Category: Television

If you have never seen the BBC comedy series Ghosts, it concerns a married couple who inherit a haunted mansion. The wife dies, but recovers and, as a consequence, can see and talk to the ghosts who inhabit the house.

It ran for 34 episodes.

Like many comedy shows, eg The Office, it was taken on by the USA and dragged out for everything you could imagine and more.

So far, the USA version of the show has run for 94 episodes. One series there is nearly as long as the entire run here.

The BBC here in the UK does show the American version. We noted the introductory credits of a recent episode:

There are two executive producers.

Then three executive producers.

Then three executive producers.

Then three executive producers.

Then one executive producer.

Then another executive producer.

Then an executive producer.

Then two executive producers.

Then a co-executive producer.

Then a co-executive producer.

Then a co-executive producer.

Then a co-executive producer.

Then another co-executive producer.

Then a co-executive producer.

Then a consulting producer.

Then it was produced by two more people.

And there is a co-producer.

And another co-producer.

I wonder what all these variations of producer actually produce…

If only it was funny.

When I was doing a course on how to be a teacher, we watched a tv documentary called Seven Up!.

It came from 1964, and met a group of fourteen seven year olds to talk about their lives, their families, their aspirations and so on. It was originally designed as a one off, but in recent years, the group have been re-visited, so we have had things like 42 Up.

Over the years, some of the original group have left, either because they no longer wished to be associated with the project, or they fell out with the director, or they died.

So tomorrow we come to 70 Up. The probability is that this will be the last, though no-one expected even this to happen after director Michael Apted died in 2021.

It’s ITV, believe it or not.