In Praise of 'Ghosts' (British TV Series That Inspired The American One)

Here’s an article about the show that addresses this directly.

Apparently from that article they are going to use the term “sucked off” from the American version. (I don’t think it was ever used in the UK version.) The Australian version is more permissive with language, anyway. At one point as an exclamation of surprise someone says “fuck a duck”.

The UK version actually actually used it first.

Now I’ve finished all eight episodes of Ghosts Australia season one. After the standard pilot episode it had mostly original stories for the remaining episodes except for one with a property dispute with rich neighbors (like in both Ghosts US and UK). The series is okay, but none of the ghosts stand out as particularly likeable. And the living couple (especially the boyfriend) are pretty bland.

Ghosts UK movie coming …

Original stars, writers and creators Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond have penned the family film, with Lolly Adefope, Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe also returning to star.

Yay!!! That is exciting!!

Reminded of the existence of a French version of Ghosts, I watched all six episodes over the last couple of days. It has the standard core set of ghosts

Snooty wealthy matriarch.
Soldier.
Scout leader with arrow.
Yokel woman.
Poet.
Caveman.
Rich/influential guy with no pants.

And creepy young girl (who has a very slightly less minor rule than usual). Plus a few Gauls in the basement.

Not one of the characters is likeable. All of them (ghost and living) are the kind of character like you would find on an old British sitcom like Are You Being Served: even the supposedly “nice” characters aren’t anyone you would enjoy spending time with. The living couple is considerably older than those an any of the other Ghost versions. (The actress is 48, I can’t find an age for the man but he has some white in his hair.)

The stories are almost entirely made up of slightly shuffled elements of the UK version. No time is spent on ghost backstories other than showing Arrow Guy becoming Arrow Guy.

The only interesting change in the basics is that there is one additional ghost who was a collaborator with the Nazis who is permanently tied (with ghost ropes) to an old tree in the front yard of the mansion.

All in all, I rate it the worst of the five versions I have watched.