“Ghosts” Crew Spills the Tea on Season 5 and Spooky Set Life
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After a screening of a new episode, the cast and showrunners of CBS’s hit comedy “Ghosts” gathered at The Culver Theater on October 2nd for a Q&A moderated by the LA Times’ Lorraine Ali.
Taking the stage were actor Utkarsh Ambudkar (Jay), actress Danielle Pinnock (Alberta), and showrunners/executive producers Joe Port and Joe Wiseman (the “Two Joes”). They talked about everything from believing in spirits to developing unexpected on-screen romances and the challenges of a 22-episode season.
What’s “Ghosts” All About?
“Ghosts” is a series about a young married couple, Sam and Jay, who inherit a sprawling, but rundown country estate called ‘Woodstone Manor’ with a dream to make it a Bed & Breakfast. But to their surprise, the house is already occupied by a group of ghosts—the spirits of people who died on the property over the centuries.
When Sam has a near-death experience, she gains the ability to see and communicate with the eccentric and needy group of “former residents.” It’s a funny and heartfelt story about a living couple learning how to coexist with a close-knit group of supernatural housemates.
Isaac Higgintoot’s one-sided feud with the man who became the face of the $10 bill has long been a part of ‘Ghosts’ lore; we finally learn how it started.
Season 5 Cliffhangers and Themes
“The Joes,” as they’re affectionately known, explained that the massive cliffhanger from the Season 4 finale, which saw Jay’s soul possibly claimed by the villainous ghost Elias, was resolved quickly in the Season 5 premiere to set the rest of the season in motion.
“We had some ideas, but no, we didn’t know exactly what we were going to do,” Joe Wiseman admitted about the resolution, noting that the opening episode’s theme of “sacrifice” emerged in the writers’ room.
The showrunners revealed that the intense schedule of a 22-episode network sitcom means they’re constantly writing as they go. They teased that this year’s Halloween episode will feature a “goose the supernatural” storyline involving the mummy seen in last year’s episode.
Each of the eight main ghosts of the series evolves and deepens with every episode. Here the actors share their insights into these characters.
Utkarsh Ambudkar, who plays the ghost-less Jay, talked about the unique challenge of acting in silence and having to deal with all the physical props in scenes while the other actors playing ghosts are communicating around him. “The hardest thing is not to ruin a scene by laughing,” said Utkarsh Ambudkar.
Danielle Pinnock highlighted how the writers are masterful at creating rich flashbacks that push the actors to learn new skills.
“Every single season, whether it’s learning to tap or sing, there’s something very special coming up... something that Alberta may have learned for 20-plus years, I got to learn on a weekend,” said Danielle Pinnock.
Both the cast and the Joes emphasized the strong family dynamic of the cast, calling their time on set similar to a “summer camp,” which is rare for a show in its fifth season. This genuine connection and the writers’ ability to write to the actors’ strengths are what make the show so special and successful. The Q&A concluded with the crew expressing their heartfelt thanks to the audience for their support.
More Screenings
