The Original U.K. Version of 'Ghosts' Will Get an American Premiere on CBS

It is a truth universally acknowledged that American remakes of British series are almost never as good as the original. (Many of us still have emotional scars from that time FOX tried to remake Broadchurch by casting David Tennant in what was essentially an American shot-for-shot recreation.) But every so often, there's a U.S. take on a popular British property that just works. Showtime's Shameless does interesting things with its move from Manchester to Chicago's South Side, and NBC's The Office is a masterclass in how to take an initial concept and turn it into something joyously all its own.

CBS's Ghosts, a remake of the popular BBC comedy of the same name, falls squarely in the latter category. The series, which follows the story of a couple who inherit a country house haunted by the ghosts of those who have died on the property throughout history, offers a unique version of the original's story, swapping out some of the ghosts that might typically haunt a British country manor for figures more fitting for an American setting. (The ghosts in the basement died of cholera rather than plague, Isaac fought in the American Revolution, and Sasappis is a Native American, among other changes.) It's an excellent show in its own right and can be enjoyed without having any knowledge of the original on which it is based.

But this Fall, American audiences will have a rare opportunity to watch both versions of the show --- U.K. and American --- back to back.