Ghosts co-creator admits it was "tricky to say no" to continuing show
It's almost time for Button House to close its doors.
Ghosts fans were devastated to hear that the show's upcoming fifth season would be its last – and the creators themselves found it difficult to make that fateful decision.
The hit sitcom is on course for an emotional swan song, with the season 5 synopsis teasing that haunted homeowners Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) will be considering a "new chapter".
As the final episodes prepare to drop, Ghosts co-creator and star Laurence Rickard – who plays both caveman Robin and headless Sir Humphrey Bone – told press why it's the right time to bid farewell to Button House.
"I think really early on we mentioned five [seasons], but only because it seemed like a big number," he began. "And then as it got closer... we started talking about the inevitable trajectory of telly.
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"[We wanted] to avoid that pitfall of becoming part of the furniture and not having the impact anymore, or other things coming along [and] audiences can dwindle."
Indeed, the thought of going out with an abrupt whimper after too many years on the air was of great concern, with a preferred outcome being to "leave people wanting more" as the show's popularity soars to new heights.
"Us being old luvvies," continued Rickard, "you want to get a big applause at the curtain call rather than people wandering out the theatre. So partly that and then partly story stuff.
"We've covered off the stories of how the ghosts had got to the house and we didn't want to be treading water with the flashbacks."
That said, the actor admitted it was "very, very tricky to say no" to an enthusiastic BBC, which would have welcomed additional seasons of the hit series as it clocked up 27.4 million viewer hours on iPlayer in the last year alone.
"It certainly wasn't a decision we took lightly. We kept talking about it. And I think the more we talked about it, the list of reasons why it was the right time just got longer and longer."
Rickard added: "And it just felt like – heart-wrenching though it was for everyone, us included – it felt like it was probably the right decision."
Ghosts season 5 is coming to BBC One and iPlayer on Friday 6th October 2023. 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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