Although “Abbott Elementary” is probably getting the most attention and acclaim among live-action sitcoms in 2025, CBS’s “Ghosts” still deserves its due. It’s a comedy series about a married couple who come into possession of a manor in upstate New York and try to turn it into a successful bed and breakfast.
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There’s just one complication: the house is filled with ghosts, and the wife, Sam (Rose McIver), can see them. The husband, Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar), can’t see the ghosts, but thankfully, he is the world’s most patient man. Not only does he believe his wife quickly, but he also makes a valiant effort to be nice to the invisible specters as they constantly interfere with his and Sam’s lives.
What makes “Ghosts” work is the way its premise allows it to toss together characters who would never normally find themselves in the same room. For example, the ghosts in Sam and Jay’s house include a closeted military officer who died during the Revolutionary War, a Native American storyteller who died in 1593, a Viking who died over a thousand years ago, and more modern spirits like Trevor, a finance bro who died in 2000. The potential for sitcom-y shenanigans between them are endless, especially since most of the ghosts have living ancestors who can stop by for an episode whenever the show’s writers feel like it.
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The most promising aspect of “Ghosts” is that, even after four seasons, it has still resisted the temptation of having Jay suffer his own near-death experience and develop his own ability to see the ghosts. If the series’ writers ever run out of ideas, they can do that and guarantee at least another season’s worth of material to work with. But although Jay has interacted with the ghosts occasionally (and even saw one of them temporarily in an episode), the show’s creatives have otherwise kept away from any such status quo shift. At the same time, they’ve left the possibility open for down the line; hopefully, they’ll toss Jay the bone he deserves by the time the show starts wrapping up.
Before Ghosts aired in the U.S., the original Ghosts aired in the U.K.
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Much like “The Office” before it, “Ghosts” is yet another American TV show that isn’t as original as you might’ve assumed. The original UK “Ghosts” series premiered in April 2019 and aired for five seasons (or 34 episodes total). It has the same basic premise involving a wife (Alison, played by Charlotte Ritchie) being able to see ghosts after a near-death experience, all while her husband (Mike, played by Kiell Smith-Bynoe) tries his best to keep up.
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The differences between the shows recall those between the American and UK versions of “The Office,” in that the British iteration is more willing to embrace the darkness of its premise. The American “Ghosts,” on the other hand, often skirts around the tragedy inherent to its ghostly characters, using humor to undercut what could’ve been devastating heartfelt moments. The British “Ghosts” is simply more comfortable letting the audience stay sad for an extended period when needed.
It’s also willing to let its main married couple have harsher fights over the course of the series. Whereas Sam and Jay are almost absurdly healthy and good at communicating, Mike has a much harder time adjusting to how his wife spends all day talking to her invisible friends. The result is that the UK “Ghosts” feels grittier, but the American version makes for reliably breezy escapist entertainment.
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For American fans wanting Jay to start seeing the ghosts on a regular basis, the British version doesn’t offer much hope. Mike makes it the whole show without seeing the ghosts, which feels like a missed opportunity. Thankfully, the American version, with its 20+ episode seasons, will have more time to explore its zany premise from every possible angle. At some point during its six (or possibly more) seasons, Jay might get to properly hang out with all the ghosts.
Blake Lively’s tight-knit inner circle may be shifting as another Hollywood A-lister seemingly appears to be taking Taylor Swift‘s side as the “It Ends With Us” drama continues.
Once a staple of Swift’s so-called “girl gang,” Lively is now noticeably absent from the singer’s orbit, as her legal battle with actor and producer Justin Baldoni escalates.
Despite their decade-long friendship, one that began in 2014 and included vacations, public outings, and even Taylor Swift naming characters in her lyrics after Blake Lively’s children, multiple sources indicate that the two are taking a break from their once-close bond.
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Blake Lively Reportedly Losing Friends As Taylor Swift’s Squad Stays Loyal
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The ripple effect of Lively’s legal drama appears to be impacting her other friendships as well.
British model Cara Delevingne, once a mutual friend of both Swift and Lively, is said to have cut ties with Lively. While there was no falling out, a source claims Delevingne has not spoken to her in months and doesn’t plan to reconnect.
“She likes to keep her circle small, and only surrounds herself with people who she can trust,” the insider explained to Daily Mail.
Delevingne, who has known Swift since their 2013 meeting at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and appeared in the “Bad Blood” video alongside Lively, has remained close with the pop star. The two were last seen together in May 2024 when Swift traveled to London to support Delevingne’s performance in Cabaret.
