Good news, Ghosts fans – production on the BBC comedy’s fourth series is officially under way.
Co-creator Jim Howick, who plays Pat Butcher on the show, confirmed the news on Twitter. “Hello old thing. Rehearsal week begins for series 4. #BBCGhosts,” he posted alongside a picture of West Horsley Place – where Ghosts is filmed – as Button House.
Hello old thing. Rehearsal week begins for series 4. #BBCGhosts pic.twitter.com/ZWEPkFRsLA
— Jim Howick (@JimHowick) January 3, 2022
A release date has yet to be confirmed, though we expect the fourth series will land on BBC One in autumn or winter this year based on previous runs.
Luckily, we got a chance to catch up with Alison (Charlotte Ritchie), Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) and the host of ghouls they share a crumbling estate with for a Christmas special, which featured Absolutely Fabulous star Jennifer Saunders as Lady Fanny Button’s mother.
As for what the comedy’s fourth series will focus on, there are plenty of avenues that Howick and co-creators Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond could take.
Rickard told RadioTimes.com and other press that the writing team already has some ideas.
“There are always ideas where we go, ‘That’s right, but not yet’. And obviously, you’re aware that you’re banking these things on a hope,” he explained. “Just cramming everything in, regardless of whether or not it earns its place, would be a shame. And so I think we put things in the bank hoping that there will be time to explore them in the future.”
One Ghosts cast member who hopes her character’s background will be explored further this series is Katy Wix, whose character Mary was accused of witchcraft, though we don’t yet know why.
“It’d be really fun to film but I think it would be also quite funny if it was just totally ambiguous what happened but yeah, I’m sure we’ll be doing more but we’ll check,” she told RadioTimes.com during an exclusive chat.
Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to find out.
Ghosts is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.