Ghosts fans are still reeling from the revelation that the hit BBC sitcom will end after season 5, but star Kiell Smith-Bynoe has revealed that the cast knew roughly two years in advance.

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The series, created by the comedy troupe behind Horrible Histories and Yonderland, follows married couple Mike (Smith-Bynoe) and Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) in their mission to renovate a grand countryside estate they unexpectedly inherit.

Following a brush with death, Alison gains the ability to see the previous inhabitants that now haunt the grounds as restless spirits, with an unlikely friendship soon forming between them all.

Ghosts season 5 is expected to premiere later this year, with Smith-Bynoe telling RadioTimes.com in his Big RT Interview that it was the creators themselves who decided to end the show at this point.

"We found out two years ago," he began. "So when we got series 4 and 5 commissioned by the BBC, [the writers] decided that those would be the last two.

"And then, even when we were doing [series] 4, it didn't really feel like it was coming to an end soon because we knew that we had another whole year. [The shoot] feels like a whole year despite the fact it's only 10 weeks."

Ghosts cast
Kiell Smith-Bynoe and the cast of Ghosts. BBC/Steven Peskett

Smith-Bynoe continued: "And then, we started the fifth one and very quickly realised that it would be the last time doing things – in terms of, the last time seeing the plague victims and the last time wearing a certain outfit for the character.

"And then it was over in a flash. So despite the fact I said two years and it seems like it's been a really long time that we've known, it's gone by incredibly quickly."

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A synopsis for Ghosts season 5 teased that Mike and Alison would be considering a "new chapter", which could well be a hint towards their fate in the inevitably emotional finale.

Ghosts is 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
David CraigSenior Drama Writer

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.

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