Another international remake ofGhostsis on its way. The British ensemble sitcom follows a couple (Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe) inheriting a house that they try and turn into a hotel, only to discover that it is haunted. Although it ended after five seasons, the show has been remade in the US (led by Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar) and that version has been renewed for the upcomingGhostsseason 5and season 6. A German remake also debuted in March, with Australian and Greek remakes in the works.
PerDeadline,a French remake titledGhosts: Fantômes en Héritageis set to come to the small screen. The show, which will be a direct adaptation of the UK series, is being produced by the French arm of BBC Studios and will air on Disney+ in France as well as the French network TF1. The show, which is being written and directed by Arthur Sanigou, will premiere with a six-episode season that closely hews to the UK series, but could expand into new territory in season 2, should it be renewed. Read comments from Sanigou and co-writer Joris Goulenok below:
Arthur Sanigou:Yeah, we’d love to [do more.] We are writing the Season 2… The English show was not very famous in France, it was very new for us, and we watched all the UK series. After the first two minutes, I was like: Okay, I love it, the energy, the comedy, the setup with some shots where you see the ghosts and some where you don’t. We are very close to the UK version [in Season 1], there [is] some magical stuff that’s working in the UK series.
Joris Goulenok:We wanted to have something that if a few seasons happen after [Season 1], to be able to go further in our own path. The same as with the U.S. version of The Office, which sticks to the Ricky Gervais version at first… We didn’t want to break what was going well, you know, the structures. They are very good, the English writers.
There will also be some slight cultural differences in the ghostly characters that surround the main couple, Alison and Nabil, including the fact that one of them is the ghost of a former Nazi sympathizer who is shunned. The show, which stars Camille Chamoux, Hafid F. Benamar, Fred Testot, Tiphaine Daviot, Bruno Sanches, Paul Scarfoglio, Monsieur Poulpe and Paul Deby,will debut on Disney+ in France and Belgium on April 9, with an international release set to be coordinated by Studio TF1 at a later date.
What This Means For Ghosts
It Could Become As Iconic As The Office
Although quite a few UK series have received US remakes, includingHouse of Cards,Skins,Shameless, andBeing Human, this influx of other international reboots is relatively unusual. In fact,it seesGhostspotentially rivalingThe Officeas one of the most influential and frequently remade sitcoms to come out of the UK. While theUS version ofThe Officeran the longest, lasting for nine seasons, the original show was also remade in Germany, Brazil, France, Canada, Chile, and nine more territories.
The most recent iteration ofThe Officeis an Australian version from Prime Video, though the streamer is also in development on a Mexican remake.
Given the fact thatFantômes en Héritageseason 2 is already being written,it seems entirely likely that the show could be renewed, especially if the French versions of theGhostscharacterssuccessfully connect with regional and global audiences. Should it then be renewed beyond that, the franchise truly could rivalThe Office, which has had very few of its more than a dozen remakes last longer than two seasons.
Why Does Ghosts Have Such Longevity?
Good Reviews And An Adaptable Premise Help The Show
For a show with such a unique supernatural bent, the fact thatGhostshas received so many remakes may seem surprising. However, there are likely several factors that play into the franchise’s international longevity. One is its glowing reception by both critics and audiences.Both the UK and US versions have been well-received, with the former earning an average score of 96% from critics and 92% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes and the latter earning 97% and 86% respectively. Below, see a breakdown of how every season of the US and UK series has performed on Rotten Tomatoes:
Ghosts(UK) season 1
87%
91%
Ghosts(UK) season 2
100%
92%
Ghosts(UK) season 3
96%
Ghosts(UK) season 4
86%
Ghosts(UK) season 5
95%
Ghosts(US) season 1
93%
83%
Ghosts(US) season 2
90%
Ghosts(US) season 3
Ghosts(US) season 4
N/A
TBD
In addition to the fact that the shows have been consistent in quality across international lines, the premise - while specific - is uniquely adaptable to other regions. While the main human characters remain roughly the same,the ensemble of ghostly characters around them can easily be swapped outto represent different time periods in the history of whatever region the show takes place in, as revealed by the Nazi sympathizer character that was written for the French version.
Our Take On The French Remake Of Ghosts
Season 1 Could Still Have Major Differences
Much like the US version ofThe Office, the French version ofGhostswill remain faithful to the original scripts and characters for a certain period of time. However, even within that framework, the amount of cultural differences will most likely add up quickly,most likely making the upcoming show feel very different from the original by the time it hits its season finale. This could offer some major insight into the direction that season 2 could take as it splits off from the original narrative.
Ghosts
Cast
Ghosts (2019) follows a financially struggling young couple who inherit a dilapidated country house, only to discover it is inhabited by the spirits of its former residents.
