Alison and Mike are hosting a dinner party in Ghosts, the sitcom from the team behind CBBC’s Horrible Histories. But having people round for a meal is rarely as simple as it sounds, which makes dinner parties a gift for comedy writers. Tonight we see a social occasion with multiple agendas.
If you’ve been watching Ghosts you will know about Alison and Mike’s unconventional living arrangements — Alison inherited a stately home and she and Mike are converting it into a hotel.
Except it’s haunted. Now, just as they’ve overcome the hostilities of the spectres, it turns out they have neighbours to win over. Live ones this time.
The writers have had fun with the names of these new characters: Barclay Beg-Chetwynde (Geoff McGivern, who has a good line in playing rambunctious, slippery neighbours) and his wife Bunny (Sophie Thompson) have been summering in Tuscany, but now they are back in business mode and there are questions over whether Alison and Mike owe them rent money.
So they all get together, and by coincidence it’s the lunar eclipse. The pressure of hosting is getting to Alison — she’s daunted at the prospect of cooking for posh people. At first the ghosts help, turning stealth detectives to find out what the Beg-Chetwyndes are up to.
But the combination of eclipse and visitors is too exciting and they end up acting like kids who won’t go to bed and leave their parents in peace with the other grown-ups.
The result is hilarious, high energy chaos. This episode references another sitcom, Friends, and Ghosts is just as lovingly crafted and warm-spirited. I just wish it was on a bit earlier so that younger audiences could enjoy it too.
Ghosts is on BBC One, tonight at 9:30pm
