For three seasons of CBS’ supernatural comedy “Ghosts,” Jay’s (Utkarsh Ambudkar) wife has had the ability to converse with colorful ghosts, while he has not. That will change in season 4 (premiering Oct. 17), and Ambudkar couldn’t contain his excitement at the news.
“Yes! I wish I had the strength to bang this table right now,” Ambudkar said at a “Ghosts” panel at Comic-Con, the pop culture convention taking place at the San Diego Convention Center. “I finally get to talk to people at work.”
“Ghosts” centers on a couple, Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Ambudkar), who move to New York to inherit an old mansion and decide to turn it into a Woodstone Bed & Breakfast. After a near-death experience, Sam gains the ability to interact with the colorful ghosts that inhabit the house.
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The new season, which just began filming in Montreal, will introduce a pair of new characters — both living and dead.
Mary Holland will join the cast as Patience, the ghost of a highly judgmental Puritan woman who is abandoned by the gay ghost of Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones). In the season 3 finale, Patience emerged from her filthy hideout to kidnap Isaac, and fans will see what awaits him in the season 4 premiere.
Holland is “funny, quirky and very special. She’s perfect for Patience,” said “Ghosts” executive producer Joe Port. Román Zaragoza, who plays Sasappis, a Lenape Native American, filmed a scene with Holland: “I really admire her.”
The other new guest star is Dean Norris, of “Breaking Bad” fame, as Sam’s father, Frank. They haven’t been close since Frank divorced Sam’s mother when she was 10, but now he’s visiting Woodstone with his new girlfriend. Sam has been secretly angry at her father for years because of his absence, and those feelings come to a head when a new ghost leads her to the father/daughter conversation she’s been waiting for.
Executive producer Joe Wiseman’s 16-year-old daughter watched “Breaking Bad” and suggested Norris play Sam’s father. “He’s a gruff, uncaring guy,” Port said.
The “Ghosts” creators also revealed that the third episode of the new season will be Halloween-themed and heavily involve Patience. “A Puritan ghost will have a big impact on the house and may not be a fan of Halloween,” Port said.
There will also be a one-hour Christmas special that will introduce Jay’s family. “There are 19 people, so it’s going to be a very crowded house,” Ambudkar said. “I think it’s going to be very stressful for Sam. It’s going to be a great opportunity for Sam to prove himself to Jay’s family and, more importantly, for Jay’s family to accept the unconditional love they have for each other.”
The new season will also see the opening of Jay’s restaurant, prompting Ambudkar to joke that “Ghosts” will be a super fun comedy called “The Bear.”
The Comic-Con panel also allowed the cast to talk about their favorite episodes, including a touching episode from season 3 where the stern ghost Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky) reveals that she committed suicide with a telephone cord and then uses it to save the ghost of Flower (Sheila Carrasco) when she gets stuck in a well.
Wisocky said she and the other stars spoke to mental health professionals because of the sensitivity of the topic. Since the episode aired, fans have approached her to share their own experiences.
“It’s really special to be able to communicate with the audience that way, especially in a crazy half-hour comedy,” shares Wisocky, who plays Woodstone’s first female owner.
