There’s more spooky happenings in Ghosts

What connects the genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are? with the crew behind the TV version of Terry Deary’s Horrible Histories’ books?

Top marks if you guessed the answer was Danny Dyer, the EastEnders actor who is descended from King Edward III, and this utterly brilliant comedy series.

If you haven’t yet seen it, Ghosts follows the ups and downs of Alison and Mike Cooper, played by Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe, who find their new home comes with a host of unexpected guests: ghosts from a range of historical periods who are none-too pleased with plans to turn their home into a luxury hotel.

However, their attempts to put a stop to the Cooper’s scheme results in Alison being pushed from a window and, when she emerges from her coma, she can see and hear the spectral residents. Eventually the inhabitants agree to live side-by-side as the renovations continue.

Dubbed Horrible Histories for adults but also squarely pitched at older children, it draws on The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Blackadder, Rentaghost and Beetlejuice for inspiration, while according to Jim Howick, who plays deceased scout leader Pat Butcher, Dyer’s story provided the inspiration for Alison, who embraces her aristocratic roots after inheriting the vast but crumbling Button House from a 99-year-old distant relative.

Co-creator Mathew Baynton, who plays poet Thomas Thorne, revealed the haunted-house concept was one the writing team were eager to explore after Horrible Histories, but couldn’t quite make it work, so they ended up turning their attentions to Sky’s Yonderland instead.

However, when that was done and dusted the – ahem – spectre of Ghosts loomed again, but this time Baynton and the crew contemplated “the boredom of eternity”.

Things clicked into place when they scaled down the story to a house-sharing tale, while the human characters added the “worries about money, life and everything you need for a story”.

Ghosts was born. Another intriguing quirk about the show is the filming location: it’s shot at West Horsley Place in Surrey, that was unexpectedly inherited by former University Challenge host Bamber Gascoigne in 2014 from his great aunt, the Duchess of Roxburghe. How’s that for life mirroring art?

The first series aired in 2019 to widespread acclaim and was swiftly followed by another and a Christmas special. However, the third season might look somewhat different, thanks to restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Baynton revealed some characters would be missing from the new run, due to filming constraints but – and here’s the really good news – he did appear to confirm there would be a fourth series.

But let’s crack on with series three, and in this second episode, a mysterious visitor arrives at Button House with a bombshell that leaves Alison reeling. Thomas is equally confused by his feelings for this strange visitor, while Lady Button and Julian warn of sinister motives, and Kitty is as territorial as ever over her surrogate sister Alison.

Meanwhile, Mike has an epiphany on his first day at a new job, which prompts Julian to remember his first day as a ghost. However, will their insights be enough to help Alison make sense of the overwhelming news she’s received?

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