Posted in: BBC, CBS, TV | Tagged: bbc, cbs, ghosts, sitcom

Ghosts Cast Member Confirms BBC Series 4; US Remake Proving CBS Hit

Published Sat, 13 Nov 2021 07:39:11 -0600

Ghosts, the hit BBC 1 sitcom about a young couple who inherit a mansion that's haunted with a bunch of ghosts from different historical periods, look set to have a fourth series with production starting at Wet Horsley Place in 2022. Maybe, the US remake on CBS is also a hit at a time when few new network sitcoms are hits.

Ghosts: CBS Picks Up US Remake of BBC Hit Sitcom to Series — Ghosts – (C) Monumental Television – Photographer: Steven Peskett

Katy Wix, who plays Mary on Ghosts, a Stuart-era woman burned at the stake for witchcraft (she wasn't a witch!), confirmed that shooting would begin on Series 4 in January. Ghosts is the creation of the writers of the hit educational comedy Horrible Histories and shares the same comedic tone. It has had 3 series of 6 episodes, as is standard for British sitcoms, and a Christmas special to accompany each series. Jennifer Saunders will guest on this year's Ghosts Christmas Special as the mother of the prudish Lady Fanny Button (see what we mean about jokes?), who is played by Martha Howe-Douglas. Saunders has turned out to be a fan of the show, calling it the best thing on television.

"Her kind of depiction of what Fanny's mum would be like had elements of Fanny Button in it," Howe-Douglas told Olly Smith's A Glass With… podcast. "It's such a strange thing to have your comedy hero do a little bit of what you do, but in their own incredible way. She was just so kind when she came in, about the show, and I said to her 'thank you so much Jennifer for doing this' and she was like 'Well how could I not? It's just about the best thing on television.'"

Meanwhile across the pond, the US version of Ghosts, which just started a few weeks ago, has gotten nice reviews and steadily climbing ratings, making it hit for CBS. The network has ordered a full 22-episode season order and will probably greenlight a 2^nd season. UK fans who got a look at the US remake have not been kind, calling it crass and mawkish and trying too hard to oversell its jokes.

CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl told TVLine, "Ghosts was a little outside the box for us, not a typical sitcom. It validates the idea that we can color outside the lines a bit. I give a lot of credit to the producers and cast — it's not easy redeveloping another version of a show, but they've done an amazing job making it their own." He added: "I have incredible respect for the BBC version, and [Ghosts executive producers Joe Port and Joe Wiseman have done an incredible job, along with the cast." The original British version of Ghosts is streaming in the US on HBO Max.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!