BBC Ghosts co-creator Jim Howick explains the message to fans in the Christmas special.
The original thinking for the show according to co-creator Jim Howick, was to make a horror-comedy.
Once you get familiar with the characters, the horror sort of drains away.
InGhosts fourth festive special A Christmas Gift, the horror is back.
I think when its unfamiliar, thats when it really works as a scare.
That family relationship determined the tone of this years festive special, which is also theGhostsseries finale.
Approaching the last ever episode, Howick and Baynton knew what they wanted to avoid.
We didnt want to do make anything ostentatious or grandiose, with us all waving away into the light.
Howick had fun following the online theories about howGhostswill end.
A lot of people think Oh, gosh!
Theyre all going to get sucked off because theyve already seenMary get sucked off.
That wasnt the intention.
We wanted to make it a positive ending, but its also a goodbye.
Ithasto be a goodbye.
Weve gone full circle, Howick agrees.
Well, most of them have.
Because wedontlive with our families, you know.
I hope that everyones sort of happy with it, he laughs with some awkwardness.
The song was chosen advisedly, says Howick.
That was on purpose.Thatwas on purpose.
Matt and I wanted that song right from the beginning.
Songs are really expensive, and that song isquiteexpensive.
Their demographic, its quite a large scale and we wanted the song to resonate with everyone.
That line in particular.
Its a very emotionally charged line.
We had to pick our battles.
The song helps to tie together the episodes separate threads, something Howick and Baynton initially struggled to do.
With the baby and the hotel storyline established, the challenge came in making the episode Christmassy.
We already had a sad idea.
So its like, well, what can we do?
Howick finds Christmas gifts a little bit overwhelming now, he says.
I obviously love getting presents of course and Im very grateful, but I much prefer to give them.
Its definitely a mark of maturity.
The steam room was the last scene filmed on the show, on an emotionally charged set.
We didnt really want it to end, but they had to cut it at some point.
The same is true forGhostsas a whole.
In in a way, the show is a sort of metaphor for that: everything has its exit.
That scene is there to encourage the understanding that their lives have gone on together, confirms Howick.
As will the careers of theGhosts,YonderlandandHorrible Historiesgang, hes confident.
Theres a lot of reality inGhosts, but certainly the ghosts operate on a different level of reality.
Theyre a little bit more hyper.
If the fates allow?
If the fates allow!
Ghosts series one to five are available to streamon BBC iPlayerin the UK.
