You all already know how much I love the US version of Ghosts, so it made sense that I’d eventually watch the original British version that inspired it! I know there is a fourth season out as of last December, but HBO Max only has the first three seasons available, so this is what you’re getting for now (hopefully).
Given that I watch the US version of this show, I was already very familiar with the premise. Alison Cooper (so, so close to being Alice Cooper that I have to think it was intentional) learns in the first episode that a distant relative has passed and she’s inherited the massive property. Seeing as her and her husband Mike were looking for houses anyway, this is the perfect opportunity. Of course, the house wasn’t maintained well at all and there is a lot of work to be done. Especially if they want to turn it into a hotel. A lot of things change though when Alison falls out of a window and temporarily dies. This accident gives her the sight of the ghosts that inhabit the house.
There are lot of overlapping ghosts between the US and UK versions, it’s just that their names are different. There are also some fun swaps. For instance, in the US iteration there is Thor, a Viking ghost, where in the UK iteration there is Robin, a caveman. Similarly, they’ve swapped out the hippie, Flower, with Mary, burned alive for being considered a witch. Otherwise, there’s the pant-less Julian, former scout leader Pat, uptight lady Fanny, and military man Captain. Kitty is also a more aristocratic version of the US Alberta, where Thomas seems to be the “equivalent” of Sasappis. Either way, both ensembles are a tremendous amount of fun to watch. I also appreciate the involvement of the headless ghost, Humphrey.
Most of the series shows how difficult it is for Alison to connect with the ghosts at first. It’s a gift she doesn’t really want, and the ghosts do not want someone new encroaching on their space. Especially since they want to turn it into a hotel. Eventually they find common ground, but then there are times when Mike feels very left out. I think the US version of him, Jay, handles the situation better, as he is enamored by the ghosts and all the strange nuances they bring to the table. What struck me as interesting was learning how these ghosts came to be ghosts on the property. The only one that really matched up was Pat’s death in getting shot through the neck with an arrow from one of his scouts. Everyone else’s was quite different. I laughed especially hard at Humphrey’s. And similarly to the US series, in the basement lives not the Cholera ghosts, but the plague ghosts. They are all played by the main ghosts which is really neat!
Overall, I really enjoyed this version, so I hope to get to be able to watch the fourth season somewhere soon. I suppose I could always rent it, too! By all means, if you’re looking for a fun comedy, go check this out on the streamer! Then head to Youtube for the bloopers – well worth it.