In the first episode of the highly anticipated second series of Ghosts. Alison and Mike try to find new money-making ventures to fund the restoration of Button House.
When a photographer takes a photo of the property, for a potential wedding venue. He spots a blurry Lady Button (Martha Howe-Douglas) in the upstairs window. The photo of the house goes viral, with social media users dubbing her “the grey lady”. When paranormal fans from far and wide show up at the house, Mike spots a lucrative opportunity. He convinces Alison they should give people an authentic haunted house experience. Unfortunately, Julian (Simon Farnaby) has convinced the rest of the ghosts to go on strike.
Made by most of the creative minds behind Horrible History, Ghosts was a personal highlight of 2019. With so many comedies nowadays having a bleak edge, It’s refreshing to see a family-friendly comedy, that reminded me of the type of shows I watched with my parents as a kid.
An unspecified amount of time has passed since we were last with the residents of Button House. As soon as she wakes up in the morning, Alison checks the bathroom is clear of specters, so Mike can use it. She then attends to the Ghosts needs. She starts records, helps with crosswords, turns pages in books, opens laptops, and, times the Captain (Ben Willbond) running a lap, he feels he isn’t achieving his best. This was a great way to show the passage of time and just how comfortable the residents have gotten with each other. Mike even has a board, with photos and sketches of the ghosts. So he can picture who Alison is talking to.
Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe have such great natural chemistry and remain totally believable as a kind-hearted couple, who are completely out of their depth. They also deal with the disbelief young home-owners experience, when they tell visitors they own the house.
The rest of the cast are all equally outstanding, everyone involved with this is at the very top of their game. There’s even a great guest turn from Colin Hoult, who never disappoints. My personal highlight was Pat (Jim Howick) and Thomas (Mathew Baynton) pretending to be 80s disc jockeys.
2020 has been a dark year for us all, it’s great to finally see some light.
Ghosts returns tonight at 8:30 pm on BBC One. With all episodes on iPlayer after that.
Stars Charlotte Ritchie, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, and others.
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