Scary TV truth: Spirited original British 'Ghosts UK' is better than American 'Ghosts'

The prolonged Hollywood strikes that put a halt to movie and TV filming, now blessedly over, offered one spectral silver lining for American TV viewers: They brought us "Ghosts UK."

When CBS primetime coffers were emptied of new shows like the hit comedy series "Ghosts," the network summoned the rights to the BBC's British version that inspired the hilarious American hauntings.

"Ghosts UK," as we're calling it from this side of the pond, makes its unlikely American network premiere Thursday (9 EST/PST) right after reruns of the CBS "Ghosts" (8:30 EST/PST), still trapped in its second season.

Was adding "Ghosts UK" a desperate timeslot-filling move? Sure! But the eerie truth is "Ghosts UK" is on the next spirit level from the critically lauded American version. Stack up all the mansion-haunting apparitions, and spirit-for-spirit the Brits run away with it by a dismembered head.

And we're not just talking about the decapitated "Ghosts UK" spirit known as "Headless Humphrey" (Yani Xander) a 16th-century English nobleman constantly searching for his noggin in a perfect recurring gag. Even that represents a better body of work than the headless greaser named Crash in the American "Ghosts," who appeared in the pilot episode and has seen background moments since.

Like flickering haunted-house lights, you begin to realize that most of what makes U.S. "Ghosts" next-level funny is the brilliant story set up by the British version, borrowed (or honored) pretty much beat for beat from the original and Americanized.

In "Ghosts UK," young British couple Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike Cooper (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) see their London housing crisis vanish after they unexpectedly inherit the crumbling Button House from a distant aunt whom Alison never heard of.

The squabbling spirits, who have spent generations haunting Alison's newly discovered ancestral home, aren't pleased with the new arrivals who aspire to make the country house a luxury hotel. Conservative politician ghost Julian Fawcett (Simon Farnaby) ‒ forever pantless because of his tawdry sex-scandal death and the only ghost who can move objects slightly ‒ even tries to kill Alison by pushing her out an open window. But the fall and head blow only enable Alison to see the ghosts. Everywhere.

And yes, I'll boldly state that when it comes to trouserless ghosts, the British MP just works better than his American counterpart, the finance bro Trevor (Asher Grodman), who died partying in his boxer shorts.

That excellence continues through the other "Ghost UK" characters, including the spiritual house leader, scoutmaster Pat Butcher (Jim Howick), who is unflaggingly good-natured despite an errant archery arrow perpetually protruding from his neck and poisoned Georgian-era noblewoman Kitty Higham (Lolly Adefope), who wants to be friends with everyone. Smiling Kitty gets her effective freak on when scaring Alison under her bed covers, showing how "Ghosts UK" brings just enough creepy chills along with the laughs.

In American "Ghosts," the cholera ghosts forever stuck in the basement make for a good gag. But the "Ghosts UK" plague ghosts (they do call it The Great Plague) are a spookier lot who can still rattle ridiculous lines as if it were a phantom Monty Python skit.

CBS has already promised new "Ghosts" episodes in the post-strike world: Season 3 is due Feb. 15. And in 100 years or so of haunting, it might catch up to "Ghosts UK." The network hasn't revealed how long the British version will run on the network (episodes are also streaming on Paramount+), so catch these spectacular spooks before they disappear.