CBS Celebrates Ghosts UK’s American Broadcast Debut with Spirited Promo

In Season 2 of Ghosts, Sam convinced Isaac to get with his British boyfriend by describing the “special relationship” between Britain and the United States (as she saw depicted in Love Actually).

Now that relationship takes on a new meaning for the sitcom series as CBS welcomes Ghosts UK, the haunt that started it all, to America.

According to a new promo video released by TV Line, BBC’s Ghosts will make its American broadcast debut on CBS. The British comedy will premiere its first season on November 16 with two back-to-back episodes from 9/10c. Additionally, all episodes will be available to stream on Paramount+.

Ghosts UK was created by the original stars of the hit comedy series Horrible Histories: Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond.

It aired on BBC One in the UK from 2019 to 2023, earning five seasons and clocking an average of 4.4 million viewers by the time Season 3 premiered. BBC confirmed Ghosts UK was its biggest returning comedy series of 2021. The series would be adapted by Joe Port and Joe Wiseman for CBS in 2021, and the rest, as they say, is history.

By design, Sam and Jay’s Woodstone Mansion and its inhabitants share many similarities to their UK counterparts.

The British series is set in Button House, a grand English estate Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) unexpectedly inherit from a step-great-aunt. To their horror, the place is crawling with domesticated ghosts trapped in a limbo of eternal bickering.

There’s Julian (Simon Farnaby), the pantless politician who left a legacy of scandal. Like Trevor, he can move objects in the real world and has a softer side hiding under that smug ego.

Kitty (Lolly Adefope) is a Georgian noblewoman known for her excitable energy. She shares a similar style to Hetty, but her infectious energy is the perfect bestie material for Alberta. Lady Button (Martha Howe-Douglas) is Alison’s distant relative, and unlike Hetty Woodstone, viewers will learn how she died early on in the series.

And then there’s The Captain (Ben Willbond). As Isaac’s British counterpart, the two army officers share tortured pasts. The Captain considers himself the leader of the ghosts but struggles to accept the feelings he developed for his fellow soldiers when he was alive.

Pat (Jim Howick) sadly had an accident with a rogue arrow. Like Pete, he lives out his afterlife as a scout leader, entertaining the troops with nostalgic tales from the 1970s. Robin (Laurence Rickard) is a caveman and ghost electrician, while Sir Humphrey Bone (Laurence Rickard) of the Tudor era is the house’s headless spirit.

Rounding out this group of ghosts is Thomas (Mathew Baynton), a helpless romantic and failed poet who falls in love with Alison despite her constant protests. And we cannot forget Mary (Katy Wix), a “witch” who met a fiery end in the Middle Ages.

CBS taking advantage of this “spectral” relationship allows us to glimpse the bones of the American sitcom’s success. At the same time, we can discover new haunts across the pond with an equally cash-strapped couple.

It is nice to see US broadcast networks giving space to the UK sitcoms they build so many success stories on, but that is not why this crossover is transpiring. The AMPTP has yet to agree to a deal with SAG-AFTRA, so CBS’ Ghosts continues to live in limbo until networks and streamers agree to a fair contract.

However, if the ghosts of Woodstone can spend an eternity together, we can wait a little longer for our favorite haunt to return.

In the meantime, CBS will be airing reruns of Ghosts US at 8:30/7:30c ahead of the Ghosts UK double-feature. It’s a team-up sure to raise our spirits!

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