6 more reviews

1. ›'Ghosts (US)' Season Four Review: This fills the gap of What We Do in The Shadows@namiks391d

   

   It has been a while since I last caught up with the US version of Ghosts. This is a show that I think fell a bit too under the radar given how good it is, a comedy show with a wide range of characters that originally came from a British creation, adapted in the US. I haven't seen the UK version and perhaps that's a bit of a sin as someone from the UK. It's surprising that we're still creating some shows that while still airing end up gaining traction in international markets and getting their own release. Of course, one of the biggest examples of this is The Office. Sometimes these US adaptations don't always translate so well, but Ghosts is a great example that it can still be done. I caught up so quickly with the previous seasons that I ended up forgetting about the show for a while, only to see it advertised on a Russian streaming service known as Kinopoisk. Season four picks up where the previous season left off, of course, but the quality is still very much present.

   Jumping straight into the laughs by introducing more characters into the show, one-offs that don't really stick around for too long. I think this is something that the show really needed, especially now that the show had finally managed to find its footing and moved on from the establishing of its main cast. Some of those previous episodes in the other seasons did feel a bit lacking with structure, as if there was something missing to them. So this recent addition of new characters gave the show that fresh feeling again, even if they aren't to stick around all that much. Another major change in the show is one that we probably wouldn't notice: one of the main characters is actually pregnant in real life. It's something the show tries to hide for the most part, but you can tell. I think they could've found a way to incorporate this into the story somehow, but maybe they didn't want to move too far from the UK version of the main story, or all of this just happened unexpectedly with the show already in production. This isn't a problem, just an observation.

   

   Given that the main cast of casts is sticking around, there's still little problems that appear that must be addressed, utilising the ghosts in certain ways to push some character development forward. We saw this in how Samantha wanted to rekindle the relationship she had with her father, not really knowing the full story surrounding her upbringing. The ghosts of course being able to get the full story by peeking into rooms and overhearing things. These little episodes are nice to see in the show, given not everything is about the problems of the dead. And in another episode, it's more how one of the ghosts becomes a problem for both the living and the dead; a puritan that insists on her way being established, incapable of accepting the changes of the modern times. Fighting temptation in how she must avoid the evils of television, the fears of Halloween, and the general societal changes that come with time. And this is met with the hinting that there are others beyond her. Up until this point, all the ghosts we know of tend to be the ones on the grounds of the house. Aside from the boy scout Pete which discovers (and often brags) that he can move beyond the grounds.

   There aren't many shows quite like this sticking around at the moment, comedy seems to be a bit of a dry genre on streaming services, with some companies insisting that streaming is pretty much dead at this point. As budgets deflate and review scores hold less weight with audiences. Subscription costs being a struggle to hold. Ghosts is a rarity in this era, with plenty of laughs and short bite-sized episodes that can be great for binging or just watching the odd episode.

   

   I'm surprised that the humour remained solid throughout, I really liked the one episode about how the ghosts discover a ghost snail on the grounds, and the group take it upon themselves to keep it as a pet. Thor, being the tough one, ending up being the one that wants to look after it the most, especially as the rest of the group displayed that they weren't all that responsible in the end. Especially with Thor also making numerous strange remarks about how tasty it looked. I read that the studio has the intentions of creating two more season of the show, and I think that makes sense given two is about right for slowly starting to wrap things up a bit, perhaps giving some of the ghosts a final goodbye as they get "sucked off".

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2. ›[ESP | ENG] Ghosts. Una serie de fantasmas que me hizo reir mucho@shadowmyst497d

   Imagen tomada de FilmAffinity

   Una serie que acabo de empezar a ver por Netflix es la de "Ghosts", una serie de comedia donde cada capítulo de 20 minutos hizo que me la pasara riendo por un buen rato, algo que para estos momentos de mucha presión en mi cabeza me ha ayudado a relajarme por un buen rato, pues para cuando me di cuenta ya me había aventado 12 capítulos de un jalón.

   A series I just started watching on Netflix is "Ghosts," a comedy series where each 20-minute episode had me laughing for a good while. During these moments of high pressure in my life, it has helped me relax for a good amount of time. Before I knew it, I had already binge-watched 12 episodes in one go.

   La premisa es simple, Jay y Sam heredan una casa antigua de parte de un pariente lejano de Sam, la cual quieren remodelar para convertirla en una posada, sin embargo un accidente que lleva a la propia Sam a tener una experiencia cercana de la muerte le ha dado la habilidad de poder ver los fantasmas que han llegado a morir en la propia casa durante varios siglos.

