghost: We'll see.

Moltar: Shotgun!

Zorak: (slightly behind Moltar) Shotgun!

Moltar: Yes!

(Phantom Cruiser flies through space)

Zorak: (hitting Moltar's seat from behind) (clank!)

Moltar: Stop it!

Zorak: (clank!)

Space Ghost: (mocking) "I have x-ray vision and I can make change for a dollar!"

Space Ghost: I could make change for five dollars if I had to.

Moltar: Quit it!

(Cruiser approaches planetoid)

Moltar: Is this it?

Moltar: QUIT IT!

Space Ghost: Yup, it's just like I remember it. Oh, look, they put in a Mr. Winters over there. You see, boys, Warren was my mentor. He was the wind beneath my cape. I learned so much that summer. Perhaps... too much. (sound of brakes) L-let's go back. (shifts into reverse, Phantom Cruiser backs up) What am I doing? (brakes) I love Warren! I need to see him. (shifts gears, goes forward again) But he hurts me. (brakes) But I've been replicated. (goes forward again) But he hurts me. (brakes) But, I have been replicated. (grinds gears) (goes forward again)

(The Cruiser finally lands; the hatch opens, Space Ghost emerges, to dramatic music)

Space Ghost: (goes back inside) They were closed.

Zorak: I wanna see!

Space Ghost: There's nothing to see. Now, who wants new slacks?

Zorak: I don't wear pants, and I don't know anyone who does!

Moltar: Yeah! We wanna see Warren!

Space Ghost: (sighs) All right.

(Space Ghost, Zorak and Moltar leave the ship and enter a cave)

Monitor: Welcome Space Ghost. Warren is expecting you.

(Dramatic sting music - Space Ghost's power bands disappear)

Space Ghost: My power bands!

Monitor: You know the rules. No weapons.

Zorak: Hey. You live here?

Monitor: Oh, I see you brought your mantis.

Moltar: (clears throat)

Monitor: And the fireman. How lucky.

Zorak: Where's the tub? Can I have this? (sound of glass breaking) Uh, that was broke already.

Space Ghost: Zorak...

Zorak: Someone boiling vinegar?

Space Ghost: Zorak!

Zorak: What?

Space Ghost: Shut your beak.

Zorak: Before you... close it with medical sutures?

Space Ghost: No, before I seal it using a powerful space-age adhesive, which I keep in my fanny pack.

Monitor: You know the rules. No fanny packs.

(Dramatic sting music - Space Ghost's fanny pack disappears)

Space Ghost: My breakfast bars!

Monitor: Ladies and gentlemen of the arena, I give you... Warren.

(Warren rolls out, looking very much like a potted plant)

Space Ghost: Well, it's been a long time.

Warren: Yeah.

Space Ghost: Warren, I've been replicated, man!

Warren: Hmph. Do I know you?

Space Ghost: You tell me, pal.

Warren: No, I don't know you.

Space Ghost: Warren, you had me on your show last night. But I wasn't on your show last night! I was right there in my living room, watching you having me on your show.

Zorak: Nice bush.

Warren: Ah, that's funny, mantis. Funny bugs like you, talkin' like that in my castle, end up, lookin' for their teeth, two blocks away, on Quinn Street.

Space Ghost: Zorak, let me handle this, please.

Zorak: Nice... bush.

Warren: Listen! I can burn you, like the crazy world of Arthur Brown.

(Warren zaps Zorak with a destructo ray)

Warren: We're both green, aren't we, Zorak? But I got rays, don't I!? Don't I? Don't I?

Moltar: You better answer him.

Warren: Don't I, Zorak?

Zorak: Ah, go fertilize yourself.

Warren: (zaps Zorak again several times)

Space Ghost: Warren, I've come many miles...

Warren: (zaps Zorak again)

Space Ghost: ... to set myself before you today to find out why you've betrayed our sacred covenant.

Warren: Do what now?

Space Ghost: Who was that you had on your show, because it wasn't me.

Warren: Aw, yeah. (chuckles) That was just Gary.

Space Ghost: Gary, huh?

Space Ghost: Ga-ry.

Warren: Yeah. (chuckles)

Space Ghost: Garrrrrrry.

Warren: Yep.

Space Ghost: Are you tryin' to shuck me?

Warren: Listen to me! Over there in the corner, you'll find a mystical cauldron. Conjure up Gary and he will appear before you. He knows the answers, to the questions that vex you so. Now I must adjourn, to my sunny spot, ah! (starts to roll away)

Space Ghost: Wait, you didn't answer my question! I didn't come here to talk to a cauldron! Warren, wait!

Moltar: He seemed like a good enough guy.

Zorak: Yeah, very personable.

Space Ghost: Come on, let's hold hands and conjure up this joker.

(Zorak, Space Ghost and Moltar are holding hands in front of a steaming cauldron)

Space Ghost: Gary... Om... (wolf howls in background) Hey, you guys have to do it too, or it won't work.

Space Ghost: Om...

Zorak: Om...

Moltar: Gary... Gary...

Space Ghost: Om... Om...

Zorak: Gary... Gary...

Moltar: Gary...

Space Ghost: Gary...

Zorak: Gary...

Moltar: Om... Gary...

Space Ghost: Okay.

Space Ghost: Got it.

Space Ghost: We're good. We got it.

Gary Owens: (in cauldron, as Space Ghost) (laughs) Thank you.

Space Ghost: It's him!

Zorak: It's Space Ghost!

Gary Owens: It is indeed.

Space Ghost: It is not indeed! Do you know who I am? Gary? Take a good look. I'm Space Ghost!

Gary Owens: (coughs) You're what?

Space Ghost: That's right, Gary. I'm the real Space Ghost.

Gary Owens: So am I.

Space Ghost: No, see, I'm the one who flew around the galaxy saving planets, not you! Where do you get off being me?

Gary Owens: Uh, in the early days, back when, uh, when Space Ghost was first born, they let me play Space Ghost. And that was what, what a thrill.

Space Ghost: Uh, who's "they"?

Gary Owens: Mr. Joe Barbera, and Mr. Fred Silverman, gentlemen who chose me to play you.

Space Ghost: Nobody plays me, Jack! I play me.

Moltar: Hey Gary, who played me?

Gary Owens: Moltar? Moltar, I have a picture of you. I have a picture of Zorak over there, when he was just a mild mutant.

Zorak: Hey! Remember when I smashed your camera with that rock?

Gary Owens: Oh, yes. It was, what wonder days.

Moltar: Gary? Can you come home with us, and... be our new dad?

Space Ghost: Now, wait just a second! Can't you see? Are ya all blind? Moltar! Zorak! This is all just some demented mind trick brought on by Warren!

Gary Owens: I still have got the inviso-belt, I've got that in the trunk of the car right now.

Space Ghost: Listen up, you deluded old freak. Don't make me use my power bands on you.

Moltar: Space Ghost, uh... you don't have your power bands.

Space Ghost: Stay out of this, Moltar. The time has come for me to put a lid on this cosmic crackpot.

Gary Owens: This looks like real trouble. Hand me that veeblefetzer.

Zorak: Here ya go, buddy. (hands Gary a blast rifle)

Space Ghost: You're counting on hitting me with that veeblefetzer, aren't you?

Gary Owens: Oh, yes, yes.

Space Ghost: Because then you will become me, right.

Space Ghost: That's just what I thought. Well, here's something you hadn't counted on, Gary. This set of auxiliary power bands, that I had hidden in my space cavity. Prepare for one of my harmful rays. (adjusts his power bands) Hold on a second. (bands make electronic noises; Space Ghost adjusts bands again) (quietly) You're gonna regret having messed with me. (presses button, but no ray, just a clunking sound) Turning it on. (makes sound like electronic flash charging) (quietly) Prepare... for one of my... harmful rays.

Gary Owens: (as Gary) Hey, sock it to me!

Space Ghost: Pucker up, Gary! (blasts Gary, whose hand is over his ear a la "Laugh-In") (smoke clears) Moltar, haul that to the Phantom Cruiser.

Warren: (slides into view) No!! You've destroyed my creation!

Space Ghost: Warren, you used that greasy replicant to lure me back here, didn't you?

Warren: Yeah, you know it.

Space Ghost: But why, Warren?

Warren: Well... (laughs) (dramatic sting music) Never mind why. The past is just the future that already happened. Now come on over here and I'll cradle you.

Moltar: (walks toward Warren)

Warren: (to Moltar) Not you! (to Space Ghost) You!

Space Ghost: I don't understand, Warren.

Warren: Often we fear what we don't understand, Space Ghost. Come closer to me!

Space Ghost: (steps closer to Warren)

Warren: (sniffs) Closer!

Space Ghost: (to himself: I must be out of my nut! What am I doing here? And why is Warren smelling me?)

Warren: How're ya folks and all them? (edges closer to Space Ghost)

Space Ghost: They're... all... kind of... uh... uh...

Warren: Why don't you take your cape off? Ha!

Space Ghost: No... please...

Warren: Listen to me! Love and fear are often... the same thing. (sniffs)

Space Ghost: Oh, okay. Well, thank you.

Warren: Don't thank me. Just... (sniffs) hold me.

Space Ghost: (touches Warren; smiles)

Warren: Mmmmm! Prime rib!

Space Ghost: Wait, wait a second...

(TV shows static and "Space Ghost Coast to Coast" theme music; static gives way to Warren at Space Ghost's desk)

Warren: (on TV) Greetings citizens!

Space Ghost: Hey, what the...

Warren: I'm Warren! Is everybody gettin' enough carbon dioxide?

(Dramatic sting music, zoom in to Space Ghost's face)

Space Ghost: Aha! That's why you brought me here! So you could steal my show! But you already have a show! Why, Warren, why?

Warren: Well, you know, uh... (laughs) I just felt like it.

Space Ghost: Well, you greedy manipulating yard shrub. I'm not going to let your Warren impostinator steal my show right out from under me (reaches for his power bands)

Warren: But Space Ghost... How do you know that I'm not the impostinator?

Space Ghost: Well... you've lost me there, Warren. And now you must pay, you hateful hedge. (blasts Warren)

Monitor: You've destroyed Warren. I'm tellin'. You've destroyed Warren. I'm tellin'.

Space Ghost: Tell 'em this. (blasts monitor)

Monitor: You've destroyed Warren. I'm tell- (Blam!)

Space Ghost: When you see 'em in Poland.

(Black screen with title: "The End")

(TV in Space Ghost's living room shows "The End" title)

Space Ghost: That was good. What else is on?

Space Ghost: When you see 'em in Pelham.

Space Ghost: When you see 'em in Conyers.

(Credits roll)

Warren: Ha!

© 1998 Cartoon Network, Inc. All rights reserved. Animated Characters TM & © 1966 Hanna Barbera Productions, Inc. All Rights reserved.

• Show Spoilers
• Night Vision
• Sticky Header
• Highlight Links

Follow TV Tropes

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WesternAnimation/SpaceGhostCoastToCoast

Western Animation / Space Ghost Coast to Coast

Edit locked.

