S01.E01: Pilot/S01.E02: Hello!

[DanaK]

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Samantha and Jay throw both caution and money to the wind when they decide to convert a rundown country estate they inherited into a bed & breakfast - only to find it's inhabited by the many opinionated spirits of deceased residents who now call it home. Also, when Sam thinks she's crazy because she continues to see the ghosts of Woodstone Manor, she tries to ignore them, making them even more determined to get her to acknowledge they're real, on the special one-hour series premiere of the new CBS Original comedy GHOSTS, Thursday, Oct. 7 (9:01-10:00 PM, ET/PT)

 

[SmithW6079]

I don't think it was great, but I'll be back to see how it develops. I think there are too many characters, especially since they seem to be always together.

[SHD]

Unsurprising comment: The original British version is better.  It will be interesting to see if the rest of the series stays close to the Brit storyline or if it’ll develop its own.

Things I liked about this version were the basement ghosts and the Native American ghost. All the others are too over the top, acting-wise.

[EllenB]

1 hour ago, SHD said:

Unsurprising comment: The original British version is better.  It will be interesting to see if the rest of the series stays close to the Brit storyline or if it’ll develop its own.

Things I liked about this version were the basement ghosts and the Native American ghost. All the others are too over the top, acting-wise.

I hope they'll tone down some of the acting in future episodes, and that the O-T-T was just a device to establish the characters. I thought the main live male character was more annoying than any of the ghosts; he needs to dial it WAY back.

The pantsless ghost needs to be set free ASAP because he's a keg of offensive dynamite waiting to ruin the show. Or the actor's not good enough to navigate the very fine line between funny and offensive. 

[Cress]

I actually liked the Wall Street guy being the one attracted to the wife. In the British version, the poet Thomas was in love with her, and kept trying to woo her despite her husband and despite her repeatedly rejecting him. It was a one-sided crush that bordered on uncomfortable obsession. At least in this US version, it is the creepy guy making the creepy remarks. There's no attempt to make the crush "romantic" in any way, so it's easier to tolerate. I hope she'll continue to reject him, and that he eventually loses interest because of how shallow his attraction to her is.

I hope they develop the Native American ghost more and we find out how he died. The hippie girl says a lot of wild, loopy things, which is fun. I'm kind of sad that Alberta isn't as happy and giggly like Kitty was on the British show; Kitty was my favorite ghost there. I need to see some more episodes where the writing becomes more different from the UK version.

[Annber03]

This was fun. Had a real Beetlejuice kind of vibe to it, which I like. I haven't seen the UK series this is based off of, though now I do want to check it out at some point to compare/contrast, but yeah, I enjoyed this. I really like all the ghosts being from various eras, and how they each deal with the issues surrounding how they died, and how they all struggle to relate to and understand each other. The whole discussion about the movie Ghost and the attempt to describe the pottery scene cracked me up :D. I also like that everyone's attempts to haunt Jay and Sam were based off their own knowledge/experiences. 

I agree that Trevor is a lot, but given the kind of character he is, that seems fitting for him, so... The interaction between him and Pete was fun, and I could see them forming an entertaining odd buddies sort of friendship. I also like Issac ranting about Hamilton :p. And given his sexual orientation, hopefully they can do some good things on that front, too, to flesh him out further beyond a stereotype. 

Alberta thinking her death was mysterious is an interesting angle, too. It would be neat for the show to explore something like that - most of these people's deaths were accidents or sickness, so it'd be neat to see how they'd deal with someone who was murdered, even if only as a mystery in one episode. 

As for the actual living characters, Jay and Sam, I thought they made a cute couple, and it was sweet to see Jay decide to let Sam have her dream after all she'd been through (that speech from Pete when she was going to the hospital was, for the most part, anyway, a nice little moment, too). I also like that Sam's injury allows her to not only see the ghosts in the house, but elsewhere, and that she was finally able to convince Jay of her abilities by the end. 

That house is really cool, too, and I would totally want to spend time exploring a place like that :D. 

So yeah. I'm in. This show looks fun and I'm interested to see where it goes :).

[possibilities]

Why did so many people die of cholera in the basement, and why are they stuck there instead of being able to wander the house like the other ghosts? I thought they might be prisoners. It was super creepy. They apparently can't even move, they're just stuck standing in the dark? Were they hanged? 

I think this show has a great concept, but the writing was execrable. The ghosts are all stereotypes and it's totally obnoxious. 

Rose McIver was a zombie on iZombie, so I think it's funny that now she's on the other side of the dead divide.