   The premise is simple: Jay and Sam inherit an old house from a distant relative of Sam's, which they want to renovate and turn into a bed and breakfast. However, an accident that leads Sam to have a near-death experience gives her the ability to see the ghosts who have died in the house over several centuries.

   Entre los fantasmas podemos encontrar desde un vikingo que llego a explorar el continente americano, personas de la época de la guerra civil estadounidense, hasta fantasmas de los años 20's, 80's y 90's.

   Among the ghosts, we can find everything from a Viking who came to explore the American continent, people from the American Civil War era, to ghosts from the 1920s, 80s, and 90s.

   Al ser Sam la primer persona que puede ver un fantasma en esa casa, estos se emocionan pues por fin pueden salir de su monotonía y le empiezan a pedir cosas, desde prender la tele (porque al parecer el intentar mover cosas es algo que cuesta mucho trabajo para un fantasma), hasta poder contactar a familiares de alguno de los fantasmas mas recientes.

   Since Sam is the first person who can see the ghosts in that house, they get excited because they can finally break out of their monotony and start asking her for things, from turning on the TV (since moving things seems to be very difficult for a ghost) to contacting relatives of some of the more recent ghosts.

   La personalidad de cada uno de estos entes acordes a sus épocas de vida y los momentos que pasan con Sam me soltaron varias carcajadas, aunque no tiene una trama elaborada, fue lo que necesitaba para apagar mi mente por un rato y poder disfrutar por un buen rato, donde agradezco que la risa era natural y no guiada por las clásicas risas pregrabadas que suele tener una sitcom.

   The personality of each of these entities, aligned with their respective eras and the moments they share with Sam, made me burst out laughing several times. Although it doesn’t have an elaborate plot, it was exactly what I needed to turn off my mind for a while and enjoy myself. I appreciated that the laughter felt natural and not forced by the classic pre-recorded laugh tracks often found in sitcoms.

   Investigando un poco al momento de querer hacer esta reseña, me entere que esta serie del 2021, esta basada en una versión homónima creada en el 2019 por la BBC en reino unido y ahora me pica la curiosidad de saber si esa es igual de graciosa que esta que encontré en en Netflix.

   While researching a bit before writing this review, I found out that this 2021 series is based on a homonymous version created in 2019 by the BBC in the UK. Now I’m curious to know if that version is just as funny as the one I found on Netflix.

   Los invito a que le den una oportunidad a la serie y si ya la vieron por favor déjenme sus comentarios de que tal les ha parecido.

   I invite you to give the series a chance, and if you’ve already watched it, please leave your comments below and let me know what you thought of it!

   NOTA FINAL: Traduje la versión en inglés usando DeepSeek FINAL NOTE: I translated the English version using DeepSeek.

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3. ›'Ghosts' Season One Review: A simple yet creative show@namiks1362d

   

   I discovered Ghosts back in August with very little to watch at the time. Recommended to me by someone that themselves had stumbled into it unexpectingly with little knowledge of it, to the point where they said I should just check it out and did not really elaborate further. At first I was torn between which version I should check out having seen that there was both a series originally starting in the United Kingdom, and a United States version that seemingly followed it. Usually I am hesistant to check out US remakes of something, especially if the source material is still airing. There have been many instances in the past where the United States has attempted to recreate something from the United Kingdom only for it to either get cancelled very quickly or never even manage to take off after a pilot episode. A few shows come to mind, though sometimes there is a rare instance in which the show is successful.

   Having watched through the entire first season, though of the US version and not the UK version at all, I am really enjoying it. It feels much like other shows as of late that have taken the idea of supernatural concepts and turned them into a relaxed, comedic show focused on character development and everyday scenarios; ignoring the idea that something like a ghost, vampire, or mythical creature can be evil or dangerous, instead harmless, regular people for the most part. Two shows come to mind from recent years, though made by the same general people: Wellington Paranormal and What We Do in The Shadows. Ghosts being an extension to this new wave of fantasy genre that removes the spooks and throws in the laughs.

   While being a show you can generally understand the direction of, Ghosts manages to be a pleasant viewing that throws in plenty of fresh ideas each episode that manages to maintain your attention, slowly focusing on its wide range of characters, both alive and deceased, to mix in the humanity alongside the comedy.