What happens when you take stock footage from a 1960s action cartoon, have the people responsible imbibe some fine hallucinogens , and re-use it in a nonsensical talk show spoof? You'll get something like Space Ghost Coast to Coast , one of the earliest outputs of Ghost Planet Industries (now known as Williams Street Productions ) and Cartoon Network 's first fully produced original series.

Coast to Coast , which had 104 episodes produced between 1994 and 2008 note  Not counting the Copa Toon episodes made specially for Latin America during 2002 and 2003 on a fairly sporadic basis, ostensibly followed the talk show career of titular former superhero Tad Ghostal (better known as Space Ghost ) as he interviewed various celebrity guests — but the episodes usually degenerated into Space Ghost bickering with Zorak and Moltar (two former enemies of Space Ghost who SG forced to become his band leader and director respectively) or some other off-the-wall craziness.

The series is known for being one of Adult Swim's most notable creations in their history - the limited animation (and smaller budget), surreal stoner humor and pervasive tone of excessive weirdness inspired the creation of several other shows, like (most notably) Aqua Teen Hunger Force , which could be considered a Spiritual Successor to this show, despite the two running at basically the same time.

After its final episode in 2004, the show had a brief revival over Gametap in 2008. In The New '10s it had another mini revival with small scale interviews inbetween other shows as well as the April Fools interview with Tommy Wiseau . Unfortunately with the death of Clay Martin Croker (a writer for the show as well as the voice of Zorak and Moltar) in September of 2016, and George Lowe (the voice of Space Ghost) experiencing health issues in recent years, it is unlikely that the show will see any sort of revival in the foreseeable future.

This series includes examples of:

• 555 : In "Telethon", all the phone numbers that come on screen for people to call in order to donate money for the show are 555 numbers.
• Accidental Misnaming : Space Ghost refers to Pavement as The Beatles instead.
• Though, as it turns out, Space Ghost didn't like the way "Hodgson" sounds, so he used the better-sounding name note  Which was also the reason they used "Joel Robinson" on MST3K .
• Took a Level in Jerkass : Space Ghost started out the talk show with some shades of his old, heroic self from the 1966 cartoon, but then slowly became a jerkass prima donna as the show went on.
• A.I. Is a Crapshoot : "$20.01" has Space Ghost replace Zorak and Moltar with an AI assistant called MOE 2000 (a clear parody of HAL 9000 ) to improve the show, only for MOE to eventually deduce that Space Ghost is the one dragging the show down and try to kill him.
• Alliterative List : Subverted in "Joshua": Narrator: Space Ghost is talking about the three "R's": Reliability, ratings, and (screen shows "Relivery" before being replaced with...) delivery. Let's start with R number one... (screen shows "Research"; after that brief bit, the next "R" is "Power").
• "Sequel" may or may not be one, seeing as The Stinger is Kirk the Storyteller sitting up in bed and declaring "The nightmares, they're relentless. And they're all coming from space."
• The last episode of Cartoon Network's Survivor parody "Staylongers" reveals that the whole thing was a dream Brak had while asleep in Space ghost's talk show.
• They have offered an explanation for this, though. The Space Ghost episode The Lure ends with Brak and his brother Sisto flying into a swarm of Piranamites, supposedly deadly space insects. However, Brak and Sisto survived the Piranamite swarm, but lost much of their IQs, and that's why Brak is the way he is now (at least in this continuity).
• Ms. Nesbitt's new squeeze in "Lovesick". Zorak: Quite handsome, not like you. He's a doctor AND a lawyer. But he's sensitive. And a good kisser.
• Inverted with Birdman, who despite being the original choice to host the show is portrayed as pathetic and inferior to Space Ghost in almost every way.
• And There Was Much Rejoicing : Space Ghost's announcement that he's dying in "Terminal" is greeted by Zorak playing upbeat ragtime music on his keyboard.
• And This Is for... : After Zorak reveals he destroyed Space Ghost's Presidents of the United States ceramic figurines collection, Space Ghost repeatedly blasts Zorak while saying "And this is for... (insert president name here)!". Notably, Space Ghost used the name " Grover Cleveland " twice note  Grover Cleveland was the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms .
• Angels Pose : Seen in the transition title cards in "Jacksonville", parodying Charlie's Angels .
• Animation Bump : For a show with very Limited Animation , Bizarro Santa's transformation in "Girl Hair" is surprisingly fluid, which adds to the creepiness.
• Anti-Humor : In "$20.01": Zorak: I'm on a sea food diet. When I see food, I hate Space Ghost!
• April Fools' Day : [adult swim] ran an unannounced Space Ghost Coast to Coast marathon on April 1st, 2014.
• Art Shift : Space Ghost briefly changes character designs to look more like Squiggle Vision in two episodes: "Brilliant Number One" (and Two) and "King Dead".
• Ascended Extra : Judy Tenuta was one of the first guests on the show, and eventually ended up voicing Black Widow.
• Even though he would go on to become an Attorney at Law , (Harvey) Birdman would make an appearance here long before his show came to be. Voices changed, but they were still filming 'in the lot next door'.
• "Baffler Meal" was supposed to be this to Aqua Teen Hunger Force , but it didn't air until long after the show had already premiered. note  "Baffler Meal" was eventually retooled as "Kentucky Nightmare". The episode was initially rejected by Cartoon Network because initial drafts focused too much on the Aqua Teens (Space Ghost only had about three lines). Once they made Aqua Teen Hunger Force into its own show and it became a hit, they decided to finally make the "Baffler Meal" episode, which aired in 2003.
• Bad Santa : Bizarro-Santa in "Girl Hair."
• Badass Boast : Space Ghost gets a particularly awesome (and funny) one in "Rehearsal", even if it's undermined by the crew dissembling the set around and behind him. Space Ghost: The only thing to do right now is put out the best darn talk show we can. Arsenio, Dave, Leno...you know, maybe it's time you guys took a step back from the bleak lights of adulation, took a good look around. There's a distant thunder drawing near, rolling in across the vast wasteland of popular entertainment. Maybe you can't see it coming because your view is blocked by cheap facades of skylines and cityscapes. But you'd better make ready, my friends! Because this thunder is preparing to rain down fear and terror on your gilded houses of complacency! Mark my words, big shot, late-night gab fest mavens, you're about to tangle with a one-dimensional character and his long-forgotten archnemesis pals: a bug and a...what are you anyway, Moltar? Moltar: I'm a poorly drawn, lava kind of a molten man. Space Ghost: [resuming] ...and a poorly drawn, lava kind of a molten man! There's a new player in this late-night talk show war, and his name is- Bob: [interrupting] Space Ghost? Space Ghost: ...Yeah, Bob? Bob: Uh, we, we need to book, man, The Snorks are in here for a promo or somethin' at 4, okay? Space Ghost: Oh. Uh, right. Right...
• The Bad Guy Wins : "Girlie Show" ends with Zorak and Moltar successfully launching the "Klugman Revolution".
• Bears Are Bad News : "Kentucky Nightmare".
• Beard of Evil : Chad parodies this; his facial hair is different every time he's on camera.
• Beat : Uncomfortable pauses are used liberally in every episode, to the point of Lampshade Hanging : Space Ghost: It lets me blend... just about anything! [beat] Zorak: Beat! Space Ghost: Classy people are always blending stuff. [beat] Zorak: Beat! Space Ghost: Now, I too can blend. [beat] Zorak: [takes a sip of coffee] Beat!
• Berserk Button : Space Ghost attempts to pick a fight with Bob Costas after he thought Bob called him a monkey; see Large Ham below.
• Zorak would let one fly right before he gets blasted on occasion.
• Blackmail : Alluded to in "Intense Patriotism" when Moltar is denied being allowed to peel Jeff Foxworthy's skin off: Moltar: [to Space Ghost, threateningly] I have a picture of you... buddy.
• Blank Stare : Space Ghost reacts to Zorak's technobabble plan in "Snatch".
• Blatant Lies : In "Woody Allen's Fall Project", James Kirkconnell's claim that the re-enactments are word-for-word. Now to be fair, he's mostly right, but there are still some discrepancies between the original episodes and the re-enactments. For instance, in "Girlie Show", Zorak says "He can't fire me; I'm the hardest working mantis in showbiz! Yow!" But in the re-enactment, Zorak ends with "Hi-yo!" And in "Freak Show", Bill Manspeaker says "And I'd say 'Stop hittin' me, who's talking to me? Stop it!'", while in the re-enactment, he says "And I'd say 'Stop hittin' me, who's hittin' you? Stop it!'" And Weird Al belts out a different note in the re-enactment than in "Banjo".
• Blessed with Suck : When Space Ghost asks his guests if they have any superpowers, he always gets answers that don't impress him. Penn Gilette: My superpowers are, I don't have to sleep, and I can control the minds of water fowl.
• The ending montage of clips in "Joshua", where each clip is only about two frames long.
• Space Ghost's "tribute to women" in "Girlie Show" is cut the same way.
• Body Snatcher : The episode "Snatch", which involves the studio being invaded by alien pods that keep you up all night with their coughing kill and replace their victims.
• Bond One-Liner : Alongside the ridiculous Pre-Mortem One-Liner mentioned below, Space Ghost also has two back-to-back after he kills C. Ling Tile in "Curling Flower Space". Space Ghost: Well, it looks like C. Ling will fit in perfectly. On the roof. In jail . Space Ghost: Moltar, that's one tile that needs to be replaced.
• Book Ends : Susan Powter was the very first guest on the show, and "Live At The Filmore", the last episode of the series (before the move to GameTap) reuses the exact same interview footage.
• The "Flipmode" episode is a frequently manic and ridiculous episode, brought on by a gas leak that makes everyone high and helium-voiced, complete with guest Busta Rhymes regularly breaking out into uncontrollable peals of giddy laughter. Then in the middle of all the nonsense Space Ghost suggests they "go outside and do the show in the woods." Cut to Space Ghost, Zorak, Moltar, and Busta Rhymes awkwardly standing around a campfire, looking dejected and miserable.
• Birdman's appearances on the show most likely led to Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law (Birdman even has the same first name in his appearances on Space Ghost.)
• Brick Joke : In "Sweet for Brak", Zorak talks about trying to launch his own show, Blood Dumpster . Which, according to SG, is twenty-two minutes of a guy being chased down a tunnel by a Zorak playing a Knife-wielder. After SG makes a deal with Yogi to get on a sitcom, he ends up on an episode of Blood Dumpster , pursued by Zorak. Who took his advice about putting his character in a wheelchair to make him "sympathetic" .
• Bullet Dancing : Space Ghost repeatedly blasts the floor near Zorak in "Pal Joey". Space Ghost: Dance, mantis! Dance for Michael 's pleasure!
• The aforementioned Tansit.
• And of course, Zorak.
• Moltar becomes one depending on the episode, and when he does even Zorak turns on him.
• Birdman is possibly even more put-upon than Tansit.
• But Wait, There's More! : In "Joshua", the announcer says that if you take advantage of the power of the Space Ghost, you'll receive a deluxe canister set. But wait, there's more! You also get a shiny object!
• "Spaceman? Space Master?"
• In "Bobcat", Space Ghost said that Bobcat Goldthwait reminded him of Judy Collins. Bobcat replied with "Wow, Space Ghost, man, crack a window, will ya?" Much later, in "Kentucky Nightmare", Space Ghost says to crack a window when Zorak lets off a stink. He immediately flashes back to his interview with Bobcat.
• Zorak's gum obsession gets called back quite a few times, which only makes you wonder even more why the episode it came from wasn't released on DVD.
• In "$20.01", there's a callback to the very first episode when Space Ghost introduces MOE 2000 by saying, "He doesn't eat, doesn't sleep, and doesn't book guests like those awful Bee Gees." Moltar: So sue me.
• "$20.01" also includes one to "Hungry" where Space Ghost interviews Lassie and tries to make out what she's barking about, saying "What's that? Is there trouble at the farm? Farms have chickens!" Only this time he uses it when talking to Teller .
• "Telethon" includes a reference to the planet Rumyungyunsonson from "Switcheroo"
• "Curling Flower Space" takes place after the filming of the non-existent "Brilliant Number Three".
• "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed" revisits Space Ghost's "Why do we always hurt the ones we love?" speech from "Banjo", this time with Banjo substituted with a repair guy Space Ghost had just killed.
• Calling Shotgun : In "Warren", Moltar calls it when Space Ghost announces they're going to see Warren.
• Bobcat Goldthwait and Russell Johnson have both appeared in subsequent episodes in Space Ghost's thought bubble, despite not being the featured guests on those episodes.
• Cannot Tell a Joke : Space Ghost in "BooBooKitty": Space Ghost: There's this guy, see, he's from Alabama. And he gets busted for tryin' to smuggle books, into Kentucky! David Lander: [ Beat ] That's good, it has some... I guess it loses something in the, the translation, you know. Space Ghost: Did I mention that the guy from Alabama was my mother-in-law? [laughs] Hey, good night, everybody! David Lander: You might wanna, the next time you tell a joke, you might wanna say "And now the joke is over," and then the person can laugh, 'cause I think that's, that helps so much.
• Captain Obvious : In "Warren": Warren: The past is just the future that already happened.
• Space Ghost, to his guests: "Are you getting enough oxygen?"
• Tansit in early appearances would shout "Predicate!" at the end of his sentences.
• In the very first episode Space Ghost is quite smitten with guest star Judy Tenuta. In the anniversary episode she quickly grates on his nerves and he orders Moltar to shut off the screen.
• Brak's very first appearance has him playing Beavis as part of a Beavis And Butthead reference, sounding nothing like his modern self.
• Tansit's first appearance gives him a far more gruff, evil-sounding voice, and he's far less of a loser than he is in later appearances. In fact, his later voice actor also appears in the same episode as a disembodied announcer.
• The Chew Toy : Poor, poor Tansit.
• Christmas Episode : "A Space Ghost Christmas". Also ostensibly "Boo Boo Kitty", since Space Ghost wishes everyone a merry Christmas at the end.

