What’s up everyone and welcome back for another TV Review!
This is something I was hoping to get out earlier this year, but I’ve been quite unlucky with jobs this year so spent some time trying to get that (plus a number of other things) sorted out.
Plus, this year has gone way too quickly!
But now, let me get straight into describing last year’s Christmas Special of ‘Ghosts’ on the BBC, and what I thought about it.
Christmas Special Summary
It’s Alison and Mike’s third Christmas at Button House, and although they usually spend it at home, this year they’ve decided to spend it with Mike’s family. Nevertheless, Alison has still got the ghosts presents. This makes the ghosts wish they could give Alison something as well, and since the stage from the Absolute Tools Regional Christmas Rewards is still up, they decide to put on a pantomime, which they’ll perform for her when she gets home.
But in the early hours of Christmas morning, Pat catches Julian trying to get a sneaky peak at his Christmas present. He tries to convince him to leave, but is soon convinced to look at his own Christmas present as well, which is footage from his last Christmas.
Later on Christmas Day, the ghosts start rehearsing their pantomime, while also finding out what everyone will do. Pat decides to direct while also playing Buttons, while Kitty is cast as Cinderella. Robin and Humphrey’s Body are cast as Cinderella’s two Ugly Step Sisters, Fanny is cast as the Wicked Stepmother (as well as the Fairy Godmother), and Julian is cast as Baron Hardup. Lastly, Thomas is cast as Prince Charming and Humphrey’s Head is cast as Dandini. The Captain decides to stage manage.
Not too much time passes , however, before tensions start to rise. Not only can Julian not remember his lines, but the other ghosts also start mocking Pat, which results in him getting upset and storming off, and in Thomas taking over directing.
Robin is eventually able to convince Pat to come back, but not long after they start rehearsing again, Alison and Mike arrive back. To make things worse, Kitty starts suffering stage fright, but after The Captain talks her out of it, she gets over it instantly.
It is also then when the Fairy Godmother is recast, and The Captain takes on the role.
Alison, Mike and the Plague Ghosts sit down to watch the show, but Mike only sits down to watch it because he doesn’t like panto and wouldn’t see it anyway.
After the performance, the ghosts are invited into the gift room to see their presents. But after pressing play on Pat’s present, Alison gets confused. Pat tells her what happened and tells her how emotional seeing it made him feel. But he warms up to it moments later, when he sees footage of his son, Daily, carrying on his tradition on Christmas Day in 1988.
My Thoughts / Opinions
So yet again, there was A LOT of things I liked about ‘Ghosts’ 2022 Christmas Special on the BBC and not a lot that I disliked, but I’ll try to make everything as quick as possible.
For starters, I liked the friendly nature Alison has with the ghosts, her sort of ‘Ghost Mum’ personality and how we learn more about the universe after all of this happens. I enjoyed learning that the ghosts can go to the toilet (though initially I thought that was a wee inside excuse that Julian uses any time he tries looking at something he isn’t meant to look at, until the other ghosts backed his claim up as truth).
Speaking of Julian, I also enjoyed seeing more of his mischievous side, when we saw him checking out his Christmas present early and using the excuse that it is the morning like a child when Pat tries to scold him for it. However, I still found it hard to believe Julian couldn’t remember his lines when they started rehearsing their pantomime.
Away from Julian, however, I also loved how Fanny only came across as mean when playing the Wicked Stepmother and the Fairy Godmother, and it was funny hearing the Fairy Godmother speak with such harshness, and how much that really contrasts to The Captain’s soft approach to it in the end.
It was really nice, however, seeing more of the relationship The Captain has with Kitty, and I hope we get to see more of this relationship in the 5th and final series.
So overall, I think Ghosts’ 2022 Christmas Special on the BBC was a brilliantly warm reminder of everything that is counted as a great British Christmas, with a reminder of all the rubbish sides as well. I liked how there were dirty jokes in the episode as well, such as Alison telling Mike to pull her cracker, as well as countless of other ones.
It was also funny seeing Mike asking Alison what dead souls were telling her after she tells him there was a car crash, even if no one actually dies.
Overall, I would rate it 10 stars.