   Ghosts

   

   Ghosts starts with a very easy to follow premise in which a young couple obtain a mansion that is passed down to one of them following the death of a relative, having inherited this mansion, the two struggle to think of what to do with the place: do they sell it or do they find a way to make it profitable under a bed-and-breakfast? One of them takes a little tumble and knocks their head, waking up to have discovered that they can now see the dead; of which there have been many present within the mansion's walls and grounds for many centuries. Each of these ghosts comes from a different period in time, each with their own mannerisms and character designs that allows for this wide range of characters to have distinct personalities that will most certainly come useful later on through strong character development and writing.

   To start with, their introductions are relatively thin, and it works very well. We don't need to know a whole lot about these characters other than who they are and how they died to begin with. And slowly, but surely, the show takes consideration of them and begins to reveal more of their narratives and struggles, showing the more human side to these individuals despite them being ghosts. These ghosts, each with their own abilities and ways of life, come together and clash over episodes depending on the events. As one would expect, there is plenty of drama and friendship to be had from a set of characters that have spent centuries together; though their biggest event in death being that someone from the living can not only see them now, but speak to them.

   These ghosts are seemingly left behind in this state of what seems like purgatory for unknown reasons, and we see that some ghosts upon achieving something in particular may transcend beyond this state into the next stage; the ghosts unknowingly call this 'getting sucked off'. As you can see from this alone, the humour is quite specific. It relies on the characters being ultimately quite wholesome and loveable despite their idiocies and, well, prior ways of life. One character in particular being a viking warrior known as Thor, having night terrors that we see are the result of him killing his friend. Over the span of the episode, with everyone taking it all very seriously assuming he had murdered and betrayed his greatest human friend, it was a mere small animal that he cooked and ate, not a human.

   Other aspects of the show's comedic elements follow the ghosts as they discover the more modern ways of living, coming to much excitement and discovery when greeted with something such as modern television, the Internet, and even coming to discover that one ghost can control an Alexa. The way these characters and written and interact with the world is absolutely what makes the show so engaging. I find myself less interested in the living characters and more interested in the ghosts; though that is not to say that there is anything bad about the living ones, they are written quite well and are far from given too much attention, and serve more as the bridge between living and dead that results in the two having these interesting and often rather empathetic engagements. Part of me has this strange consideration of the show's main theme, however: what if the dead are just lingering on around us, watching our every moves? That itself is pretty scary and unsettling! Even if they have no ill-intentions.

   Character Development

   

   I really enjoy the pacing of the show thus far, it is introducing each character slowly while not revealing too much about them. Slowly we see how they have hidden talents or perhaps powers that are pretty much useless for the most part, and sometimes we get some character development that gives us more of an insight in their personal lives that extends beyond just their deaths. I suspect that eventually we will see some of them getting 'sucked off' going forward towards the show's conclusion, but at this stage things are very fresh, where we are still very clearly only just getting started.

   Going into this second season, I think we will also begin to see more of the personal lives of the living characters as their struggles regarding turning the mansion into a functioning bed-and-breakfast takes reign over much of the general narrative. The writing seems to imply this so far, and it seems like a good direction. Though I must also add that the show, alongside its excellent current character development, is clear in having a great budget that allows for good costume design and makeup, amplifying the characters of which are performed by a mostly unknown cast. I love this unknown cast! They work really well in the show and it feels great to see a bunch of faces I have no prior connection with, I see them purely as these characters and I think it is a great strength.

   As expected with the idea of death, some characters have very unique backstories in which we don't quite know what happened, it is left behind as a mystery to be taken into consideration later on. It is quite engaging. Especially alongside the comedic elements where these characters, now ghosts, have emotions but also very little to care for, instead holding these very relaxed and comedic personalities. Moving into the second season, I look forward to seeing how this show continues to surprise and unfold.

   

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4. ›Some First Impressions of 'Ghosts': A little gem of a show so far@namiks1399d

   

   I doubt anyone else has heard of this show here, and I had not either until someone had mentioned it to me the other day. Ghosts, being a series made originally in the United Kingdom, but with a US adaptation, is a unique little gem so far. I should state that I am watching the US version first before the UK version -- though I have noticed some interesting similarities to this show and others appearing as of late. I wanted to share a few words about this show due to how small it appears to be, despite some good reception from critics in both versions of the show. Though I have a killer headache today so have some patience in regards to my potential ramblings here!