• Cliffhanger : "Glen Campbell" ends on one; "Jacksonville" resolves it.
• He does this to Bj�rk , too, although some would say this is Truth in Television .
• Pretty much everyone has at least a few traits of this.
• The show has a tendency to turn its guests into these; see the Redubbing entry. The results often make the people Space Ghost interviews seem a bit...off (especially in "Knifin' Around", where Bjork thinks packets of cream cheese are "children" and apparently doesn't know the difference between a couch and a toilet).
• Clumsy Copyright Censorship : The DVD version of "Glen Campbell" removes the audio of the Simpsons clip Space Ghost and Zorak watch at the beginning (as well as removing Space Ghost calling Moltar to watch the show and asking which character was Homer), but if you listen carefully, you could still hear the Simpsons audio whenever Space Ghost speaks.
• Cold Open : Occurs frequently. It would actually be easier to list episodes which didn't use a cold open.
• Comic-Book Adaptation : Coast to Coast was one of the subjects of the DC Comics Cartoon Cartoons anthology. Without a budget to worry about, the comics were able to engage in ideas that wouldn't have been possible in the show, like a full-manga spoof and the characters journeying outside Ghost Planet more often.
• Confusing Multiple Negatives : In "Needledrop", Space Ghost says: Space Ghost: There's only room for one ghost in this studio, and it's not the ghost that's not me!
• Continuity Nod : One of the charges Space Ghost is threatened with in the episode "Lawsuit" is devastating Paris (see Disproportionate Retribution ), which happened in an episode from the previous season.
• Cool Old Guy : Space Ghost's grandfather Leonard Ghostal's age and decrepitude is surpassed only by how violent and intimidating he is; his threats are enough to give even Zorak pause. note  This is helped by the fact that he's voiced by Macho Man Randy Savage . Oh YEAH! Leonard: Why, twenty years ago, I would've put your head in a half-nelson, twisted it around, saying each letter of the alphabet on every turn, and when I reached the first letter of my true love's name (that would be the lovely Elizabeth), I would yank your head clean off and roll it down the pike like a bowling ball! [beat] Zorak: [subdued] Okay.
• In "Cahill", Space Ghost attempts this again on Zorak, but then when lightning strikes he continues counting after three in fear.
• Cover Version : Space Ghost sings "The Joker" (extremely badly) in "Kentucky Nightmare". Actually, he really only sings one line of it and then makes up a second. All accompanied with Zorak merely pounding on the keyboard, not producing any discernible melody.
• Crack is Cheaper : In-universe: The "Zorak and Moltar Sing Nursery Rhymes and Other Favorite Lullabies" CD is $94 .
• In "Mayonaisse", Space Ghost sings "Dear Old Donegal" over the credits, and during the part of the song where he rattles off name after name, the names appear on the screen under "Special Thanks".
• The credits for "Glen Campbell" list the various positions as sequential numbers, rather than the names of the positions.
• "Brilliant Number One" lists Jim Fortier as "Angel of the Morning", Pete Smith as "Average American", and Andy Merrill as "Hootie Ann Debloufiche".
• Many episode list Nathan Cook as Space Ghost's Male Secretary (and later, Former Male Secretary).
• During the 1997 season, Mike Lazzo is listed under a different article of clothing in each episode. (e.g. "Shoes: Mike Lazzo")
• From the other direction in "King Dead", which opens with Space Ghost shouting the title at Zorak and Moltar from outside the studio for locking him out.
• "Boatshow" has a number which averts the word "dick" several times. Unsurprisingly, it occurs during the interview with Andy Dick.
• Played with in "Needledrop". Space Ghost orders Moltar to hit him with another of those "block-rocking beats" and proceeds to dance, but he's the only one who does so, and guest Fred Willard looks a bit annoyed at his dancing. Even Space Ghost begins to tire of chanting "Hey! Ho!" to the beat of the dance music halfway through the credits.
• "Sharrock" is a half-example, as one section of the credits includes Space Ghost dancing along to the Ghost Planet National Anthem.
• Not so much darker, but definitely edgier when it hit [adult swim] . Suddenly swearing was allowed, there were some innuendos, and there was more violence.
• The series had already started going into this sort of direction by 1998. Only a year later, the series had gotten even stranger. A lot of episodes from this period have a very proto-Adult Swim/Aqua Teen Hunger Force feel to them.
• Deal with the Devil : "Sweet for Brak" ends with Space Ghost making a deal with Satan!Yogi to get on a sitcom. As you'd expect of the trope, said sitcom involves Zorak pursuing him with all manners of blades .
• Lampshaded in "Zorak" during the ending: Zorak: Hey, what's going on? Is Turner de-colorizing now? note  At the time, Ted Turner had gotten quite a bit of bad press from cinephiles and others who didn't like how he colorized old black and white movies (particularly after the launch of TNT ); by the time Turner Classic Movies was launched in 1994, however, he had reversed his policies (partially due to the bad PR, but also due to high costs), so Zorak's remark was correct in a way
• Denser and Wackier : The original '60s cartoon was a straightforward action-packed show that was fairly serious in tone. Contrasted to this particular show, where seriousness is either parodied or straight-up non-existent.
• "Living with you is like living in a living nightmare!"
• "Americaners don't like foreigners... especially when they don't live there."
• "Greetings, I'm Space Ghost, and I have an important announcement concerning my death. I, Space Ghost, am dying."
• In "Needledrop", Space Ghost tries his hand at a rap: Space Ghost: Well I'm S.G. and it's plain to see that I'm S.G., and my name is S.G.!
• "I'm not sure if I remember how to behave around women of the opposite sex."
• "Le Livre D'Histoire" ends with "America's Funniest Funny Videos".
• In "Lovesick": Space Ghost: [depressed] Greetings. I'm Space Ghost. On tonight's show, we have comedian Carrot Top... and comedian Carrot Top.
• Space Ghost introduced Pat Boone in this manner: "My first guest is my all-time favorite recording artist of all time!"
• In "Jerk", we have, "For starters, we have a live studio audience here in the studio; completely live! We'll also be taking your live calls and questions here at the Ghost Planet live!
• Disproportionate Retribution : Space Ghost devastates France in the episode "Anniversary" for inventing the word "montage" (this came after Space Ghost was shown a montage that appeared to be celebratory at first, but turned out to be full of his embarrassments).
• Dissimile : "Dames are like mustard. They taste great on a sandwich, but when you're not eating a sandwich, they just sit there in your refrigerator... on a shelf... in a jar... labeled... mustard."
• Distinction Without a Difference : In "Bobcat": Bobcat Goldthwait: Well, I think Moltar's giving us the signal to wrap it up, huh, Space Ghost? Space Ghost: No, Bobcat, that's just his way of telling us to finish the interview.
• Does This Remind You of Anything? : "Curling Flower Space" has Space Ghost talking about the time when bugs "wore suits", "opened doors", and "were obedient to Man". Zorak, understandably, has no idea how to respond to that.
• The Dog Bites Back : Zorak and Moltar don't hesitate to take vengeance on Space Ghost for his abuse.
• Domestic-Only Cartoon : Not surprising, considering most of the animation is recycled from the '60s TV series.
• Do Wrong, Right : "Oh, I see what you're doing! No no no. If you want to control my mind, your eyes need to spin COUNTER-clockwise."
• Downer Ending : The last episode atmosphere in "The Justice Hole" makes you feel a bit sad for Space Ghost.
• Birdman makes two oddly contradictory appearances note  One episode is filmed to look like Space Ghost's pilot, with the producers vaguely threatening that if he doesn't shape up, they'll replace him with Birdman. However, the second is set up to be Birdman 's pilot and ends with them letting him go (he can't host a late-night talkshow because of his solar powers) and hiring Space Ghost to replace him (to Zorak and Moltar's horror). before getting his own show .
• David Lander (Squiggy) appears after the credits in "Edelweiss" as a testimonial in a mock paid program. He appeared as a proper guest a few episodes later in "Boo Boo Kitty".
• Brak and Sisto were originally imitations of Beavis and Butt-Head .
• "Baffler Meal" features the prototypes for what would become the main trio of Aqua Teen Hunger Force , and they're quite a bit different. Master Shake acts as the leader of the team, rather than Frylock, has no hands, and his voice sounds a lot more like Ignignokt. Frylock is the most different, having a high-pitched voice *  which sounds like Err but lower pitched , crinkle-cut fries for arms and legs, and his amulet is hanging from his "neck" (or rather his waist, since his arms are above it), rather than being embedded in his back. Personality-wise, he's also a complete pushover. Meatwad is the most similar to his final design in terms of looks and voice, but unlike the modern Meatwad, he's depressed and suicidal.
• Easter Egg : The DVD sets have a few, including an unused intro sequence by Joel Hodgson, Space Ghost presenting the 1997 Southern Region Emmy Awards, Commander Andy and Captain Kirk (played by a young Seth MacFarlane !) and George Lowe in a Space Ghost outfit and cowboy hat on the ranch with one of his ponies.
• Epileptic Flashing Lights : Parts of the intro could certainly count. Also the barrage of previous episode clips at the end of "Joshua". Each clip is only a frame (two at most) long, leading to an almost epileptic flash effect.
• In an unusual twist, the episode title card (always text on a single color background) is displayed at the end of the episode, sometimes after the credits! An exception is "Knifin' Around". Also, "Boatshow" features the title "O Coast to Coast!" at the beginning.
• A bizarre subversion, at the end of "Kentucky Nightmare", the title card, credits, and logos all air in less than a few seconds total, with strobe lights over them making it hard to read. However, these are reused in the series finale, "Live At The Fillmore", complete with the title card still saying "Kentucky Nightmare". This may be attributed to the fact that it was allegedly originally aired in an unfinished state.
• Even Evil Has Standards : Zorak and Moltar express their disgust with Space Ghost's blatant, shameless pandering in "Telethon". Zorak: This is shameful, even to me. Moltar: It's just so... wrong.
• "Everybody Dies" Ending : "Untitled" ends with the cast exploding.
• Seen in Space Ghost's flashback to last week's show in "Curling Flower Space". Also done in "Urges".
• "Hungry" has a variant: Mujibur & Sirajul, who stole Space Ghost's pizza, laugh derisively at Space Ghost, which continues through the credits.
• Everybody Must Get Stoned : Natural gas in "Flipmode", alcohol in "Idlewild South".
• Evil Laugh : Zorak has the classic Muhahahaha down pat.
• Also, "Gary" (as in Gary Owens , the voice of Space Ghost in the original cartoon ), the evil "impostornator" created by Space Ghost's mentor, Warren. Both he and Chad are greatly preferred by Zorak and Moltar over the real deal.
• Eye Beams : Robin Leach (who is possessed by Moltar's brother-in-law, Zoltran) fries Space Ghost with one of these. Preceded by a very hammy Pre Ass Kicking One Liner . Robin Leach: And now, in very quick order, I will raise my arms, cover myself in black magic, and you are history!
• Eye Catch : "Jacksonville" had the title card spoof of Charlie's Angels . Subverted in that it appeared nine times in the episode, instead of being reserved for a commercial break.
• Charlton Heston's reaction when Space Ghost responded to "Do you know Shakespeare?" with " Not personally ".
• The episode spoofing the live studio audience (as the audience is full of mantises [read: Zorak recolors]) and things get out of control. Space Ghost: Let's just go to a break... [the guest monitor goes static] Brak: HAIL BRAAAAAK ! Moltar: Hail Brak! Studio Audience: Hail Brak! Space Ghost: [ Face Palm ] No! Not Brak, break!
• Failure Is the Only Option : Played for laughs in "Gallagher" with the "Space Time Quiz Fun 9000" game. The rules are: Space Ghost asks David Cross and Bob Odenkirk a question; if they get it wrong, they get blasted. If they get it right... they get blasted.
