How I Judged CBS ‘GHOSTS’ And Was Totally Wrong [Review]

For some time now, my mom has suggested I watch CBS Ghosts when I have nothing better to do. And for some time, I brushed her off about it, simply because I’m not really all that fond of sitcoms. It’s not really my thing and I had just been enthralled in HBO’s House of the Dragon, so switching to a show like Ghosts felt like too extreme of a change. I mean, I have loved Rose McIver since she lead the amazing show iZombie, but was I ready for Ghosts?

However, I totally misjudged Ghosts. Just last weekend, my mom came over and insisted I put on Ghosts. Because I love her, I begrudgingly turned on Paramount+ and put it on. We watched three episodes together and by the time Sunday came, I had already binged season one and was caught up on all the available episodes for season two. Now, I’m just upset that I have to wait until December 8th for the next episode.

I Love the Cast

CBS Ghosts stars Rose McIver, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Brandon Scott Jones, Ritchie Moriarty, Danielle Pinnock, Asher Grodman, Sheila Carrasco, Devan Chandler Long, Rebecca Wisocky, and Roman Zaragoza. As I said before, I knew McIver from iZombie and I recognize Long from Doom Patrol. Besides that, this cast is completely new to me, but after Ghosts, I love each of them. Every actor brings a certain uniqueness to this incredibly charming show that is simply a good time, with some poignant moments sprinkled in.

The Plot

Here’s a quick synopsis: McIver and Ambudkar played married couple Sam and Jay who end up moving from their NYC life to an old Victorian mansion upstate after Sam inherits it from a recently deceased distant relative. After hitting her head and coming close to death, Sam gains the ability to see and hear the ghosts who inhabit the home. Each ghost comes with their own quirks and are from different moments in time. We have someone from the Revolutionary War days, a jazz singer from the 20s, and even a Viking. They’re a collection of characters who would have otherwise never interacted with each other, yet it equals comedy gold.

There’s a lot to laugh at here. From Isaac Higgintoot’s unfortunate odor when you pass through him, to the miscommunication that occurs due to the fact that Jay can’t see any of the ghosts (though, I desperately want him and Pete to officially meet). While this show is mostly fun, there’s a lot of meaningful scenes here. Which, may not be recognized due to its sitcomy feel, but when the show is tackling subjects such as fear of rejection, regrets from not living life to the fullest, accepting one’s own sexual orientation, and more, I can’t help, but feel that people’s criticisms over the show being “too silly” is incorrect. I think there’s a lot of realness happening here that is presented in a refreshing manner.

This show is endearing and genuinely makes me smile. Yes, I know there’s a BBC version that the CBS version is based on and there’s fierce debate over what’s better. I’ll get to the BBC version, but I just have to sing CBS’s version’s praises. I absolutely love the way each actor bounces off each other. Ambudkar and McIver not only have a great chemistry with each other, but with the entirety of the cast. Again, I desperately want Jay to actually be able to see and hear Pete – we know they’d be even better friends than they already are.

Do you love CBS Ghosts? Who is your favorite ghost? For me…it’s between Thorfinn (the Viking, played by Long) and Sasappis (a Lenape Native American, played by Zaragoza). You can catch up on Ghosts on Paramount+; make sure you do so before December 8th when the next episode comes out!