[SHD]

23 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Why did so many people die of cholera in the basement, and why are they stuck there instead of being able to wander the house like the other ghosts? I thought they might be prisoners. It was super creepy. They apparently can't even move, they're just stuck standing in the dark? Were they hanged? 

In the Brit version the basement ghosts were plague people. My guess is because in each case the basement people died of highly infectious things, that’s why they’re isolated. We’re probably not supposed to analyze it this much. LOL 

[zibnchy]

6 hours ago, SHD said:

Unsurprising comment: The original British version is better.

Agreed. We are obviously completely out of fresh ideas.

Rose McIver is no Charlotte Ritchie.

Does anyone remember when the US attempted to recreate The IT Crowd? They even brought Richard Ayoade in to recreate Maurice Moss and it was so terrible. 

Seriously just watch UK Ghosts. It's charming.

 

[Chatty Cake]

I liked it. I thought it had some funny moments. Had not heard of it until recently amd wasn’t aware of the British version. 

[Ms Lark]

I like it a lot. I love Rose McIver from iZombie days and the ghosts are a lot of fun. I watched the first two seasons of the UK version and liked it, but it was some time ago and I barely remember most of it.

I'm enjoying the American ghosts and think it's a decent remake. I'll be looking forward to the rest of the season.

42 minutes ago, zibnchy said:

Does anyone remember when the US attempted to recreate The IT Crowd? They even brought Richard Ayoade in to recreate Maurice Moss and it was so terrible. 

I don't think this is the same. IT Crowd UK was brilliant and I've watched the whole series many times. It still makes me laugh. The American version was dreadful, even with Richard Ayoade (one of my all time favs). It was line for line an exact replay and it didn't work. The American version of The Office did work. They adapted it for the American audience. Ghosts is also adapted for the American audience and I think it works.

[Kemper]

I loved it; did not know it had been a British series.  It was a fizzy concoction of oddball characters and I laughed out loud a couple of times.  That’s all I ask. I did love the references to “Hamilton” so am looking forward to how that plays out.

[meatball77]

It was a nice Americanization of the British series.  The pilot was essentially the same script but it introduced the new American ghosts.  It's fun to see the difference. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

Moved from incorrect thread:

What was with that weird shot of a corner and wall at the end of the episode?  Was it just meaningless?  

[Ms Blue Jay]

3 hours ago, Chatty Cake said:

I liked it. I thought it had some funny moments. Had not heard of it until recently amd wasn’t aware of the British version. 

Me too!

8 hours ago, EllenB said:

The pantsless ghost needs to be set free ASAP because he's a keg of offensive dynamite waiting to ruin the show. Or the actor's not good enough to navigate the very fine line between funny and offensive. 

Ugh, I totally agree, I can't tolerate this.

[The Crazed Spruce]

I thought it was pretty good. Sure, the lion's share of the script came almost word for word from the first two episodes of the British version, but there were enough tweaks to make it its own. And while some of the ghosts were almost beat-for-beat identical to their British counterparts, the others were altered more than enough to make up for them.

I liked the bit with the sage candle. Probably would've like it more if it hadn't been used in the show's advertising, but oh, well....

Looking forward to seeing what they do with an original script.

[Harvey]

I have been wanting to watch the UK version for a while now, but sadly I can't access season 1 so I didn't do it.

This series is promising so far, the ghosts are likeable, particularly the victorian woman and the barbar. I am curious where will they take the story.

Edited October 8, 2021 by Harvey

[The Crazed Spruce]

8 hours ago, Cress said:

 I'm kind of sad that Alberta isn't as happy and giggly like Kitty was on the British show; Kitty was my favorite ghost there.

I'm pretty sure that Flower is meant to mainly be the Kitty analogue. Alberta is a more unique character.

[SHD]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Moved from incorrect thread:

What was with that weird shot of a corner and wall at the end of the episode?  Was it just meaningless?  

At the end of the first episode or the second one (though they kind of ran them together as one)? What happened right before? I'm blanking on seeing that shot.

[HurricaneVal]

I'm not familiar with the UK version, but I liked this one OK.  The pilot episode was a little weak, but the second episode got a little better.

The basement ghosts are seriously creepy, but I love how invested they are in their environment and the operation of the mechanics of the house.  But seriously creepy, though, man.  Their first reveal did make me literally gasp, and the way they just sort of stand there, swaying in place does make you think they were hung from the floor joists above.

All the ghosts are going to have to get a little more depth to them.  With the exception of the Algonquin warrior (who was awesome), the matron of the house, and to some extent Isaac, right now they're all very one-note characters with one defining feature.  That's going to get old very, very fast.  I'm already tired of the grunting Viking guy--though his complete fascination with the Viking show on the "magic window" cracked me up.  But that was one joke, one time, and it's over and I'm bored with it already.  I was going to put Isaac in that same category, with the dysentery jokes and the egotistical closeted swishiness, but his genuine dismay at literally being a footnote in history gave him some dimension.

