Ghosts cast hints beloved BBC sitcom is returning from the dead

Comedy fans are speculating that hit sitcom Ghosts is on the verge of being resurrected.

The Bafta-nominated show drew to a close after five series and a Christmas special in 2023 – and has since been adapted into a successful American remake.

But if hints from the show’s cast and writing team are to be believed, it seems the British original will be extending its run in some form.

Several names affiliated with the show have been sharing a clip showing the door of Button House – the location haunted by the main characters – being opened by an invisible presence.

So far, writers Simon Farnaby and Martha Howe-Douglas, who play poltergeist Julian Fawcett MP and Edwardian Stephanie “Fanny” Button, have posted the video alongside Jim Howick (scout leader Patrick “Pat” Butcher, Mathew Baynton (poet Thomas Thorne) and Laurence Rickard (caveman Robin).

Fans are wondering whether this is confirmation of a new series or a one-off special, with one writing in response to Farnaby: “What is the meaning of this?!”

“It must be coming back! Pleeeeeeeeeeeease??!!” another viewer exclaimed.

Many are theorising that the show will get a film adaptation: “Fingers crossed it’s movie time for the sublime Ghosts,” one excited fan said, with another chiming in on X/Twitter: “Is it Ghosts - the movie? Please say it's Ghosts - the movie.”

Others urged the creators to hurry up and make an announcement, with one fan writing: “Whatever the tease is for, please crack on with it! Your public is expectant!”

The series is centred on a group of ghosts from different historical periods who share a country house with a married couple, played by Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.

The show’s writing team, consisting of Farnaby, Howe-Douglas, Mathew Baynton, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond, announced the show’s end in March 2023.

They wrote: “After five incredible years haunting the halls of Button House, we have decided that the time is right to let our beloved sitcom Ghosts rest in peace.

“We have just wrapped filming on our fifth and final series and we can’t wait to share it with you all later this year.”

They added that they “could never have imagined the reception the show has enjoyed, or the fun we have had making it”.

The BBC’s director of comedy Jon Petrie added: “We are officially in mourning for the end of this BBC Comedy Classic. We can’t thank the Ghosts team enough for five incredible series (not to mention some perfect Christmas Specials) and we can’t wait for BBC viewers to see the final series. We look forward to working with the team on new projects.”

The Independent has contacted the BBC for comment.