• Fast-Forward Gag : In "$20.01", Space Ghost asked Joel Hodgson to describe Mystery Science Theater 3000 in five seconds, to which Joel spoke in fast forward, chipmunk mode. Space Ghost: Uh, can you repeat that? I don't think MOE caught it. MOE 2000: Joel said that Mystery Science Theater was obviously a simple idea that was based on people making fun of movies at home.
• Fear of Thunder : Space Ghost in "Cahill."
• Zorak does this to Space Ghost in "Chambraigne".
• Averted in "Toast" when Space Ghost tries to finish Merrill Markoe's sentences, but she says the opposite of what he wanted to hear: Space Ghost: Come over here and give me a kiss. Plant one on me. You know you want to. Merrill: Oh, don't you start. Don't you even try. Space Ghost: Yeah, right. Now come on! Merrill: I would find that... Space Ghost: Delightful? Merrill: ...Dangerous and repellent. Don't, don't mess with me that way.
• Flanderization : Space Ghost slowly goes from a mostly heroic, if a bit full-of-himself superhero with the occasional bit of Cloudcuckoolander tendencies and childish behavior, to a completely insane manchild with a massively bloated ego over the course of the show.
• Flashback : "Curling Flower Space" is all about the flashbacks to last week's show.
• Follow the Bouncing Ball : Demonstrated in "Chinatown" when Zorak sings about Moltar.
• For the Evulz : In "Warren": Space Ghost: Ah-ha! So that's why you lured me here: So you could steal my show! But you already have a show. Why, Warren? Why? Warren: [laughs] I just felt like it.
• The "Sharrock" episode, which is really a tribute to the music of Sonny Sharrock and Lance Carter. They even featured Thurston Moore, guitarist for the alternative rock Sonic Youth , under the pretense that it's Fred Cracklin.
• The episode "Table Read", which consists entirely of the voice actors (in live-action) rehearsing the script at a conference table . The script was an early draft of the very next episode.
• "Brilliant Number Two" is literally a re-airing of "Brilliant Number One" but with different subtitles and audio mixing.
• "Joshua", which is a mock infomercial for how to "take advantage of the power of the Space Ghost". It also includes some fake behind-the-scenes footage.
• "Warren" completely forgoes the talk show format in favor of Space, Zorak and Moltar going on a trip to investigate the existence of a Space Ghost replicant.
• "Story Book House" doesn't feature the main characters at all, and features Kirk the Storyteller reading a book version of two old episodes while a sketch artist draws the action.
• In a similar vein, "Woody Allen's Fall Project" presents scenes from five previous episodes, acted out in live action.
• Funny Schizophrenia : Shown in the episode "Self Help"
• Gag Dub : The Cold Open to "Piledriver" features Space Ghost, Zorak and Moltar dubbing an episode of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! . Velma: [with Moltar's voice] Well. I've seen a wallflower before, but this is ridiculous!
• Gainax Ending : Several episodes end in this way.
• Gender-Blender Name : In "Girlie Show", Space Ghost is taken aback when he learns that Alice Cooper is a guy. Space Ghost: Is nothing sacred?! Is love a lie?!
• In "Curses": Zorak: Hey! Biscuit! Biscuit! Space Ghost: Not now. Zorak: Stuff you! Space Ghost: Stuff you, too!
• Later on, in the same episode: Emo Phillips: Zorak? Zorak, you're an intelligent being; do you like riddles? Zorak: ... Stuff you! Emo Phillips: I-I'd rather do a riddle.
• In "Untitled", after Space Ghost and Moltar make up, Zorak shouts "FRACK!"
• Grammar Nazi : In "Pal Joey", Space Ghost contests that Michael Moore's film should be called "Roger and I", not Roger and Me .
• Linda was actually seen on the pre-Adult Swim Space Ghost Web site. She used the alternate Moltar character design from the original series.
• He Knows Too Much : In "Girl Hair", Space Ghost killed Hanson after they witnessed him hitting the Tooth Fairy with his Phantom Cruiser.
• Helium Speech : Heard for long periods of time in "Flipmode" due to the gas leak.
• Hero-Worshipper : Moltar loves Erik Estrada . When Erik finally appears on the show, Moltar is ecstatic and a kiss-up: Moltar: Oh, and, and remember the time when the skateboarder grabbed onto the back of that Chevy Malibu? Erik: Right, right. Moltar: And kept on skating? That was so cool! Erik: That wasn't very smart, that wasn't really cool. Moltar: Well that's what I meant. That was totally uncool!
• Hidden Depths : Subverted in "Knifin' Around", where at first it sounds like Zorak is actually envious of Space Ghost getting married, until he finishes his train of thought. Zorak: I need what you have. I need a woman. ...someone that I can sell her organs to Black Sabbath , make me some money.
• The Aqua Teen Hunger Force do this to Space Ghost in "Baffler Meal".
• Comedian Dave Thomas (of SCTV , Not to be confused for the late fast-food baron) pulls this as well. Moltar and Zorak give their full support.
• Zorak and Moltar have also attempted this when Space Ghost off being distracted by something else. "Freak Show" is about the interview feed being hijacked by a Loony Fan , "Switcheroo" and "Hipster" feature Chad Ghostal attempting to take over the show, and "$20.01" ends with MOE 2000 attempting to seize control of the show after deeming Space Ghost unfit to be the host.
• In Curling Flower Space , Jerry Springer accuses SGC2C of being an "ambush show."
• In "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed", when William Shatner reminds Space Ghost that he played Captain Kirk at the start of the interview, Space Ghost declares, "Outer space shows are for children and stupid people."
• In "Fire Ant" Space Ghost declares that ants are stupid... while he's crawling after the ant on his knees like an idiot.
• A Running Gag in "Boatshow" is Zorak and Space Ghost calling Moltar "stupid". After the commercial break, Moltar finishes a song and asks, "Uh, isn't anyone gonna tell me to shut up?" Zorak says, "You don't deserve it." A minute later, after Moltar's next song is interrupted, Zorak says, "Shut up!" and "We hate you!"
• I Don't Pay You to Think : A variant occurred in "Pal Joey": Zorak: And how about a piano bench? I've been squattin' for four years ! Space Ghost: Sit down on your own time. I don't pay you to sit. Zorak: You don't pay me at all ! Space Ghost: You'll get what I give you and like it!
• I Have Many Names : The narrator in "Joshua" first introduces himself as David Caldwell. By the end of the episode, his name has changed to Dick Dickenbach.
• I'll Tell You When I've Had Enough! : A variant occurred in "Curses" after Space Ghost ate two guests and rejected a third for not being meaty enough: Moltar: Haven't you had enough, Space Ghost? Space Ghost: More guests. MORE GUESTS. Moltar: Space Ghost- Space Ghost: Bring me more guests! Moltar: Space Ghost- Space Ghost: More guests! Moltar: You're out of control! Space Ghost: More guests! Moltar: You have a problem. Space Ghost: I'll tell you the problem. The problem is the crummy service in this place! (burps) I'm never eating here again! Come on, Zorak, we're leaving!
• I'm a Humanitarian : In the episode "Curses", Space Ghost is infected with the vapor of a vengeful demon that forces him to eat humanoids for sustenance. He eats his guests and eventually Zorak and Moltar . It turned out to be a dream of Kirk the Storyteller, though.
• In "Brilliant Number One/Two", after "thwarting" Vibratronica and The Polisher: Space Ghost: Those were close calls. Why are my old enemies coming back to taunt me? Why today? Why now? Why? Why? Why?
• In "Telethon": Space Ghost: None of this is real.
• Inner Monologue Conversation : In "Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite", Space Ghost and guest Pat Boone engage in this with each other: Space Ghost: (Then strap on your bib, Space Ghost, and saddle up to a heapin' helpin' of Sugarman's Bovine Flavored Potted Meat! Have a cow, man, a Sugarman cow!) Pat Boone: (You certainly, hey, that could be our slogan.) Space Ghost: (Whoa! Hey Pat, we're reading each other's heads!) Pat Boone: (I know, see, and I'm enjoying it!) Zorak: Hey... why are you guys just staring at each other, huh? (Space Ghost and Pat Boone share a laugh) Space Ghost: (Zorak has a tiny brain.) Pat Boone: (Yeah, well, maybe you've got a point.)
• Instantly Proven Wrong : In "Spanish Translation": Space Ghost: Before we begin, I'd just like to point out to our viewers that although it may seem that the Ghost Planet behind me is really close, it's actually millions of miles away. So, don't worry, we're not gonna run into it or anything. [Ghost Planet slams into the studio, causing chaos]
• Instrumental Theme Tune
• Intoxication Ensues : A gas leak makes the characters high in the episode "Flipmode". Sort of subverted in that Space Ghost deliberately caused the gas leak.
• Ironic Echo : MOE 2000 attempts this in "$20.01" when he cuts the life support to the studio, quipping "So Tad, are you getting enough oxygen?" Space Ghost replies that he doesn't need air to survive (Zorak, on the other hand...)
• Is That What He Told You? : In "Urges": Moltar: The female typically eats the head and brain of the male. Zorak: You're kidding. Moltar: You didn't know that? Zorak: That's not what my mother told me.
• It's a Wonderful Plot : The very end of "Zorak" features one of these. Among the things that would've happened if Zorak was never born: Diff'rent Strokes would still be on the air, Lokar would have Zorak's job, Space Ghost's show would be a huge success, and Space Ghost would also be governor of California and president of the whole universe.
• Jerkass : Everyone . Zorak is a Card-Carrying Villain who eats his nephew off-screen and likes to Kick the Dog whenever possible. Space Ghost is a supremely insecure Small Name, Big Ego whose self-absorbed paranoia leads him to callously disregard basically everyone else around him, and takes it up to eleven in the episode "Pavement", in which he is allowed to write the script, to the point of plainly declaring that Viewers Are Morons . Moltar is probably the least assholish of the three, approaching Only Sane Man , but he still enjoys seeing Space Ghost suffer and laughs at violent TV.
• Jump Scare : The original ending to "Snatch" has one, although it's more funny than startling: Colonial man: I suppose you're wondering what happened to Space Ghost and his fabled gang. Well... I don't know! Hawhawhawhaw! [suddenly cuts to footage of the colonial man turning around and growling, revealing vampire teeth, before cutting back to normal]
• Karma Houdini : "Lawsuit" ends with Space Ghost getting out of being sued and having to pay up for the abuse and neglect he heaped on Jan and Jace, because of his connections to Ted Turner. (It helps that Turner turns out to be the father of Dr. Nightmare, Attorney at Law.) However, this is hilariously subverted at the end, when Moltar gets SG arrested for attacking Zorak .
• Lack of Empathy : Space Ghost to a T. Heck, in one episode, he kills an intern, Joey, for annoying him and all he can think about is how it will affect his career. Space Ghost: Way to go, Joey!
• Large Ham : Master Shake in "Baffler Meal". Space Ghost: [in "Chambraigne"] YOU WANT A PIECE OF THE KING?
• After an exchange between Space Ghost and an entomologist regarding the number of limbs a mantis should have, the entomologist suggests that Zorak could have another pair of arms under his red vest. It cuts to Zorak in a blue vest, the 'red vest' snippet is played again and then shows Zorak in a red vest.
• The entomologist says the mantis can stay still for motionless for hours, it then cuts to a prolonged still of Zorak who breaks out and remarks 'actually, nobody moves much in a Hanna-Barbera cartoon'.
• During a clip of Zorak's first appearance in the original series, Space Ghost asks Zorak what was up with his voice. Zorak answers back asking the same.
• Later-Installment Weirdness : The show changed greatly when it moved to the newly-created [adult swim] . The show's humor became a lot more random, there was a lot more swearing, Vomit Indiscretion Shots started to appear, and one episode (Idlewild South) even had Zorak and Moltar smoking weed on camera. The show had already started to go in this direction with episodes like Warren and King Dead, but the transition to Adult Swim was when they committed to it.
• Laughably Evil : Again, Zorak and Moltar.
• Leave the Camera Running : During "Sharrock", there's a segment that consist almost entirely of the camera slowly zooming in on Space Ghost's face while Zorak and the Original Way Outs play "Fear of a Ghost Planet".
• Left the Background Music On : In "Terminal", Space Ghost makes a long speech but is gradually drowned out by the background music. It's revealed that the music is coming from Zorak's boom box, who shouts "I LOVE THIS SONG!"
