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Why You Should Give the American Remake of Ghosts a Try

In an exclusive chat with E! News, Ghosts star Rose McIver explained how the American version differs from the BBC One sitcom of the same name.

By Alyssa Ray Oct 07, 2021 9:15 PMTags
Watch: Must-See TV Shows Coming Fall 2021

We implore you to not say "Boo!" to the American version of Ghosts.

Tonight, Oct. 7 marks the series premiere of CBS' adaptation of the popular BBC One sitcom of the same name. Much like the 2019 original, which starred Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe, the new version of Ghosts follows a couple (now played by Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar, respectively) as they try to renovate a recently inherited estate.

An unfortunate accident results in Samantha (McIver) being able to see the ghosts that dwell in the manor—who have a lot of opinions about how the couple plans to make the home a bed and breakfast.

Although the American remake is similar in many ways to the popular British series, McIver has since assured E! News that this iteration of Ghosts is its own show. "We're excited for the fact that it's 10 new characters, 10 new actors," she exclusively shared. "Although some of the characters have a direct comparison, others are...fresh blood, fresh meat—I don't know how much blood exists in ghosts."

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Copycat TV: American Remakes

As McIver continued, she said the Ghosts team—which includes the original show's creators as producers—is "excited to see what happens when you stir together all these different new ingredients." However, before fans of the British series fret, the iZombie alum noted that CBS' comedy will "echo" its predecessor.

For instance, Rebecca Wisocky's Hetty character in CBS' iteration is comparable to Martha Howe-Douglas' Lady Fanny Button in the BBC One version. Both characters come from a Victorian era, where proper manners and customs are the top priority. So, you can imagine how they feel about crop tops.

Each version of the show has their own deceased scout master too—arrow through the neck and all!

CBS

Yet, instead of caveman Robin (Laurence Rickard), the American remake has Sasappis (Roman Zaragoza), an Indigenous ghost. These changes were made to reflect American history, since a Tudor era ghost—shout out to Sir Humphrey Bone (also played by Rickard)—wouldn't really make sense. 

"It's actually been a really cool opportunity to learn a ton more about this country," the New Zealand-born actress said of the historical characters. "Even just with the context alone, it very much becomes its own story pretty quickly. But it's also just the hiring of new actors that bring new dynamics. We are seeing very different things build over the course of this first season."

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2021 TV Premiere Dates

See the differences and similarities for yourself when Ghosts premieres tonight, Oct. 7 at 9 p.m. on CBS.

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