The creators are keen to make more of their BAFTA-nominated sitcom.
Paranormal sitcom Ghosts stands out as one of the best comedies the BBC has produced in recent years, racking up glowing reviews and two BAFTA nominations – but its future now hangs in the balance.
The third series dropped as a box set on streaming service iPlayer last month, while terrestrial viewers will be tuning into the finale tonight as it airs on BBC One.
As well as giving us more farcical moments, the latest episodes have also included an intriguing storyline surrounding Lucy (Jessica Knappett), who claims to be a relative of Charlotte Ritchie’s Alison and thus a possible inheritor of Button House (filmed at West Horsley Place).
As the ghosts themselves work to uncover the truth, we have also learnt more about the unfortunate events that have led them to haunt the property, including a surprising backstory for headless Tudor nobleman Sir Humphrey Bone.
If you’re keen for Ghosts to return with more episodes, read on for everything the creators have said about a fourth season so far, and when we could find out more.
Ghosts season 4 release date: Will the BBC sitcom return?
It’s yet to be confirmed whether Ghosts will return for a fourth season, but the writing team behind the acclaimed comedy have made it very clear they want the sitcom to continue.
Co-creator and star Mathew Baynton, who plays hopeless romantic poet Thomas Thorne, has said that there are “more stories to tell” with the show’s large roster of memorable characters.
Fellow Ghosts writer and actor Laurence Rickard added: “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.
“Just cramming everything in, regardless of whether or not it earns its place, would be a shame,” he continued. “And so I think we put things in the bank hoping that there will be time to explore them in the future.”
Previously, The Captain actor Ben Willbond explained how it can be “really hard” for the team to know exactly what to include when there’s such uncertainty over how many more episodes they will get.
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In an interview with RadioTimes.com, he said: “It would be lovely [to be recommissioned] because I think this time around in the writing process, as we unearth more, you just go ‘oh wow, we could do that in series four, but we haven’t got a series four!’.
“It’s a nice feeling when you go, ‘actually we’ve got a lot of road here creatively’. It’s a nice prospect, but you are just beholden to whether the BBC want more or not. It’s a really hard thing to contend with.”
However, it’s possible we’ll get some answers very soon as the second series of Ghosts was formally announced by the BBC a mere eight days after the first series concluded.
That renewal turned out to cover not one, but two additional series of the comedy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the broadcaster would opt for a double order this time around.
Nevertheless, it’s quite possible we’ll learn the fate of Ghosts in the coming weeks as commissioners analyse the show’s reception and decide whether another series is viable.
In the meantime, fans may want to check out the American remake of Ghosts, which is scheduled to debut in October, with the original creators recently weighing in on the new version.
Ghosts season 4 cast: who will be in it?
If Ghosts were to return for another series, it’s highly likely that the core creative team of Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Matha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond will return.
In addition to their roles in the Ghosts cast, they also dreamt up the concept and have previously worked together on CBBC’s Horrible Histories and Sky One’s Yonderland.
Meanwhile, key cast members Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe would have to return for the story to continue, while supporting cast members Lolly Adefope and Katy Wix would also be prime candidates.
It’s possible that recurring guest star Geoff McGivern could also reappear as Mike and Alison’s intrusive neighbour Barclay Beg-Chetwynde, who has been both friend and foe over the past three series.
Ghosts season 4 plot: what will happen?
While most episodes of Ghosts can be enjoyed as their own self-contained stories, there are some plot threads that carry over across multiple chapters of the sitcom.
From the beginning, we have been watching Mike and Alison’s efforts to renovate the dilapidated Button House, with their hope to make it a beautiful place for events and accommodation.
Meanwhile, each series brings fresh revelations about the lives of Button House’s deceased inhabitants, revealing the circumstances of their deaths in stories that range from hilariously morbid to genuinely emotional.
We don’t expect Jessica Knappett’s Lucy to return for more episodes in a possible series four, as the mystery surrounding her character is wrapped up nicely by the end of the third outing.
Is there a trailer for Ghosts season 4?
Not just yet and we wouldn’t expect one for some time. If the show is recommissioned, filming probably wouldn’t take place until January 2022 at West Horsley Place, meaning the trailer would arrive some months later.
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.