• Lighter and Softer : In "Chinatown", Zorak sings about the recently-replaced Moltar, to which Space Ghost replies: "You're losing your edge."
• Animation of a character walking is performed by bobbing a still frame up and down as it moves across the screen. Lampshaded in "Zorak". Maxcy Nolan: One thing that I find just...most absolutely fascinating about the mantises, is the fact that they can stand motionless for hours. Literally not moving any body part that is visible. Zorak: Actually, nobody moves much in a Hanna-Barbera cartoon.
• In "Switcheroo #1", Zorak mentions that every time he moves his arm, it costs Cartoon Network $42. Zorak: [moves arm] $42... [moves arm] $84... [moves arm] $126...
• Limited Wardrobe : SG is always in super-hero apparel, Moltar is always in his containment suit... but Zorak does have a modest selection of differently-colored space vests.
• Literal-Minded : In "Fire Ant" Space Ghost and Conan O'Brien argue about how literal Space Ghost's name should be taken. Conan: FACE IT, SPACE GHOST! Space Ghost: No! Conan: YOU'RE A SPACE MAN THAT CHOKED ON A MUFFIN.
• Living Prop : To varying degrees, the members of Zorak and the Original Way-Outs who aren't Zorak. Christy (the drummer) gets a few close-ups while playing the drums and of course an actual name, and The Sorcerer (the trumpet player) gets to say a couple of lines, albeit he goes unnamed, but Parko (the guitarist) does nothing but stand around throughout the entire series, and his actual name wasn't even revealed until synopsises of the original show were found.
• Loading Screen : A rare non-video game example, and a rare example done on purpose. "Waiting For Edward" opens with nothing but a black screen, some easy listening music, and the word "Waiting" for over a minute. Suddenly, we catch a one second glimpse of the show already in progress, with Zorak riding on Space Ghost's shoulders ("Hang on Zorak! Hang-"), before quickly going back to the "Waiting" screen for a few more seconds, and finally to the actual start of the episode.
• Long List : In "Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite", Space Ghost lists every single ingredient used in Sugarman's Potted Meat Food Product, which he endorses: Space Ghost: That's right, 2% real meat to go along with superhero-sized portions of sodium nitrate, potassium bicarbonate, pyrodoxine hydrochloride, biotin, cobalt iodate, thiamine mononitrate, thenadiol bisulfite, sodium selenite, D-L-alpha-tocopperal acetate, glucaronalactone, lanacetol, pantothenic acid, and maltodextrin!
• It aired between 1994 and 2004; it was the longest-running show on Cartoon Network until Ed, Edd n Eddy passed it in 2009, which was itself passed by Ninjago in 2021. (though, "Coast to Coast" technically ran longer, if you count the Game Tap -produced webisodes).
• One of the promos listed all the "real" talk shows that Space Ghost outlasted, and there were quite a few.
• Loony Fan : Commander Andy, who hijacks the interview feed in "Freak Show" and annoys Space Ghost with references to past episodes and insane demands.
• Luke, I Am Your Father : Comedian Steven Wright discovers that Space Ghost is his real father.
• Magic Tool : Moltar carries out all of his duties with a single lever.
• Mandatory Line : In "Boatshow", during the final number, Lokar's one line is: "I didn't have any lines today!" Zorak replies: "That made some people glad!"
• Manipulative Editing : See Redubbing
• Man on Fire : Jim Jarmusch is burned alive at the end of "Rio Ghosto" for not playing ball with Space Ghost on directing his film. Space Ghost: Aw heck, I'll just direct it myself. Jim: Help me! Space Ghost: Oh, be quiet.
• Maximum Fun Chamber : In "Intense Patriotism", Space Ghost threatens to put Zorak in "The Box." Zorak is completely terrified by this threat and quickly does what he's told.
• Medium Awareness : When Zorak complains about how he always explodes but Brak is never touched, Brak responds with "I'm not animated to blow up!"
• Medium Blending : The whole concept of an animated character interviewing real people. But aside from that, there are other instances where Space Ghost or other characters are superimposed over live action backgrounds. Two episodes, "Chinatown" and "Pal Joey", feature a real dog and a guy in a Space Ghost costume, respectively, interacting on the cartoon set.
• Medium-Shift Gag : In "Pavement", when Space Ghost flies to Jupiter to battle Fidor, he becomes an action figure, filmed in live action.
• Mentors : Warren was this to Space Ghost.
• Metaphorgotten : In "Joshua": Zorak: Tell us, Space Ghost: What's "branding"? Space Ghost: Here, let me explain. Let's say you have a rowboat, a cow, and the big man. Zorak: You mean Clarence Clemmons? Space Ghost: Of course. Now, the cow wants to transport Clarence across the river. But remember, the cow is on fire, and Clarence has no hands or bucket, so he has to utilize his hooks, and the mighty power of his saxophone!
• invoked Milestone Celebration : Parodied in "Anniversary", where Space Ghost arbitrarily decides to celebrate his 37th episode.
• The ending to "Snatch": Just as Space Ghost, Zorak, and Moltar are about to be eaten by the pods, it cuts to black and a goofy tune plays as "HE ENDT" scrolls onto the screen, with the "T" moving to its proper place in front of "H".
• In "Freak Show", Commander Andy mostly makes trivial demands of Space Ghost (jumpropes with wooden handles, Super Elastic Bubble Plastic, more lines for Zorak, and a lockable diary). Then: Space Ghost: Grrr! Anything ELSE?! Commander Andy: [serious] Yes. I want a little brother. [long pause] And that's it.
• Space Ghost says a variant of this in "Edelweiss" when he thinks he killed Zorak by blasting him too many times: Space Ghost: Heaven help me; WHAT HAVE I DONE?! [beat] Oh well.
• Another variation of this from "Baffler Meal": Space Ghost: What have I done to the future of classic rock?!
• "Idlewild South" ends with Space Ghost dying in a car wreck, and Space Ghost's ghost getting shot by a ghost bear . Don't ask.
• A bizarre subversion : "Lawsuit" ends with Space Ghost in prison . Everything is back to normal by next week, but 10 episodes later, "Sequel" picks up where "Lawsuit" left off, which is a bit odd considering early on, the show had some form of continuity (for example, Zorak's cannibalization of his nephew, Raymond, was referenced in episodes beyond "Hungry", the only episode where Raymond was shown alive; the subject was dropped after Raymond became an angel). note  This can be explained by the show having multiple writers, some of whom didn't work with others or were just temps. Episodes penned by Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer are all pretty much tied together (e.g. Chad Ghostal appears in many of them, both "Lawsuit" and "Sequel" were written by them). In other episodes, Moltar occasionally mentions having a wife named Linda, which is something Matt Maiellero (who either wrote or co-wrote nearly every episode during the first season, and became heavily involved with it again starting with Season 5) hated and ignored. The show as a whole is so ridiculous and bizarre that nobody should really care about it having any continuity despite the attempts made at it. It's all just apart of the show's charm, really.
• Nested Story Reveal : "Warren". It begins with Space Ghost, Zorak, and Moltar watching TV, which is the impetus for the trio visiting Warren. The episode ends with Space Ghost killing Warren, only to be revealed as a show that Space Ghost, Zorak, and Moltar are watching ("That was good. What else is on?"). Subverted in the long version, where the story repeats at this point (with the dialogue exactly the same except for Space Ghost's Bond One-Liner line) two more times before finally ending.
• Never My Fault : Space Ghost always refuses to admit he's wrong. This is especially seen in "Brilliant Number One" (and "Two") when he keeps blaming his mistakes and clumsiness on fictional entities like "impostornators" and "The Polisher".
• No Budget : The final episode "Live At The Filmore\Unfinished POS" is filled to the brim with errors like missing sound effects, blurry cels, visible cutoff, Hong Kong Dubbing , even more Limited Animation than usual (such as Moltar supposedly using the internet or making a phone call when he's just standing there on-set,) etc, that are justified in-universe by the show's budget being used to bail Space Ghost out of jail.
• An odd variation: The episode "Snatch" ends with Space Ghost, Zorak and Moltar about to be devoured by replicating pods. That may seem like a solid enough ending (even if it is a bit of a downer ), but the script for the actual ending was auctioned on eBay, and to this day has not surfaced anywhere online.
• "Fire Drill" ends abruptly due to... well, a fire drill. "Speck" ends with Space Ghost suddenly ending the show because he has something in his eye. "Freak Show" ends with Commander Andy calling out Space Ghost for his abrupt endings and getting cut-off mid-sentence by the credits.
• No Hero Discount : A plot point in "Surprise": Space Ghost is aggravated that he can't pick up a package without showing his ID, despite being a superhero that saved the post office employees' lives.
• At the beginning of "Pal Joey", Space Ghost is being timed by Moltar to see how fast he can inviso onto the set. Space Ghost is repeatedly dissatisfied with his times, and even leaves guest Michael Moore waiting, because if he doesn't get his time down to 3.5 by 6 o'clock Sunday, he's a dead man. We never do find out the details of that comment.
• How Space Ghost became a ghost is simply explained as a "fishing accident."
• Whatever Warren, Space Ghost's mentor, taught him: Space Ghost: I learned so much that summer...
• Amid all the arguing in "Lawyer" is Jace's blackmail threat to Space Ghost: "I'll tell everyone what you did to Dino Boy!"
• No Theme Tune : Starting in season five, the theme song was dropped in favor of a black screen shot with the word "Waiting" on it that would last for a few seconds at most (it was extended in the season finale "Waiting for Edward"). Anything resembling an intro was dropped starting in season six; the original intro was brought back for most of the eighth and final season.
• Not in the Face! : At the end of "Cookout", Brak is about to be blasted by Space Ghost and pleads that SG not shoot him in the face. Space Ghost ignores it and shoots him in the face anyway.
• Off the Rails : The show's general idea is that it's a talk show. Despite doing talk show interviews, the show inevitably gets derailed by the bickering, Seinfeldian Conversation , and antics of Space Ghost, Zorak, and Moltar.
• Once an Episode : Space Ghost blasting Zorak. Space Ghost inviso-ing to the desk to Zorak's music (with a few exceptions, like "Kentucky Nightmare" when he claimed they've never done that).
• "Spanish Translation": Sisto, who would later get a (slightly) larger part on the spin-off The Brak Show .
• "Batmantis": Your Mother
• "$20.01": MOE 2000
• "Freak Show": Commander Andy
• "Zoltran": Puff the Magic Dragon
• "Piledriver": Grandpa Ghostal
• "Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite": The Rappin' Space Goblin
• "Lawsuit": Dr. Nightmare ( ATTORNEY AT LAW! ), although he has an off-screen cameo in "Sequel".
• "Warren": Warren
• "Pal Joey": Joey the intern
• "Curses": Future Man
• "Sweet For Brak": Satan/ Yogi Bear .
• "Girl Hair": The Tooth Fairy and Bizarro Santa Claus
• "Curling Flower Space": C. Ling Tile
• Only Sane Man : Moltar is usually the voice of reason and the straight man bullied by Space Ghost.
• On Second Thought : In "Warren", Space Ghost gets cold feet about visiting his old mentor Warren: Space Ghost: Let's go back. [puts the Phantom Cruiser in reverse] What am I doing? I love Warren! I need to see him. [goes forward] ...But he hurts me. [stops] But I've been replicated! [goes] ...But he hurts me. [stops] ...But, I have been replicated. [goes, after some brief gear grinding]
• In "Joshua", the narrator says that Space Ghost: Coast to Coast is "a solution with real value". Not so bad, but he makes a confusing second slogan later on: "A valuable solution with real."
• Sugarman's Potted Meat Food Product boasts that it contains only 2% real meat.
• Out-of-Character Moment Zorak in "Rio Ghosto": Space Ghost: So, Zorak how was your weekend? Zorak: I did some volunteer work over at the orphanage. Space Ghost: Well I was- [stares blankly at Zorak] ...yeah.
• The second half of the "Fire Ant" episode, in which Space Ghost follows an ant. For 10 minutes . There's a shortened version for the quarter-hour slot that reduces this to 15 seconds, but is otherwise identical to the original. Space Ghost: I'm gonna follow him home. Kill his whole family.
