Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Haunted comedy has some laughs, some stereotypes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Ghosts
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 7 parent reviews
Based on 15 kid reviews
Kids say this comedy has a mix of humor and inappropriate elements, making it more suitable for viewers aged 13 and up due to references to sex and drugs, though many find it enjoyable and even wholesome overall. Despite some concerns about content, many consider it a fun watch, especially if parents are willing to have open discussions about mature topics.
- mature content
- good humor
- family viewing
- positive messages
- viewer discretion
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Adapted from the British comedy of the same name, GHOSTS stars Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar as young professional New York City dwellers who find themselves living in the country with some unexpected guests. When Sam learns that she's inherited a country estate from a distant relative, she and her husband Jay decide to check out the property in order to decide what to do with it. What they don't realize is that Woodstone is a rundown manor already occupied by unliving residents, including Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky), the former lady of the house, a viking named Thorfinn (Devan Chandler Long), refined colonialist Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones), singer Alberta (Danielle Pinnock), Lenape tribe member Sasapapis (Román Zaragoza), and a hippie named Flower (Sheila Carrasco). Rounding out the gang are youth leader Pete (Richie Moriarty), the leather jacket-wearing Crash (Hudson Thames), and the obnoxious Trevor (Asher Grodman), the newest member of the group. As they make their presence known, Sam and Jay soon realize that their lives are about to get more interesting in some very unexpected ways.
Is It Any Good?
This lively but predictable series comes together well thanks to a quirky ensemble cast, quick banter and solid one-liners. As Sam and Jay navigate their new life in their stately home, the ghosts try to make their connections to the living in different (and often hilarious) ways. Also adding to the fray are a ghoulish, but friendly, group of cholera victims living in the basement. Like most situation comedies, there's some reliance on formulaic humor, some of which isn't sharp enough to steer it away from creating some stereotypical, cliched moments. Overall, it's not as good as its British counterpart, but this version of Ghosts still delivers some lighthearted and enjoyable entertainment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about ghosts. Do you think they're real? Is your idea of ghosts anything like the way they're represented in this series?
Ghosts features unliving characters from different time periods in U.S. history, and who represent different communities that lived in the N.Y. lower Hudson area over generations. Are these portrayals historically accurate? Or are they based more on stereotypes about the people who once lived there for laughs?
How does the British version of the series been adapted to appeal to North American audiences? What are some key similarities and differences between the two?
TV Details
- Premiere date : October 7, 2021
- Cast : Rose McIver , Utmarsch Ambudkar , Rebecca Wisocky
- Network : CBS
- Genre : Reality TV
- Topics : Fantasy
- TV rating :
- Awards : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Winner , NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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