Paramount to launch Australian adaptation of BBC Sitcom
Paramount Australia and BBC Studios Production Australia will produce a localized Australian version of the British light drama format ‘Ghosts’. The broadcast will play on Paramount’s linear Network 10 channel and on the streaming platform Paramount+.
The eight-part family comedy series is set in a haunted mansion full of hilarious new ghosts that are as chaotic, unpredictable and messy as Australian history itself.
No cast or creative talent has been announced, nor a production schedule. However, the companies said the completed show would air in 2025.
The original series “Ghosts” was produced by Monumental Television in association with Them There for BBC One. It was distributed by BBC Studios. The fifth and final series of the original British version was the most watched comedy of 2023, with the finale watched by more than 6 million people in seven days.
The American version is in production and in its fourth season for CBS. It is produced by CBS Studios in association with Lionsgate Television and BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions and distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution. A German version of “Ghosts” was recently announced.
“’Ghosts’ has been a huge hit in the UK and US and has also attracted a very loyal fan base here in Australia. With an incredible cast yet to be announced, we can’t wait to bring our own series to life with an Aussie twist,” said Daniel Monaghan, SVP content & programming, Paramount Australia.
The two companies described the premise of the local adaptation. “New lovebirds Kate and Sean are about to enter the hellish landscape of the inner city rental market, until Kate inherits a huge mansion in the countryside. The young couple move in together for the first time and attempt to experience domestic bliss, but unbeknownst to them, the house is haunted by a collection of destitute ghosts who have perished in Ramshead Manor over the past 200 years. Kate, an optimistic go-getter, wants to convert the mansion into a boutique hotel, but city boy Sean isn’t so sure. When a near-death experience gives Kate the power to see the ghosts, all their lives (and afterlife) will be changed forever,” they said.
Kylie Washington, GM and Creative Director of BBC Studios Productions Australia said: “’Ghosts’ is one of those brilliant comedies that lends itself perfectly to localization around the world, and we have our own uniquely Australian characters that reflect our own history and culture.”