   The first thing you think of when you hear of the word "ghost" is something of trauma. An evil entity that haunts and roams desolate locations in search of someone to take advantage of; a traveller down a quiet country lane, or an innocent family that just moved into an old, very historic gothic home. We think of apparitions that want to cause harm from beyond. Though that is far from the case with this television series. Holding similarities to shows like What We Do In The Shadows and Resident Alien, Ghosts is a show that takes an otherwise scary concept and turns it into something less terrifying, more comedic and wholesome.

   The story, so far -- though I am not very far into the show yet -- seems to take place within a home that is inherited by a young couple that choose to renovate the home and attempt to turn it into a business. An accident takes place which results in one of the new owners of this home coming to discover that they can now see the dead; of which there are plenty from different priods of time all living together in that house, concerned of its future and those who are now entering it. These ghosts are people that have died from different causes, from different time periods, and each with their own little personalities to them. One of which looks like a scout leader that has an arrow forever stuck in his neck.

   

   I mentioned before that the show reminds me a lot of What We Do In The Shadows. It holds similarities in how the film industry suddenly has a new interest and approach to the idea of the fantasy genre. Where perhaps large budget films and blockbusters that are more serious are harder to make money from. Making people less likely to check them out. Suddenly, we see this comedic approach in which fantasy elements are taken lightly, approached with a comedic stance that is actually -- for now -- a very unique concept to take on. In fact, it has me question what took filmmakers so long to consider doing something like this? And was Taika Waititi and his crew partly responsible for this sudden rise with their vampire mockumentary from 2014? Regardless of how and who, I am actually really happy to see shows like these.

   Removing the idea of a large budget television series or film production, these shows focus on good character development through a diverse range of personalities that make the show interesting. Much like a cartoon series in which each character had a very distinct set of traits that make them stand out to the next. Where their personalities result in many unique episodes and adventures that questions their strengths and weaknesses, thus giving the audience both entertainment, but also a lot of character development to witness from it.

   For now it appears that the show is in this stage of introducing the general concept before establishing context behind each character. So far there have been snippets of context regarding some of them, but most of it has just been some introduction to what these characters are like rather than who they were and, well, are now. I suspect it will slowly begin to dive into these characters more, one by one, as different scenarios unfold for both the ghosts and the two main living characters. I feel the two will end up having many lessons to learn and problems to solve together, and as a result plenty of comedic writing and events. Given that the first show was a British creation, I can already tell generally what it will be like. Though I would like to see something a little different in the US version.

   

   I would like to see it take a slow approach like it currently is, with little rush to dive too deep into some central plot or character development, however. I think for now this slow introduction to everything has been quite pleasant. It is has been a very relaxing show just three episodes in. A show that does not take much time, is not hard to digest, but still gets a few laughs from you before leaving. It feels quite refreshing to see. Unlike What We Do In The Shadows, which is a show that seems to be running slowly out of ideas and constantly trying to be as ridiculous as possible. Though that may still be the case for Ghosts going forward.

   One thing I have liked so far is that each of the cast members are people I don't think I have ever seen anywhere before. I have nothing to attribute them to prior to this. So I have this very first impression of them as these characters they are performing as. I love this. I wish more shows did this. It is so nice to see a cast you don't recognise and thus get additional immersion from it. To feel like you aren't just watching the next product, but an actual performance and creative little show. These characters they play seem wholesome. Far from intimidating. People from different life experiences and backgrounds each with their own little stories.

   Even though I have no idea where it could be going, I still highly recommend that you check this show out. Whether it is the United States adaptation or the British original. It seems like a little gem that has a lot of room to grow. With little budget but good enough character design and unique cast to keep you interested. So far I can definitely say it has managed to obtain my interest!

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5. ›Ghosts (2021) made me snort.@lordtimoty1520d

   Ghosts (2021) made me snort.

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   You know, sometimes you just need to watch a dumb TV show that makes you snort. I think though, that with so much content being thrown at us, that the snorting moments seem to be getting further and far between.

   How delightful then, that I recently decided to commit to a new streaming service, Paramount+ where I came across a show called, 'Ghosts'. I love those shows where so called 'Ghost Hunters' go to haunted places and have supernatural encounters. I clicked it, assuming the genre. But how wrong I was!