I'll stick with this for at least a little while.  When I saw that it was an hour long show, I thought "Huh, this is a drama?  The promos made it look like a comedy...." but then I realized it was just two half hour shows run back to back.  I'm sure CBS will tell you that was to fill a scheduling hole, but I think the real reason was the pilot was so weak they knew viewers would be turned off.

I'll tell you the moment the show captured me.  That was the aforementioned sage smudging scene, when all the ghosts are quite distressed over the idea, thinking it leads to their doom, and then they're all "Oh!  That's quite nice!"  "Let me get a hit of that!" and I caught a glimpse of what this show could be.

[Snow Apple]

I loved the basement ghosts.

It wasn’t laugh out loud for me but decent enough to stick with for now.

[Arynm]

I have watched the orginal Ghosts and while the UK version is better, this one has potential. I liked the Native American ghost and the Victorian woman with her hatred of the Irish was funny. There are a few too many characters right now, so I hope they put some on the back burner and showcase just one or two per episode.

I liked the jazz singer, I would like to find out if she really was murdered, it would be a fun little mystery.

I will stick with this version, it was a lot of fun.

[Darian]

I guess after watching the first episode I can't discuss the US version in the forums  since I want to also watch the British version, probably after this one, and this thread is full of spoilers for that. I enjoyed, I'll keep watching, but I want to be unspoiled for the British version, so I have to bail on the forums and watch both versions before posting here.   

[seacliffsal]

I really liked this show.  I really enjoyed how the first floor ghosts interacted with each other as well as their attempts at haunting.  The basement ghosts really kind of scared me at first and I am very interested in learning more about them.  I just found a lot of joy in the episodes and am looking forward to the series.  I guess that I also liked that there wasn't any angst in this comedy as I find too much angst and taking themselves so very, very seriously in other comedies when I just want to be entertained in a light, humorous way.

[CrazyDog]

I haven't seen the UK version, so I didn't have to worry about comparing it to anything else. 

I really enjoyed it - there are a lot of characters, but they're all distinct, and it was easy to get a sense of their personalities. 

I don't understand why the basement ghosts are seemingly stuck there, but I'm sure we'll learn a bit more. Their exasperation every time the lights were turned off made me laugh.

25 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

 I guess that I also liked that there wasn't any angst in this comedy as I find too much angst and taking themselves so very, very seriously in other comedies when I just want to be entertained in a light, humorous way.

Yes! Sometimes a light show is all I want, and this fit the bill. I hope it sticks around.

[bobby2018]

12 hours ago, Annber03 said:

So yeah. I'm in. This show looks fun and I'm interested to see where it goes :).

 I'm in too. It's a fun show! I need it, especially the two comedy shows before it become too drama-serious now.  

[iMonrey]

Wasn't aware there was a British version, but that makes sense. This did sort of reek of dumbing-down for an American audience. I was really looking forward to it and made sure to give it a series record, but it ended up being just kind of meh. Didn't hate it or anything, but it wasn't really as funny as I expected, or hoped. I'll stick with it for now, though.

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Seriously just watch UK Ghosts. It's charming.

Where? Is it available streaming somewhere?

[BusyOctober]

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Where? Is it available streaming somewhere?

If you have HBO Max, Series 1-3 of the UK aversion are available 

[ichbin]

14 hours ago, zibnchy said:

Does anyone remember when the US attempted to recreate The IT Crowd? They even brought Richard Ayoade in to recreate Maurice Moss and it was so terrible. 

That was one of the worst remakes I have ever seen and that's saying something!

The British Ghosts is also silly but the actors and characters are better than this.  The original is clever.   This one, although nearly the same pilot with the exception of many of the ghost characters, seems dopey in comparison. Robin, the caveman in the original, is a better character than the Viking.  Not sure why they decided to make that change.  Kitty in the original is great, I guess the Woodstock girl is supposed to be her counterpart and not nearly as entertaining and certainly not as charming. There certainly could have been an American Thomas, the poet. One of the funniest scenes from the British pilot was Mary, the peasant woman next to Alison's bed chanting, "get out, get out, get out" while Alison just stared straight ahead trying to convince herself she was imagining it.  Wonder why they veered off on that.  I didn't watch this with high hopes so I wasn't terribly disappointed.  Not impressed much either.  CBS has kept a lot of shows that aren't so great in recent years so this one will probably last.