• The original version of "Warren" looped three times in a bizarre Framing Device that had Space Ghost and company watch the events of the episode from his TV, only to start them again when Space Ghost asks "That was good. What else is on?". The shortened version shows only one iteration.
• The episode 'Sharrock' from the second season is basically just three of overly long gags placed side by side. First, Zorak plays Space Ghost to the desk with some unruly noise rock, while the camera slowly zooms closer and closer toward Space Ghost for several minutes. Then we cut to an Indian Head test card while the show is 'under attack,' set to a similar sample of rock music. Finally, even the credits are something of an overly long gag, going on for longer than usual and playing the 'Ghost Planet national anthem' (again, loud rock-like music with strange vocals and feedback). The music is loosely explained as a tribute to the deceased Sonny Sharrock.
• The opening to "Speck", which is just Space Ghost humming "Sweet Home Alabama" to himself for thirty seconds.
• Overly Narrow Superlative : "Overruled! I am the undisputed breakfast master!"
• Parental Substitute : In "Warren", Moltar and Zorak love the "fake" Space Ghost more than the real one, culminating with: Moltar: Gary, can you come home with us and... be our new dad? Space Ghost: Now wait just a second!
• Piss-Take Rap : Space Ghost. (see Department of Redundancy Department )
• Pre Ass Kicking One Liner : The opening of "Mayonnaise" has Zorak and Moltar ribbing Space Ghost for a terrible one-liner he used against Grimlock the Toymaker, while coming up with a couple of better ones themselves. When Space Ghost attempts to come up with better ones (which are predictably lame,) Zorak and Moltar end up leaving in disgust.
• In "Warren", Space Ghost delivers one before zapping Warren's monitor: Monitor: You've destroyed Warren, I'm tellin'. You've destroyed Warren, I'm tellin'. You've destroyed Warren, I'm tellin'. Space Ghost : Tell 'em THIS! (zaps monitor) When you see 'em in Poland / Pelham / Conyers!
• Space Ghost also deliver one to C. Ling Tile before killing him with "medical school" in his flashback to last week's episode in "Curling Flower Space" Space Ghost: May cause drowsiness! From your coffin! Because you're dead!
• In "Cookout", every instance of Space Ghost blasting the Council of Doom is preceded with: Space Ghost: Well, ____, looks like you've stepped out of the frying pan and into the fire!
• Precision F-Strike : "Dreams" has Moltar saying "shit� (somehow) uncensored.
• Previously on� : "Jacksonville" features this. In a subversion of this trope, nearly all the clips displayed never actually occurred in the episode before this, "Glen Campbell". Some of the footage was actually from "CHiPs".
• Pro Bono Barter : In "Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite", Space Ghost reveals that when he was making the commercials for Sugarman's Potted Meat Food Product, he was paid in sandwiches. He didn't seem to mind, though.
• Parodied in "Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite" when Zorak repeatedly plugs an ointment. After Space Ghost chastises Zorak for this practice, he starts plugging Sugerman's Potted Meat Food Product.
• Played straight when they created a special episode to be run after the movie on the VHS release of The Mask (as New Line Cinema had then-recently been purchased by Turner Broadcasting). Said episode was reedited into the season 2 episode "Le Livre d'Histoire".
• Promotional Consideration : Parodied in "A Space Ghost Christmas": Tansut: "A Space Ghost Christmas" has been brought you by... by some things! Right-right over there! Good night, everybody!
• Psychic Nosebleed : In "Baffler Meal", Space Ghost gets these when he lies about his involvement with Burger Trench and when he does not punish Zorak properly for eating Frylock's eye.
• Public Domain Soundtrack : "A Space Ghost Christmas" features a number of public domain Christmas songs, with new lyrics.
• From "Pavement": Moltar: This just bites, is all... Space Ghost: What did you say? Moltar: I SAID: THIS. JUST. BITES. IS ALL.
• From "Flipmode": Space Ghost: Do NOT... [hits Zorak with a wrench] DISTURB... [hits him again] THE JUDGE!
• Punishment Box : In "Intense Patriotism": Space Ghost: Everything's free in America, Moltar. (...) It's the land of the free, and the home of the free. Zorak: So I get to go free? Space Ghost: No , now play me to the desk or I'm puttin' you in The Box! Zorak: [frightened] The Box? Space Ghost: That's right... The Box .
• Quarter Hour Short : Although a handful of episodes fill the half-hour slot.
• Rapid-Fire Comedy : In one episode, Zorak pulls a Hostile Show Takeover and becomes host. He has a slew of guests come on before blasting the TV monitor they're showed on; most if not all guests last on screen for a fraction of a second.
• "Rashomon"-Style : "Curling Flower Space".
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech : Conan O'Brien tries to give Space Ghost one at the end of "Fire Ant" but he's too busy following an ant to care about what Conan is saying.
• Recap Episode : "Story Book" and "Woody Allen's Fall Project" are a variation, both hosted by James Kirkconnell (aka Kirk the Storyteller, the host of an obscure Canadian public access show) and retelling certain episodes in styles such as a live-action theater recreation, or Kirk narrating an episode with accompanying on-the-spot marker illustrations. "Banjo" was revisited twice over in these formats.
• Redubbing : In the early episodes, the interviewees would be given one set of questions, their answers would be recorded, and then these answers would be juxtaposed against questions invented after-the-fact for comedic effect. Later episodes had the guests directly interacting with Space Ghost and friends.
• Remake Cameo : Gary Owens, the original voice of Space Ghost, voices the "fake" Space Ghost in "Warren".
• Retcon : Zorak had repeatedly explicitly stated in the first few episodes that he was a locust. Later on they realized he was supposed to be a mantis and retconned him as one.
• Revised Ending : "Snatch" originally aired with a colonial man telling the viewers they can bid on the ending on eBay. On all repeat airings, this scene was simply replaced with "The End".
• Rewind, Replay, Repeat : In "Urges", Moltar asks Space Ghost if he remembers his explanation of mantis mating habbits earlier in the show. Space Ghost promptly heads into the "little ghost's room" to replay it. "...the female typically eats the head and brain of the male... (rewinds) the male... (rewinds) the head..."
• Riddle for the Ages : We never do find out what Chad did to Space Ghost before the events of "Hipster".
• Ruder and Cruder : Due to having more creative freedom since the formation of Adult Swim , this show ramped up the drug use and profanity.
• In "Curling Flower Space":
• Space Ghost blasting Zorak.
• In "Curling Flower Space", Space Ghost threatening to Zorak or Moltar that he'll spin their head so fast it'll travel back in time.
• In "Jacksonville", various characters announcing they're pregnant, followed by dramatic sting music.
• In "Woody Allen's Fall Project", James Kirkconnell saying this phrase (or close to it): "And now, our word for word reenactment of a conversation that took place at a certain time, in a certain dimension, somewhere deep in space..."
• Two of them in "Cookout": Zorak and Moltar arguing over Beefaroni or Beefagetti, and Zorak requesting the bones when the cooks are done with their recipes.
• Satan turns out to be Yogi Bear .
• Saying Sound Effects Out Loud : In "Switcheroo", the usual sound effect of Space Ghost taking off is replaced by a guy saying "Whoosh!"
• Say My Name : "Banjo! Banjo!! BAANJOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! "
• The Scrooge : In one of the bumpers for "A Space Ghost Christmas": Zorak: Christmas is cancelled. Go to bed.
• Series Fauxnale : The original run wrapped in 1999 with King Dead , which saw Zorak and Moltar fired (they would get revenge by hijacking Space Ghost's apartment and capturing guest star John Benjamin), in 2001, Cartoon Network announced the show would be revived and air on the Adult Swim block. In 2004, the 'unfinished P.O.S' episode Live at the Fillmore wrapped up the new run with the show running on fumes due to a lack of budget, but the now defunct Gametap service would pick up the show for an extra two series that ran from 2006 to 2008. The episode Bare Naked Ladies appeared to give the show a definitive conclusion with the show cancelled and the characters all moving on with their lives. Then the show returned to Adult Swim for a series of short bumpers that aired in between other programming, most notably for an April's Fool interview 'promoting'/critiquing The Room .
• Seinfeldian Conversation : The Cold Opening to "Sharrock" features Space Ghost complaining about having to pick Zorak up and telling him to get a part-time job, all while Sonny Sharrock's music plays in the background.
• Among other things, the second season's DVD box cover features such critical blurbs as "Needs some work." and "Jarring and unpleasant."
• From the intro to "Woody Allen's Fall Project": Announcer: And now, in case you haven't already changed the channel...
• From "Joshua": Announcer: Welcome to Ghost Planet Industries, gateway to humor for literally hundreds of television viewers!
• Serious Business : While interviewing Bob Odenkirk and David Cross: Space Ghost: I save entire planets. Bob Odenkirk: God bless you, man. If we could, we would, but all we can do is make one or two people giggle a little bit. Space Ghost: And those one or two people will be giggling their way to Armageddon while you two jokers do your little "ha ha" act!! Bob Odenkirk: ...What did I do? You invited me on this show!
• In "Snatch", Space Ghost tells Moltar "Please don't tell me how to do it. It sickens me.", a nod to William Shatner .
• In "Explode", Moltar claims his agent is Ultraseven .
• When Zorak proceeds to antagonize Space Ghost's mentor and mentally unstable bush Warren, Warren threatens him saying "I can burn you like The Crazy World of Arthur Brown !"
• "$20.01" is a Whole-Plot Reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey .
• Zorak's family portait in "Zorak" includes a deceased older brother dressed like Donald Duck .
• There's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it parody of Citizen Kane in "A Space Ghost Christmas": Space Ghost says "Rosebud." when Moltar rewinds the tape.
• Slow Motion : Demonstrated in "Cahill" when Zorak blasts Space Ghost with his laser gun.
• Small Name, Big Ego : Space Ghost.
• Soap Opera Disease : Space Ghost's unknown disease in "Terminal". Though being a ghost, he's already dead, so at the end after he "dies", he opens his eyes and says "Huh, this isn't so bad."
• Sound-Effect Bleep : From "Flipmode": Moltar: Well you're just making all this (bleep) up! Oh what, you're the only one who gets to make (bleep) up?!
• Special Edition Title : For the episode which parodied the Late Show with David Letterman , a new title was commissioned panning the galaxy in the manner the Late Show titles pan around New York. It was used on other episodes in order to amortize the cost of the titles on to the budgets for them. There was also a special opening for the Musical Episode , and "Sharrock" features a Theme Tune Extended version of the opening in tribute to Sonny Sharrock.
• Special Guest
• Cartoon Planet , which was pretty much Space Ghost Coast To Coast: Lite with a greater emphasis on sketch comedy (including footage recycled from other shows in the Turner library), Toonami , CN's longtime action block which was "hosted" by a CGI Moltar for its first two years (and outlasted SGC2C), and The Brak Show , an Affectionate Parody of sitcoms.
• Aqua Teen Hunger Force was intended to be a spinoff of SGC2C, but then they sat on the episode that introduced the Aqua Teens until after the series started. They wound up retooling the episode into fan-favorite Kentucky Nightmare anyway.
• Coast to Coast could be argued to have spun off the two very different things Cartoon Network is best remembered, and watched, for: its other original cartoons, including Dexter's Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls , through its "World Premiere Toon-In" kick-off special (which was simulcast across CN, TBS and TNT ), and [adult swim] as a whole (which launched with almost entirely Williams Street productions, including C2C and The Brak Show ). That's before you even get to Toonami.
• Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law could be considered an example, as Birdman retains the same full name as he does in Space Ghost , though the show takes place in a completely different continuity.

