A leading producer onGhostsexplains why the popular sitcom’s premise owes a debt of gratitude toFriends. An adaptation of the BBC comedy of the same name, the supernatural seriesis among the most-watched shows on broadcast television and regularly brings in millions of viewers. Although it has evolved over the years, on the way toGhostsseason 5, the central conceit begins with Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) wanting to turn their old manor into a successful bed-and-breakfast.
According toDeadline, while speaking at the Seriencamp Conference recently, BBC Studios International Scripted Formats Producer Charles Harrison explained whyGhosts' success owes a debt of gratitude to the beloved sitcomFriends. In the quote below, Harrison talks about the British version ofGhostsand whyit shares some characteristics with “the greatest flat-share comedy”, which, he says, isFriends:
“What the castle is about is something very deep in the English psyche. For the last 20 years in the UK, all of our television has been about aspiring to own a home, to own a home in the country, or to do up a home, so the idea of winning a castle is the dream for English people. In this case, it means you’re never alone – and you end up with a flat-share comedy. The greatest flat-share comedy is Friends, and this show is indebted to Friends.”
What The Concept Of Home Means For Ghosts
The Setting Brings Out A Lot Of Comedy
Just likeFriends,the adaptations of the supernatural comedy gain a lot of comedy from their location. Even in the recentGhostsseason 4 finale, some of the comedy could be gleaned from the fact that Jay’s life was at risk because the objects at Woodstone Manor had started to turn on him inFinal Destinationfashion. That is the lighter side of the fact that Sam and Jay, in particular, pin a lot of their hopes on Woodstone’s success and give the otherwise zany sitcom some of its heart.
Trevor
Asher Grodman
Harrison is right thatFriendsset the template for how to use a location as almost another character. The apartments that all six characters onFriendslived in, in one way or another, informed the characters and gave the seminal NBC comedy many of its exciting moments.TheGhostscastis following along those lines, creating memorable scenes in the location that they’re generally not allowed to leave, with the notable exception of Richie Moriarty’s Pete.
Our Take On The Ghosts & Friends Connection
The Best Shows Inform Others
It’s no surprise that the BBC Studios would citeFriendsas an influence. But it is surprising, perhaps, the way thatFriendsseems to have worked its way into the seemingly totally different premise ofGhosts. But at its core, both shows share a conceit that’s common in comedies and zeroes in on very different people sharing a space and clashing. The best ones know how to make that familiarity feel brand new.