[Cress]

8 hours ago, Darian said:

I guess after watching the first episode I can't discuss the US version in the forums  since I want to also watch the British version, probably after this one, and this thread is full of spoilers for that.

Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to put spoilers about the BBC show. I'll refrain in future and just discuss the US show in the episode threads. I'll start a separate Compare/contrast thread in the forum. Ichbin, I'll reply to you on the new thread, so we can compare shows without spoiling people who haven't seen both.

It is a light, quirky show, and I'm hopeful it will find its own footing as we get more episodes to develop the characters.

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What was with that weird shot of a corner and wall at the end of the episode?  Was it just meaningless?

That was the end of the 2nd episode, Isaac is telling Sam about his military service and the camera pans away out of the room and into the hall. I assumed it just meant, that he was going to drone on and on about his life story all night.

Edited October 9, 2021 by Cress

[Whimsy]

Hey guys. I picked up this show as the mod. All future discussion of the BBC show needs to go to the thread that @Cress started (thanks!!). 

[chediavolo]

23 hours ago, zibnchy said:

Agreed. We are obviously completely out of fresh ideas.

Rose McIver is no Charlotte Ritchie.

Does anyone remember when the US attempted to recreate The IT Crowd? They even brought Richard Ayoade in to recreate Maurice Moss and it was so terrible. 

Seriously just watch UK Ghosts. It's 

Edited October 9, 2021 by chediavolo

[jewel21]

I really liked this. I thought it was fun and I like all the characters so far. I'm excited to watch more episodes and see where this goes. 

[Whimsy]

6 hours ago, jewel21 said:

I really liked this. I thought it was fun and I like all the characters so far. I'm excited to watch more episodes and see where this goes. 

I agree. I liked this too. I love Rose McIver.  I hadn’t seen the BBC series, so I have nothing to compare it to. Not sure how long it’ll last, but I’ll continue to watch. 

[Cress]

The CBS Ghosts twitter account posted a link to a bunch of gifs from the show.

https://giphy.com/cbs/ghosts

Edited October 10, 2021 by Cress

[DanaK]

I too liked this and thought it was pretty funny

Those basement ghosts are seriously weird and their whole thing made me laugh. I hope we learn why they are isolated from the others

Edited October 10, 2021 by DanaK

[TV Anonymous]

I like it that in one airing it is quickly established that Sam is capable of seeing and hearing the ghosts, she accepts and embraces her ability, and set the boundaries with the ghosts. No anxiety and no hesitation. Perhaps the most confident first-time psychic on TV.

[possibilities]

Her being a freelance writer who will now tell the ghost stories is a convenience, as well as an incentive. What does her husband do? I hope he won't just be the straight man to all the shenanigans, but will actually become useful in some way.

[The Crazed Spruce]

53 minutes ago, possibilities said:

What does her husband do? I hope he won't just be the straight man to all the shenanigans, but will actually become useful in some way.

He's a chef. They mentioned it when they were discussing turning the mansion into a bed and breakfast.

[possibilities]

Being a chef doesn't sound like a skill that will lend itself to Ghost interaction very well. If they actually do open a B&B, that's useful there, I guess, though B&Bs don't usually offer much menu. A true chef would be more likely to want to open a restaurant. I just don't want him to be a one joke character, i.e. "the guy who doesn't know what's going on".

[AnimeMania]

One thing that bothers me about the show is that everybody speaks the same language even though I am sure the two oldest ghosts shouldn't be speaking English. It really annoys me when they claim they can't understand some modern day item or concept and say "What is a *blank*", and then somebody tries to explain it to them.

15 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Being a chef doesn't sound like a skill that will lend itself to Ghost interaction very well. If they actually do open a B&B, that's useful there, I guess, though B&Bs don't usually offer much menu. A true chef would be more likely to want to open a restaurant. I just don't want him to be a one joke character, i.e. "the guy who doesn't know what's going on".

Well, Wife Lady shouldn't be able to ever drive again now that she sees ghosts everywhere. Imagine the horrible deaths of the all the ghosts that she will have to constantly see everywhere she looks, she even has the beheaded ghost in her house. The husband will be the anchor that lets her know who is a ghost and who is a person.

Wife Lady could become the best writer in the world if sh traveled around a little, get the life stories of ghosts, write about ancient everyday objects that people have forgotten how to use, meet famous writers and publish their last works of art. She can find lost treasures, be a historical scholar, solve murders, and learn all the historical "hot goss".

[The Crazed Spruce]

1 hour ago, AnimeMania said:

One thing that bothers me about the show is that everybody speaks the same language even though I am sure the two oldest ghosts shouldn't be speaking English.

