The sad truth of the television landscape these days is that most comedies are what I call “hmph comedies.” By that, I mean that the viewer is not laughing out loud, chuckling, or even responding to jokes with a pity giggle, but rather responding to a joke by pushing air out through the nostrils and making a general “hmph” sound — you know the sound I’m talking about. It’s the universal sign for, “that line was clearly intended as the joke, but it’s not funny enough to have me exert more energy.”
To every rule, there are, of course, exceptions: Hacks, The Studio, Only Murders in the Building, all shows that make you genuinely gasp for air in between belly laughs. But there is a major difference between those shows and Ghosts, which — even five seasons in — still delivers whipsmart punchlines and A-plus situational comedy: they have all gotten their deserved recognition at the Emmys, Ghosts has not.
I’ve been on the Ghosts train since Season 1, when I hesitantly tuned in for a show that I had low expectations for; adapted for the U.S. from the U.K. by Joe Port and Joe Wiseman, the series follows a group of phantasms roaming the grounds of a historic mansion in upstate New York, as well as the living couple — played by Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar — who interact with the spirits on a day to day basis. In the wrong hands, the show could be a reliable “hmph comedy” that does exactly what it needs to and nothing more… thank god it ended up in the right hands.
What viewers are actually treated to each season is 22 episodes chock full of unpredictably smart punchlines and jokes, as well as surprisingly deep storylines that touch the heart. I’ve watched the show for long enough now that I always think I can tell the direction that it is going in, only to find that Port, Wiseman, and the talented writers’ room always have a new joke, a fresh take, or a switchup in store for the audience.
Ghosts, like many other broadcast comedy writers’ rooms, go for the gags that feel like low-hanging fruit — it’s hard not to when you have such distinct characters like a viking (Devan Chandler Long), a Revolutionary War vet (Brandon Scott Jones), and an eternally ditzy hippie (Sheila Carrasco) that make certain jokes so easy — but then it’s always used as an opportunity to set up the next, smarter, funnier line.
In 2026, I cannot even begin to imagine another show on broadcast or streaming that could take viewers on a ride in the way that Ghosts does from episode to episode. Whether it’s bringing in impeccable guest stars — like having Young Sheldon alum Iain Armitage swing by to play himself in a poker-themed episode or Rose Abdoo as a movie producer in the Hallmark-esque world of holiday rom-coms — the series is consistently evolving to find the best way to move each character and storyline forward without it feeling easy.
No episodes better exemplify the outstanding work that Ghosts pulls off every season than their annual holiday installments, which have become some of the most-anticipated stories on TV each year. While every corner of the internet these days has fans complaining about the microseasons of TV shows found on Netflix, Hulu, etc., for five seasons now, Ghosts has not only turned out 20 episodes, they’ve brought back the long-missed Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas episodes that social media users are constantly seeking out. And while Abbott Elementary does something similar over on ABC, they are at least rewarded with consistent noms at awards shows like the Emmys. Luckily, it seems that the industry is finally waking up to the injustice that is Ghosts‘ lack of nominations.
Earlier this year, the series was recognized by the Critics’ Choice Awards, receiving nominations in Best Comedy Series, Best Lead Actress (McIver), Best Supporting Actor (Asher Grodman), and Best Supporting Actress (Rebecca Wisocky). Even online, the chatter among the show’s massive fanbase — and the CCA members who deemed the series one of the funniest on television, right alongside Hacks, The Studio, and Only Murders in the Building — spoke particularly about the overdue nature of the noms.
For the show’s creators, Port and Wiseman, while it’s always better late than never to see the work appreciated in such a momentous way, it’s also an additional layer of validation that what they are doing works on numerous levels. It’s always one thing for a show to have commercial success, but having peers corroborate that means the world. “It makes me feel good for the 300 people that work so hard on the show and the incredible crew and artisans and cast and writers, they really pour their heart into it,” Wiseman told DECIDER in a Season 5 post-mort interview. “It’s great to get recognition like that, I’m not going to lie.”
On that note, the showrunners — who are now working with CBS on another comedy series, Eternally Yours, set to premiere in the fall — say that it’s an honor enough that even after half a decade with this show and these characters, the audience keeps coming back for more. And coming back for more, they do. Recent Nielsen ratings show that Ghosts is the No. 1 comedy across both broadcast and streaming for the 2025-2026 television season, beating out Emmy nominees like OMITB, Shrinking, and Nobody Wants This; the show is so popular that CBS made the decision to renew the series for Season 5 and Season 6 back in 2025.
“Our greatest recognition is that we have a tremendous amount of people who tune in every week to watch the show. And people online talk about how happy the episodes make them. I’ll read posts about people saying, ‘I had a pretty bad day and then I came home and this episode made me smile and laugh.’ And I know how that feels as sort of a fan and growing up and loving all those shows,” Wiseman said. “So that makes me feel very fulfilled.”
Wiseman added, “But of course, everyone loves recognition from their peers and the industry they work in.”
Emmy voters, Ghosts has given the world five years of consistent and incredible writing, matched by stellar and dynamic performances from the entire cast and met with sizable and tangible laughs (not the ones of the “hmph” variety) from the audience. For all of those reasons and many more, it’s time to do the right thing and give this ensemble the Outstanding Comedy Series nomination they deserve. It’s far, far overdue.
The first five seasons of Ghosts are streaming on Paramount+.
Paramount+ offers two subscription plans, Essential and Premium. The ad-supported Essential plan costs $8.99/month, while the ad-free Premium plan (which comes with Showtime titles and live CBS) costs $13.99/month.