#SDCC17: Our First Impressions of Ghosted; Is This New Horror/Comedy Series Worth Your Time?

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I found myself with some time to kill on Day 1 of the San Diego Comic-Con and wandered into the room where the “Ghosted” panel was about to start. Not only did we get to hear from stars Craig Robinson, Adam Scott, and Ally Walker and executive producers Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten; but first we were shown the pilot in its entirety.

From all the early descriptions of the show, it seemed to fall more on the comedy side of the horror/comedy fence; but the pilot surprised me with how much horror was actually included.  And that’s a trend that will continue…

We learned that while “Ghosted” plays for laughs, the creative team intends for it to include a lot of horror elements and wants to keep the scares as real as possible.  During the editing process they’ve actually sacrificed some jokes to keep the suspense more palpable.

John Carpenter’s The Thing was cited as a touchstone, and the series will include a “monster of the week” element similar to “The X-Files.” For instance, there will be an episode in which a character is infected by a “rage virus” and becomes a zombie. And, if we’re lucky, we could even see a Yeti in the future!

These guys aren’t afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves so expect to see reminders of your favorite movies and TV shows of the 80’s and 90’s when “Ghosted” premieres on Fox this coming October 1st (8:30-9:00 PM).

Here are a couple of photos and an entertaining video from the panel:

So, is “Ghosted” something horror fans will appreciate? In my opinion, if you enjoy a few laughs along with your shivers, it should be a fun time for you. The pilot ended on a cliffhanger, of course, and it did leave me wanting more.  There are sci-fi elements, too, such as a “multiverse” that will be explored along with the over-arching theme of alien abduction (Scott’s character is convinced his wife was abducted; whereas, everyone else believes she simply left him of her own accord following an argument).

Robinson and Scott have great chemistry, and the supporting players seem to be able to hold their own as well. With a runtime of only a half-hour, what have you got to lose?

Synopsis:
Starring Craig Robinson (“The Office,” This Is the End) and Adam Scott (“Parks and Recreation,” “Big Little Lies”), “GHOSTED” is a single-camera, live-action comedy about the partnership between two polar opposites – a cynical skeptic and a genius “true believer” in the paranormal – who are recruited to investigate unexplained phenomena in Los Angeles, all while uncovering a larger mystery that could threaten the existence of the human race.

In addition to Scott’s role as MAX JENNIFER and Robinson’s as LEROY WRIGHT, the series also stars Ally Walker (“Colony,” “Sons of Anarchy”) as Captain AVA LAFREY and Adeel Akhtar (“Unforgotten,” “The Night Manager”) as BARRY SHAW. Amber Stevens West (“The Carmichael Show”) also recently joined the cast as tech specialist/weapons expert ANNIE. Tom Gormican, Kevin Etten, Craig Robinson, Adam Scott, Naomi Scott, Oly Obst, Mark Schulman, and Jonathan Krisel are executive producers, with Krisel directing the pilot.

https://youtu.be/tLuEOOCx2C0

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