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“Cara does not like to be involved in any drama, and she is very supportive of her friends,” another source said. “She considers Taylor to be one of her closest friends and she does not approve of the way that the events of the past several months have unfolded.”
Sophie Turner and Gigi Hadid, both longtime members of Swift’s inner circle, have also seemingly distanced themselves from Lively. Hadid, who once described Lively as a “magical friend,” is no longer publicly connected with the actress.
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Sophie Turner Seemingly Picks Her Side
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Sophie Turner, who once gushed over Lively’s honesty about pregnancy, hasn’t hesitated to distance herself either.
Turner famously found refuge in Swift’s $50 million Tribeca compound during her 2023 custody battle with Joe Jonas, and insiders say their bond has only strengthened since.
Now, both stars appear firmly on Team Taylor, leaving Lively to fend for herself amid a headline-making friendship breakdown.
Not to mention, Swift hasn’t been publicly spotted with Lively since October 2024, and her squad has reportedly “battened down the hatches” to protect the singer from further scandal.
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Swift’s Subpoena Dropped In Justin Baldoni Legal Case
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This comes after sources confirm that a subpoena issued to the pop icon was quietly dropped by Baldoni’s legal team, who had initially sought to explore her rumored involvement in the film’s behind-the-scenes decisions.
Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, allegedly encouraged Swift to speak out publicly in defense of Lively, hinting that if she didn’t, certain private text messages in Lively’s possession could make their way into the spotlight.
Ultimately, the subpoena was withdrawn on May 22.
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Insider Claims Taylor Swift Skips AMAs To Dodge Blake Lively Drama
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Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Swift had been asked to testify in the ongoing dispute. However, it now appears that she will not be involved.
Kimmel also got Bono to address one of Trump’s recent Truth Social rants, in which he accused the Irishman of being paid to endorse Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris… despite the fact Bono never weighed in on the 2024 election.
Before setting the record straight, the “Sweetest Thing” singer winked at Kimmel’s continuous clash with Trump, as he told the late-night host, “I don’t want to cut in on your action, because I know the president at 1 a.m., or 1:30, or whatever that was, is usually thinking about you.”
Bono said Bruce Springsteen is America’s one true ‘Boss’ while weighing in on the rocker’s feud with President Donald Trump during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Tuesday.
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But the president seemed to have Bono and not Kimmel on the brain earlier this month, when he baselessly claimed the human rights activist and singer, along with Springsteen, Oprah Winfrey and Beyoncé, had accepted money in exchange for publicly supporting the former vice president.
Though Bono said he was flattered to be named alongside such talented people, he reminded Kimmel and the audience that neither he nor U2 have ever been “paid or played a show to support any candidate from any party.”
“It has never happened,” he said, also noting how things on Truth Social seemed to be “pretty antisocial” and “not very true a lot of the time.”
The “With Or Without You” singer did have one “clue” as to how Trump may have mistakenly come to think he backed Harris. He suspected the president could have confused his nonpartisan human rights charity, the One Campaign, with a political project.
Though the One Campaign has no ideological allegiance, Bono revealed how even conservatives in its ranks aren’t pleased with how the Trump administration gutted agencies providing key humanitarian aid to people across the globe.
Bruce Springsteen, here in Manchester, England on May 14, has been locked in a bitter back-and-forth with Trump since he called his administration “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous” during a performance earlier this month.
Shirlaine Forrest via Getty Images
“We’ve got a lot of very religious Catholics, Evangelicals, conservatives who are very, very, very angry with the person that they voted into office” after he destroyed “instruments of mercy and compassion” like USAID, Bono said.
Talking about the time before the U.S. canceled 80% of the critical agency’s contracts, Bono said, “That’s the America that we love. That’s the America that we all want to be part of.”
“They are not happy,” he said of his fellow advocates. “And there will be trouble.”
While Trump’s reason for beefing with Bono seems to be fairly frivolous, the president and Springsteen have been locked in a war of words since the start of this month.
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Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.
For two decades, HuffPost has brought you the exclusives, scoops and hot takes on the news all your friends are talking about. Support our mission to keep us around for the next 20 — we can’t do this without you.
After the “Born in the U.S.A.” artist called Trump and his administration “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous” during the opening night of his Land of Hope and Dreams Tour, the president shot back by calling Springsteen a “dried-out ‘prune’ of a rocker” and adding that he “never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics.”