Ghosts (2021)

There are certainly no shows on TV more spirited than “Ghosts” right now and there may be none funnier. ... The juxtaposition of the modern and the ancient—in technology as well as attitudes—is just one of the show’s reservoirs of mirth.

Witty throwback. ... Perky Rose McIver and droll Utkasrsh Ambudkar are perfect foils. [8 - 21 Nov 2021, p.9]

The ghosts begin as well-drawn archetypes (Viking, Scout troop leader, Prohibition-era singer, Wall Street bro) and the comedy is broad but often quite funny.

It’s incredibly cheesy, but it is still fun.

During the final third, things settle down and Ghosts shows some funny potential of where it can go.

For now, though, Ghosts -- which premieres with back-to-back episodes -- milks enough laughs from the sharpness of its writing and sheer goofiness to warrant a look. Whether that translates into a long-term stay remains to be seen, but unlike a lot of new sitcoms, at least this one doesn't look dead on arrival.

It’s admittedly rare for a sitcom to find its feet as quickly as the American “Ghosts” does, no doubt because it’s got a fairly malleable outline to follow that’s already proven successful. So while it’s genuinely jarring to watch this iteration of “Ghosts” if you’ve seen its British inspiration, if you have not [seen the original] … well, it’s charming enough to merit sticking around, anyway, especially as it begins to find its own way in a third episode completely divorced from the show’s source material.

Ghosts US (BBC Three/iPlayer) is a decent showcase for its cast and it can’t kill the charm of the original, but what was delightful in the original show is now just pleasant and what was unique is generic.

The US version of Ghosts (BBC Three) isn’t bad. It’s a scene-for-scene remake of the original.

While it's perfectly OK, watching it is like drinking Aldi cava having tasted champagne.

The third Ghosts episode is a big test, because it’s the first to deviate entirely from the source material. I can’t tell if it’s good or bad that this half-hour is essentially more of the same, neither disappointingly stripped of its original voice nor encouragingly refined in its new voice.