CBS’s Ghosts is currently in its first season and while its Rotten Tomatoes score sits at a comfortable 93%, its Audience Score is currently at 45%. Compare that to the 96% from Critics and 92% from Audiences and the BBC’s original version of the show clearly surpasses what the US version is currently producing.
The Cast Chemistry
The chemistry amongst the cast in BBC’s Ghosts is almost unmatched and it will take a lot for the crew of the CBS version to be able to build to somewhere similar. The group working on the original have been friends for years and both created and wrote the show together.
Fans will of course know them for their work on Horrible Histories, but they also produced the underrated Yonderland as well. For CBS’s version of the show, this kind of chemistry will likely be built from lots more filming and consistent reps working with one another.
Utilize Character Subtlety
There’s a subtlety to the way that the characters are written that really goes a long way in the storytelling in BBC’s version of the show. Whether it’s The General’s inability to face the truth of his sexuality or Julian’s quiet regret at the life that he led, each character has an ongoing arc permeating through the core of their performance.
This kind of depth means that these personalities aren’t simply caricatures of the past but genuine people who lived very real lives. It grounds the paranormal and spectacular wackiness into some kind of reality that audiences have gravitated towards. CBS would be wary to do the same, ensuring their ghosts continue to develop their own subtle sub-plots.
Same Actors In Different Roles
One of the things this cast is known for is playing multiple characters. On both Horrible Histories and on Yonderland the group would portray many different characters in smaller joke parts and more substantial roles. This same idea got transferred to Ghosts.
It’s really fun to see the actors play completely different characters, with the peasants in the basement becoming a particular highlight. It would be great to see the cast on CBS’s version of the show get the same opportunity and break down the expectations of an audience.
Wackiness Of The Script
The scripts never forget to have fun with the concept, whether it’s through hilarious one-liners, witty puns, or absurd situations. BBC’s Ghosts still manages to have a heart in everything that it does but is never afraid to enter into bizarre moments.
CBS is playing it a little safe, which may be because of a slightly different audience; for the concept to really thrive though, the absurdity of the idea has to be capitalized on so that audiences know just how ridiculous the premise really is.
Building On The Relationships
It’s clear that BBC dramas are great at building strong relationships between their characters but this trait has also been applied to the comedy Ghosts. There’s a shorthand beginning to form between these personalities who know each other so well.
Whether it’s Kitty and Alison’s close friendship or The General’s love of trying to help Mike fulfill a job he has set out to do, it’s these smaller interactions that have really brought the world to life and created excitement around certain characters meeting one another once more. With time CBS could build up a similar tapestry of connections.
The Husband And The Ghosts
In regards to Mike, his role in the story really shouldn’t be undermined. He is the straight man to the chaos that Alison is trying to navigate but also becomes comic relief in his own right as he continues to communicate and get along with the ghosts himself.
CBS is starting to build up a small dynamic between Jay and the rest of the group, but currently, the character is being underserved in what he could actually provide to the narrative overall. BBC’s version shows the worth of trying to emphasize this particular dynamic.
The Consequence Of Death
Plenty of original shows on CBS have serious undertones and for Ghosts the network clearly wants the complete opposite, driving it to be as funny as possible. In doing so though, the show shouldn’t ignore the consequences of the deaths of these people.
BBC’s Ghosts spends a great deal of time investigating the lives of the ghosts themselves and how they perished. Although the Viking episode was a step in the right direction for CBS it would be great to see more from the character’s pasts to add some much-needed emotional development.