• Spit Take : Done often, one time Space Ghost does it three times in a row (the third is bloody).
• Start My Own : Before the start of the episode "Switcheroo" (with Mark Hamill and Bill Mumy), Zorak and Moltar attended Sci-Fi Con '97 behind Space Ghost's back. Space Ghost attempts to open Space Ghost Con '97 in bitterness.
• Sting : Used in numerous episodes, including "Batmantis" and "Lawsuit".
• The Stinger : Nearly every episode featured a brief vocal clip after the credits. In one of them, Space Ghost flat out says: "This is the end of the show."
• Stock Scream : When Santa transforms into his true self in "Girl Hair", the Howie Scream is heard.
• Stoners Are Funny : What makes "Flipmode" so hilarious.
• Straw Fan : Moltar was one of these when Erik Estrada , Mike Judge and William Shatner appeared on the show.
• Strong Family Resemblance : Zorak remarks that Space Ghost's grandfather "sounds like Randy Savage" and "looks like [him] with a pasted-on beard."
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute : Lokar and Tansit are a part of the Council of Doom now that Zorak and Moltar are otherwise occupied.
• Stylistic Suck : It's made pretty clear that if the animators wanted to, they could've made the show fully and lavishly animated. It's just funnier this way.
• Take That! : Jeff Foxworthy is on the show after Foxworthy�s sitcom didn�t work out, but before Blue Collar Comedy . He has issues with how Space Ghost treats his underlings and points out that he once had a show, but didn�t treat anyone as badly as Space Ghost. Space Ghost: But the difference between your show and my show is that mine is still on.
• In "Pavement": Space Ghost: Welcome back, stupid viewers! You'll watch anything! Go ahead, change the channel, you'll be back!
• Also, in "Mommentary - Jellybean": "If you're still watching, you're an idiot!"
• Talk Show : A send-up of the genre.
• The Talk Show with Host Name
• Tastes Like Chicken : Guest Emeril Lagasse objects to people who use this phrase, as he thinks each food has a distinctive taste, and to compare everything to chicken is inaccurate. This becomes a Brick Joke when guest Martin Yan cooks a chicken and Space Ghost fondly remarks " Chicken tastes like chicken!"
• Zorak delivers some in "Snatch" in his plan to get rid of the replicating pods. Zorak: All right, here's the plan. We create a diversion by throwing the planet's orbital axis off by 13 degrees. Actually, 10 degrees should do it. You don't want to throw it off too much because, well, you know. Now, once we've lowered the gravitational fields by, say, 40 gigawatts and secured the outer perimeter... securely... well I, I think we'll be just fine.
• Moltar in "Cahill": Moltar: It seems the the static electricity from the oncoming storm is triggering a... uh micro inductor dilfrobrah... dioptiloid. Microinductor diloptiloid. Not a word I use every day.
• The marketing variety, in "Joshua". Amusingly, it's not even a complete sentence. Narrator: Based on our analysis of relative price value factors, subjective hosted product placement decisions versus generic yield acceptability, our directly linked network programming identity and the investment in demographic icon synergisticality. Space Ghost : It's that simple... and that hard.
• Telethon : In the episode of the same name.
• In "Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite", Space Ghost tells Pat Boone that he invented the cotton gin: Zorak: Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. Space Ghost: Lies! Stop with your slanderous lies! Just because you've never done anything, you lazy piece of space garbage! The look, the feel of cotton, that's all mine!
• In "$20.01", Penn Jillette admits that magic is fake, and is another word for lying. Space Ghost: So... you're not really a magician? Penn: ....No. Space Ghost: You're a liar! Penn: ...Yeah. Space Ghost: Liar liar, pants on fire! My apologies, folks. Goofy guest.
• That's What She Said : In "Boatshow", Steve Allen and Brak engage in a discussion in Brak's lanaguge, and after Steve said a line, Brak replied with "That's what she said!"
• Third-Person Person : Space Ghost interviews Beck in the third person.
• Those Two Guys : After 32 million years of service, Space Ghost plays this trope straight with Jan and Jace. No wonder why he gets sued.
• Thrown Out the Airlock : Played for Laughs on a few occasions, perhaps most notably in "Jacksonville" with James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett from Metallica . Announcer: Zorak eventually led Metallica to the outer airlock, where members of the band were heard to say "Shouldn't we put on a suit or something?" [ Beat ] Metallica exploded in deep space.
• Time Out : In "Untitled", Space Ghost gives one to Moltar when Moltar refuses to send George Clinton back out. Space Ghost: And you will stay in Time Out until I'm done with The Funkmaster.
• When interviewing Lassie , Space Ghost naturally resorted to this when Lassie barked. Space Ghost: What is it, girl? There's trouble at the ranch? Hmm... trouble at the farm. You say Brak was bitten by a rattlesnake?
• Also done in "$20.01" when Teller, as per his on-stage persona, didn't speak: Space Ghost: Look, MOE, he's trying to tell us something. What is it, boy? There's trouble? Trouble at the farm? Farms have chickens.
• In "Intense Patriotism," Zorak took a dump in his pod and invited Space Ghost to say hi to his kids, whom he dropped off at the pool.
• Space Ghost once said the Indians called him " Breaking Wind, Claps Like Thunder ".
• Token Good Teammate : Of the main trio, Moltar is nicest person on Ghost Planet due to being the Only Sane Man . Of course that doesn't prevent him from having some Jerkass moments of his own.
• Too Awesome to Use : At the end of the Space Ghost-penned "Pavement": Space Ghost: This show is so good, I'm thinking about not even airing it.
• Too Kinky to Torture : Bob Odenkirk enjoys getting blasted. A lot.
• Tranquil Fury : Space Ghost opens Edelweiss by cheerfully informing the audience that Zorak was destroying his apartment. He doesn't really seem to mind until Zorak informs him that he smashed his US Presidential figurine collection. At which point Space Ghost tells Zorak that "you know I'm going to have to do something about this, don't you?" And then proceeds to blast Zorak 45 times.
• Trade Snark : At one point during "Batmantis", Space Ghost refers to "Batman. Restricted." ( The ® is actually known as the registered trademark symbol. )
• Truth in Television : In "$20.01", Space Ghost forces Joel Hodgson to riff a movie on the spot. Joel doesn't come up with any good quips and says he can't do it off the top of his head. Funnily enough, improvised riffing is how the original KTMA seasons of MST3K were done, as they didn't involve a formal writing process. It wasn't until the first official season that they changed the way they produced the show, which is when the quality improved significantly.
• Twinkle Smile : A common gag when Space Ghost smiles at the camera. Exaggerated in "Untitled" when he and Erik Estrada exchange twinkle smiles to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".
• 2-for-1 Show
• The Unintelligible : Metallus, whose "voice" is merely metallic noises.
• Demonstrated at the end of "The Justice Hole", where we're informed to "stand by for super credits", at which point the end credits scroll by in less than a second.
• In the "Batmantis" episode, Space Ghost's ray fires words in a parody of the written sound effects from the 1960s Batman series. Zorak tells him to shoot the theory of evolution and Space Ghost fires a shot that is accompanied by three paragraphs of text humorously explaining Darwin's theory of evolution that only remains on the screen for about one second.
• "Switcheroo #2" opens with the Star Wars text-crawl, made up of several paragraphs of rambling text that scrolls faster and faster until it's impossible to read.
• Unusual Euphemism : In "$20.01", Joel Hodgson said he would "crawl" Space Ghost. Note  (beat him up)
• Vanity Plate : For the pre-Adult Swim episodes, the Cartoon Network Productions logo at the end is made to look like a jack-in-the-box.
• Villain Episode : "Surprise" follows Moltar and Zorak's preparation of a fatal surprise party for Space Ghost. And of course, there's Chad Ghostal's Hostile Show Takeover in "Hipster".
• Vocal Evolution : At the beginning, Space Ghost and Zorak sound more like their original incarnations than they do over time; their voices deviate from the originals by the second season.
• Voice Changeling : Space Ghost demonstrates this in "Telethon": Zorak: Telethons don't have commericals! Space Ghost: And bugs can't talk Zorak, [in Zorak's voice] so welcome to the asylum! [Zorak looks surprised]
• Voice of the Legion : Bizarro Santa speaks in this manner.
• In "Joshua": Narrator: Who can turn the world on with a smile? Moltar: Space Ghost! Narrator: Who can take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile? Space Ghost: You know who!
• In "Intense Patriotism": Space Ghost: Space Ghost is coming to America! Today!
• We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties : During "Sharrock", Space Ghost and the crew pretend that Ghost Planet is under attack, and Moltar activates a "UNDER ATTACK: PLEASE STAND BY" screen that plays "Rocket #99".
• What Could Have Been : In-Universe example. Birdman was almost the host of the show with Lokar as his insect bandleader. However, Lokar was mauled by Birdman's pet eagle, Avenger, opening the door for Zorak. Birdman was fired when he revealed that he could not function without energy from the sun and passed out on set.
• What Do You Mean, It's Not for Kids? : Invoked in "Telethon": Moltar: I rented Barb Wire . I hear it's awesome. Brak: Ooh, I wanna see that! Moltar: It's rated R , Brak! Brak: Aw, poop.
• What Is Going On? : Space Ghost asks, "...What happened?" at the end of "Girl Hair" while Bizarro Santa and the Tooth Fairy are fighting. In a subversion of this trope, Space Ghost was involved with the plot the whole episode; he just doesn't understand it.
• What the Hell, Hero? : Jeff Foxworthy called out Space Ghost for abusing Zorak and Moltar, though Space Ghost didn't take it very seriously.
• "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue : Parodied at the end of "Jacksonville", which includes a section for a random bystander on the bus that Moltar was riding, guest-of-the-week Metallica getting lured out into space without suits by Zorak and exploding, and Mettalus' section being just as unintelligible as Mettalus himself, ending with the narrator going off on a tangent about his cat.
• "Curling Flower Space" is done in Rashomon style.
• Wholesome Crossdresser : "Urges" has Zorak driven to return home for mating season, despite the fact that female mantises devour the head of the male while mating. When he finally hooks up with someone, they turn out to be a crossdressing male mantis who's part of an underground support group and keeps Zorak occupied until his urge to mate passes.
• Who's Laughing Now? : Said by Space Ghost to Zorak in "Snatch" when he zaps Zorak's pod, causing it to grow in size like Ghost's own pod did.
• Subverted in "Pavement"; Space Ghost openly announces at the start that he wrote the episode. What follows is a very disorganized series of guest star interviews (for instance, Space Ghost trying to interview Goldie Hawn while indie rock darlings Pavement play loudly in the background, or defiantly eating chocolate ice cream throughout his interview with Steve Smith ) and plots that go nowhere (such as Zorak and Moltar in Space Ghost's prison).
• In "Flipmode", Zorak openly declares that the script sucks right at the start. Space Ghost forces him to participate, though.
• Wrench Whack : Done repeatedly to Zorak in "Flipmode".
• Also counts as Hypocritical Humor : Space Ghost: You see, Mike, here in space, we're all equals. Except for Moltar and Zorak.
• In "Edelweiss", Zorak says that he set fire to everything in Space Ghost's apartment, except for his presidential figurine collection. Space Ghost is briefly relieved, until Zorak adds: "Yeah, I had to crush that with a hammer."
• Your Mind Makes It Real : Chambraigne, an intelligence-enhancing shampoo that turns out to be a placebo, does this to Space Ghost.
• One of the techniques that Space Ghost tried on the blob in order to make it attack the replicating pods in "Snatch".
• Lokar decides to taunt Space Ghost about his "big fat mum" in "Explode". He gets a faceful of power band blasting for it.
• The villain in "Batmantis" is "Your Mother". "Not my mother. Someone else's mother. Someone's sick, deranged mother."