   The show opens with the death of an elderly woman surrounded by a host of characters in odd costumes. Perhaps they were at a costume party? Then, a spirit floats out of the woman's body - and the characters introduce themselves as ghosts who had died in the estate. The woman gets sucked into the sky, and we learn, most people don't stay behind.

   From there, we learn the house has been left to a distant relative - an ambitious young woman who wants to get out of the city, and with reluctant husband in tow - they attend the crumbling estate where the wife insists that they should turn it into a B and B. The ghostly residents are horrified and only want a bit of piece and quiet. They come together and decide to try and haunt the couple away from the property.

   Here's a memorable moment (photo below) The couple turn up in the home and the ghosts come to check them out. Of course, the couple cannot see the ghosts - but they come in and out of conversation creating the humour. Here, the young woman produces sage to cleanse the home - she tells her husband it wards off spirits. The ghosts panic, before trying to sniff it, declaring it a lovely smell.

   

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   One character, a viking, can make the electricity flicker. Another dead opera singer can make her song quiver into the real world - while yet another, if he concentrates really hard, can make items move very slightly.

   Their spooking doesn't work, and the wife has a near death experience - at which time, she gains the ability to see the ghosts - and they engagement between the living and the dead is underway.

   In 20 minutes, not a lot happened, but I snorted like four times. I think this series will be worth giving some more time to, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes. In giving it a Google, it turns out that it is a re-make of a British series - so my guess is, if it's worth a re-make, then it must be hilariously good!

   This post was in response to CineTV's Twitter prompt; get on it: https://twitter.com/CineTv_io/status/1519712617056641030

   Ghosts (2021) is a Sitcom, all images and promotional material distributed by CBS.

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6. ›Ghosts review, a brand new BBC series@unbiasedwriter2630d

   A few days ago, I had never even heard of the BBC series named Ghosts. Today I am sitting here, and I have just watched the pilot episode of this brand new show which premiered on BBC One in England on April 15th.

   I guess few people gave much attention to the arrival of Ghosts, after all, everyone was speaking about and writing about Game of Thrones season 8 which premiered on HBO in the USA on April 14th. The attention Game of Thrones got was amazing, and HBO actually got a new viewer record in the USA as 17,4 million people watched the first episode. That was half a million more viewers than the previous record holder (the final episode of Game of Thrones in season 7).

   But, let us forget about Game of Thrones and concentrate on Ghosts instead!

   What is Ghosts all about?

   Ghosts is a new BBC series. It sounds scary, and at first, it might even look scary, but you do not have to watch it for more than a few minutes before you understand that Ghosts is a comedy show. We are introduced to a group of ghosts living in an abandoned mansion on the countryside as they say goodbye to the previous owner who just died. But, what will happen with the house now?

   In the city, a couple with no money at all tries to find a place to live. They are at no success, until they receive a phone call telling them that they have inherited a house on the countryside. They are greatly surprised, and upon their first gaze at the house, they are just incredibly happy. But, little do they know that they are actually surrounded by a large group of ghosts living in the same house.

   This is the core of the story, and it might still sound like a scary show, but it isn't. I do believe kids might be scared by the ghosts, simply because they are ghosts, but this is not a show that will keep you awake at night. But, it might actually give you some extra laughs, even though I had a hard time enjoying the pilot episode of season one.

   My thoughts on Ghosts so far

   After watching the first episode on BBC, I have got to say that it is kind of enjoyable, but not really my taste so far. I had a hard time laughing at the jokes, but that might just be my fault. I also know that it normally takes a couple of episodes with any series before you get really addicted, so I guess I need to be fair and give Ghosts a few more tries before I make a final judgment.

   Still, based on the pilot episode, I am rather thinking of watching another episode of Line of Duty, instead of waiting for the second episode of Ghosts to arrive.

   Where can you watch Ghosts online?

   Would you like to give Ghosts a try? Did you like the description of the show? Well, it is quite easy to watch Ghosts online, as you can easily watch it for free using BBC iPlayer. If you have trouble watching BBC iPlayer online (because you live outside England), follow these simple instructions telling you how to watch BBC abroad.

   

   Can you stream Ghosts on Netflix or any other streaming platform yet? As far as I know, the answer to that is no. But, BBC is normally very good at making their productions available elsewhere in the world on Netflix and other platform (see shows such as Bodyguard, Line of Duty, Cuckoo, Dr. Who and more), so I guess it is only a question of time before you can stream Ghosts on Netflix and elsewhere.

   Have you seen Ghosts? What do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts!

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