They also spent centuries hanging around English-speaking people, both living and dead. After a while, they probably would've picked up on the language. And hey, who's to say they didn't learn English beforehand? The Vikings conquered English land long before they made it across the ocean. And the Algonquin could've been a trail guide for early settlers.

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It really annoys me when they claim they can't understand some modern day item or concept and say "What is a *blank*", and then somebody tries to explain it to them.

....Yeah, that could get irritating if they play that card too often. Hopefully, they'll ease up on it.

[Johannah]

I never heard of the UK version and I thoroughly enjoyed this show.  

Re: some of the comments:

I didn't think there were too many characters.  Since the ghosts are so different and their costumes separate them, I'm not having a problem remembering who is who.

Don't mind if the ghosts are caricatures.  It's a comedy.  About ghosts.  I'm already suspending credibility.

I, also liked the sage scene.  "it's supposed to get rid of us?  ...  Oh, wait, I like it..."

I also like them explaining things.  "What's the internet?"  "A place to look up the stocks and porn."

Agree that until the wife learns to tell the difference between ghosts and the living, she shouldn't drive.

Love the "no angst" angle.  I like my sitcoms to be funny.  I also like that the basement people weren't evil as I originally thought they would be.  I hope they start leaving the light on for them, but I can see this being a series-long joke, like the elevator in Big Bang Theory.

Thought it was funny that the husband covered the annoying hole with the hated portrait, then obliviously said "You're welcome."

I laughed a bunch of times and that's all I ask for from a comedy.  Hope it stays quirky and fun!

[ferjy]

The singing ghost may grate after a while and I’m not sure about the hippie girl. She can be a great character, I’m just not sure the actress is pulling it off. I did laugh at her line, “Ohh, lemme hit that,” when Samantha lit the sage. And when pantless guy explained the Internet was an invention for looking up stock prices and porn. 🤣

It was a bit chaotic, but I think once they start developing the characters of the ghosts and we get to know them it will take a better turn. Overall I liked it. 

 

[Cress]

One of the basement ghosts had his hair covering up his face, and he kind of looked familiar. Is it because he's someone recognizable if his face was uncovered? I wonder if Sam will ever ask them their names and stories.

[steph369]

11 hours ago, Johann said:

Love the "no angst" angle.  I like my sitcoms to be funny. 

Right, I don’t look at it as a mystery to dissect and solve, or a scientific piece to debate, but a light comedy to be enjoyed for what it is. I laughed several times, that’s good enough for me. It’s only the first episode so the characters will most certainly grow over time. 

[NJRadioGuy]

On 10/10/2021 at 9:48 AM, AnimeMania said:

One thing that bothers me about the show is that everybody speaks the same language even though I am sure the two oldest ghosts shouldn't be speaking English. It really annoys me when they claim they can't understand some modern day item or concept and say "What is a *blank*", and then somebody tries to explain it to them.

In an 8pm sitcom played for yukks I can forgive it, if the rest of the writing is good and the jokes are on-point. We're two episodes in so of course it's going to be a bit rough around the edges; the actors haven't yet had time to find their characters.

It's a fun, sweet little show and I hope they can keep it that way for a while before going off on heavier themes, like the lives and deaths of the main ghost characters. I really see this show as having the same potential for success as The Good Place if the writing can keep up. I have very high hopes here.

[iMonrey]

Where is this supposed to take place, did anyone catch it? I can't figure out why there would be a Viking there. I know they supposedly made landfall on this continent some time in the 9th or 10th century, but more likely up in Canada. 

[SmithW6079]

49 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Where is this supposed to take place, did anyone catch it? I can't figure out why there would be a Viking there. I know they supposedly made landfall on this continent some time in the 9th or 10th century, but more likely up in Canada. 

I think Upstate New York. For some reason I want to say near Fort Ticonderoga, given the Revolutionary War ghost.

The premise is that these people died in the house or on the grounds, yes? The Viking doesn't make sense, and neither do the flapper and the Wall Street guy (I think she'd have been more likely to die in Harlem and him somewhere out in the Hamptons).

The wife better find a way to determine a ghost from a living, because it's already a tired trope that she keeps confusing the two.

[NJRadioGuy]

56 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Where is this supposed to take place, did anyone catch it? I can't figure out why there would be a Viking there. I know they supposedly made landfall on this continent some time in the 9th or 10th century, but more likely up in Canada. 

Somewhere not too far from New York City. I'm guessing north in the Hudson Valley given the Revolutionary War ghost's having been in Ft. Ticonderoga shortly before his death and the member of the Lenape Tribe. As for the Viking, I'm guessing maybe an exploration down the St. Lawrence River and then down the Hudson?