Video Example(s):

Space ghost vs c. ling tile.

Space Ghost recounts the time he fought C. Ling Tile.

Example of: "Everybody Laughs" Ending

Zorak Gets Zapped

The Real Darth ...

• Sealab 2021
• Prime Time Cartoon
• Soul Quest Overdrive
• Creator/Etcetera Group
• SpongeBob SquarePants
• Jonathan Ross
• The Stephanie Miller Show
• Western Animation of the 1990s
• Space Goofs
• Solar Opposites
• Creator/Bardel Entertainment
• Young Justice (2010)
• NightmareFuel/Cartoon Network
• Nightmare Retardant
• Space Ghost
• WesternAnimation/S to Z
• TimeImmemorial/Work Pages
• Star Trek: The Animated Series
• The Moxy Show
• Creator/Cartoon Network
• What A Cartoon! Show
• Creator/[adult swim]
• Aqua Teen Hunger Force
• South Park: The Streaming Wars Part 2
• UsefulNotes/The Millennium Age of Animation
• QuoteSource/Western Animation
• Alien Works
• Long-Runners
• Squidbillies

Important Links

• Action Adventure
• Commercials
• Crime & Punishment
• Professional Wrestling
• Speculative Fiction
• Sports Story
• Animation (Western)
• Music And Sound Effects
• Print Media
• Sequential Art
• Tabletop Games
• Applied Phlebotinum
• Characterization
• Characters As Device
• Narrative Devices
• British Telly
• The Contributors
• Creator Speak
• Derivative Works
• Laws And Formulas
• Show Business
• Split Personality
• Truth And Lies
• Truth In Television
• Fate And Prophecy
• Edit Reasons
• Isolated Pages
• Images List
• Recent Videos
• Crowner Activity
• Un-typed Pages
• Recent Page Type Changes
• Trope Entry
• Character Sheet
• Playing With
• Creating New Redirects
• Cross Wicking
• Tips for Editing
• Text Formatting Rules
• Handling Spoilers
• Administrivia
• Trope Repair Shop
• Image Pickin'

Advertisement:

How well does it match the trope?

Example of:

Media sources:

11,241--> Report

Space Ghost vs ...

• Tagging & Taxonomy
• Earn Points
• Notifications
• Favorite Series
• Favorite Movies

• Edit Episode
• Replace Artwork
• Edit Translations
• Delete Delete

Warren (Short Version)

Space Ghost grows angry upon learning that he has been 'imposternated' on Warren's television program, so he goes with Moltar and Zorak to confront him. Warren is actually a very bitter bush. We then meet an evil replica of Space Ghost, or is it Gary Owens...(this is the short version, which does not loop 3 times)

• Originally Aired September 6, 1998
• Runtime 15 minutes
• Content Rating United States of America TV-14
• Production Code 9806-62
• Network Adult Swim
• On Other Sites IMDB
• Created November 22, 2019 by Administrator admin
• Modified November 22, 2019 by Administrator admin

Delete Episode

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotter Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Netflix streaming
• Amazon prime
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Saw X Link to Saw X
• The Royal Hotel Link to The Royal Hotel
• Totally Killer Link to Totally Killer

New TV Tonight

• The Fall of the House of Usher: Season 1
• Lessons in Chemistry: Season 1
• Frasier: Season 1
• Goosebumps: Season 1
• Shining Vale: Season 2
• Harry Wild: Season 2
• Murdaugh Murders: The Movie: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• Loki: Season 2
• Star Wars: Ahsoka: Season 1
• Our Flag Means Death: Season 2
• Gen V: Season 1
• Lupin: Season 3
• Castlevania: Nocturne: Season 1
• Sex Education: Season 4
• Beckham: Season 1
• Dear Child: Season 1
• Top TV Shows
• Certified Fresh TV
• Most popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• Loki: Season 2 Link to Loki: Season 2
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Marvel TV Ranked by Tomatometer

All Blumhouse Horror Movies Ranked

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage

Percy Jackson and the Olympians : Release Date, Trailer, Cast & More — Everything We Know About the Disney+ Series

What to Watch This Week: Loki , The Exorcist , and More

• Trending on RT
• New TM Scores
• Movies to Stream At Home
• Movies In Theaters
• New TV Shows

Home > Space Ghost: Coast to Coast > Season 5 > Episode 5

Space Ghost: Coast to Coast: Season 5

Episode Info

Space Ghost visits his mentor, Warren, three times in a row.

Genres: Talk Show, Comedy

Network: Cartoon Network

Air Date: Sep 4, 1998

Where to watch Warren

Buy Warren on Apple TV.

Cast & Crew

George Lowe

Warren   Photos

Critic reviews for warren.