Ghosts has captivated audiences with its hilarious but at times touching portrayal of a young couple sharing their inherited stately home with a bunch of spooks from across the ages.
Now, the BBC1 comedy is back on Monday 9 August with more ghostly goings-on for Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) and their haunting housemates, who only Alison can see.
We caught up with Charlotte Ritchie to find out more about Ghosts Season 3...
Ghosts is back! Where do we find Mike and Alison?
“Mike and Alison are working out emotional stuff this series, so that's nice to explore. We don't know much about her parents or family, so we find out more. And there’s an unexpected visitor. There's a question over this person and who they are and it challenges Mike and Alison and their plans and leaves everybody warring…”
Is Alison happy living with the ghosts now?
“This series we go back to some horror tropes and traditional spooky stuff and it’s suspense-filled, referencing more that they're ghosts. Alison's protective over them now, but for Mike, they do take his wife away from him and mess up his life!”
You filmed this series during the pandemic, was that tricky?
“Luckily, on-screen, Ghosts is a COVID-19-free world, although the ghosts would be alright! But while we were filming, it was on everybody's minds at every moment. It took some military level planning from the crew, they had specific spots where we could be and we were placed in cohorts. There was a lot of, ‘Your cohort’s better than mine!’”
Ghosts seems to appeal to a really wide age range, is that something you are proud of?
“It's amazing to appeal to small people and older people — it makes kids feel good to watch a show that adults like too. Ghosts doesn't talk down to them, it's not designed particularly for them, it just happens they’re able to watch it. That's rare.”
Why do you think people have fallen in love with Ghosts?
“People like stuff that makes them laugh, and Ghosts makes people laugh! Everyone’s so funny. Maybe it was the hysteria of having been in lockdown but I laughed a lot on set. There are scenes in this series where I thought, ‘I don't know if I got away with that bit!’ When Pat [the genial 1980s scoutmaster played by Jim Howick] kept making me dip my biscuit into my tea and watching me eat it, I couldn't get through that. But they're funny, what can you do? It’s not my fault!”
How would you feel about inheriting a stately home like Alison?
“I’d take it! You could have everyone to stay. We do have a lot of conversations on set about what would you actually do if you could have the house? What would you turn it into?!”
When can I watch Ghosts?
The six-part series returns on Monday 9 August on BBC1 at 8.30pm and will also air on BBC iPlayer.
