Ghosts season 4: BBC One release date, new series trailer, and cast with Charlotte Ritchie and Jim Howick

Ghosts, the popular family comedy from the cast of Horrible Histories, is returning for its fourth series on BBC One.

The series, which also stars Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smyth-Bynoe, will arrive on BBC One and iPlayer from Friday 23 September.

Here’s everything you need to know about Ghosts Series 4.

What’s it about?

The official BBC synopsis for Ghosts Series 4 reveals that “Alison and Mike open their much-anticipated B&B in the gatehouse at Button House. They are determined to get the very best reviews, knowing their livelihoods depend on it.”

“As Alison becomes consumed by the demands of the more difficult guests and Mike works tirelessly to ensure they provide 5-star entertainment, the Ghosts face a startling event that that will change their lives/deaths forever.”

Meanwhile, a stroke of terrible bad luck threatens the future of Button House…

Who stars in Ghosts?

Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe will once again star as Allison and Mike, owners of the haunted mansion Button House. You’ll know Smith-Bynoe from his fantastic performance in Stath Lets Flats, and you’ll recognise Charlotte Ritchie from any number of programmes like Feel Good, Dead Pixels, Taskmaster, Doctor Who, Call the Midwife, and of course Fresh Meat.

The cast of Horrible Histories, meanwhile, will appear as the Ghosts: Mathew Baynton (The Split), Jim Howick (Sex Education), Martha Howe-Douglas (Motherland), Lawrence Rickard (Bill), Simon Farnaby (who writes the Paddington movies), Katy Wix (Stath Lets Flats), Lolly Adefope (Shrill) and Ben Wilbond (The Thick of It).

Who writes and directs Ghosts?

Writing duties on the series are shared between the Horrible Histories cast, who write individually and together: the first two episodes were written by Mathew Baynton & Jim Howick, for example, while the fourth episode was written by Ben Wilbond, so on and so forth.

Ghosts Series 4 was directed by Simon Hynd, who has previously worked on Motherland, Two Doors Down, MI High, and Half Moon Investigations. His website says he directs “dramas that make you laugh and comedies that make you cry”, which I thought was quite a good line.

Is there a trailer for Ghosts Series 4?

Yes, there is! You can watch it right here.

When and how can I watch Ghosts Series 4?

Ghosts begins on BBC One on Friday 23 September. The first episode will air at the slightly later than usual time of 8:50pm, to accommodate the rescheduling of Strictly Come Dancing’s launch show, with subsequent episodes airing at 8:30pm.

All six episodes will also be available on BBC iPlayer as a boxset.

How many episodes will there be?

There are going to be six episodes of Ghosts Series 4, each around 30 minutes long.

Will there be a fifth series of Ghosts?

There’s been no official confirmation yet as to whether there’s going to be a fifth series of Ghosts.

A Christmas special, however, has been confirmed, and will air at some point in the festive period this December.

Is there going to be a UK broadcast for Ghosts US?

Ghosts was recently adapted for US audiences by CBS. The US version has proven particularly popular, and its second season is due to start in the coming weeks.

There’s been no official word as to a potential UK broadcast. However, there have been some unconfirmed reports via TV Zone that the BBC have acquired the rights to broadcast Ghosts US, and plan to do so at some point later this year.

If and when official confirmation arrives, we’ll update this article accordingly.

Why should I watch Ghosts?

It’s a rare and genuine delight.