Ghosts co-creator on “big pitfall” he wanted to avoid with the ending
Mathew Baynton hopes the finale is "satisfying" for fans.
Ghosts co-creator Mathew Baynton has discussed the "big pitfall" he sought to avoid when plotting the ending of the hit sitcom.
The actor, who plays failed poet Thomas Thorne, is part of a writing team that also includes Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond.
It's possible they may have felt some added pressure going into Ghosts season 5 – the final chapter in an acclaimed run – given that TV shows with dud finales are often tainted forever in the eyes of fans (Game of Thrones being an infamous example).
In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, Baynton said he didn't look to other shows for guidance on wrapping things up, but there was one key misstep that he wanted to avoid.
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"The big pitfall, for me, as we approached it and thought about it and talked through various possibilities for the ending, was to make sure that whatever we did was not just for effect," he explained.
"The reasons for ending in a certain way don't come from your desire to make people gasp or confound their expectations or meet their expectations. For me, it was about being convinced that we’d made the right choice based on what the story was asking of us."
Read more:
- Ghosts confirms one final surprise Christmas special
- Ghosts co-creator admits it was "tricky to say no" to continuing show
The actor went on to say that the chosen ending felt right to all six creators, although it's unclear if he's referring to the season 5 finale (now streaming on BBC iPlayer) or the surprise Christmas special coming at the end of the year.
"We've worked on this thing for six or seven years and when we landed on the way that we are ending it, it just felt like ‘ah, this is absolutely what it wants to be’," continued Baynton.
"We're all very aware that a lot of our audience will have their own ideas about how they expect it to end or how they think it should," he added. "We can only hope that what we deliver is satisfying to them, whether it's what they hoped or something that surprises them."
Ghosts season 5 got off to a dramatic start on Friday night, with the first episode seeing Thomas become the victim of a brutal April Fools' prank, while Alison later made a huge announcement.
Ghosts seasons 1-5 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
