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I’ve blasted my way through the US version of Ghosts in the last couple of days and really enjoyed it. I am a big fan of the UK version and as always you have to be a bit sceptical about these attempts to remake successful shows. Some of them work and some of them definitely don’t. They seem to have the best chance if the new production take the idea and run with it. The US Office, after a shaky start, really found its feet and I prefer (most of) it to the UK version (which I also love). I thought that with this first series of Ghosts I might be in for a lot of reruns of the UK plots, but although my memory of the first UK series is a bit hazy, this US series seems to take things in a lot of different directions. It’s not perfect and I am not sure it needs so many (if any) will they/won’t they situation involving the Ghosts. If they can have sexual relationships that makes eternity a bit less gruesome. But they have time, with longer series, to explore some new fun stuff and also the budget to do more extraordinary stuff. About the only thing that has jarred for me with the UK series is the cast playing the plague ghosts in the cellar. It’s not a big bugbear, but it takes me out of the “reality” a little bit and makes it feel like a sketch show (which given the history of the cast is not surprising), but in the US version they have different actors playing the cholera dead and they use them very well.
Twitter seemed divided and I think most of those who are anti it are just really big fans of the UK version who would have been equally upset if this was a carbon copy, but it’s not like this is replacing the original and I’d recommend it to anyone wanting something a bit different than the original. It’s on iPlayer.
And of course, the success of the US version is great news for the UK team who will hopefully benefit financially (though in the podcast interview I did with Mathew and Jim they seemed to say that riches were not flowing in just yet - that’s out next week by the way).
Catie and I are also invested in series 2 of the White Lotus, which like most TV these days seems to show the hollow and miserable existence that most rich people experience. As I think I’ve said before I am not sure if this is accurate, or just a trick by the rich to make us feel sorry for them. I bet they’re having a great time. I mainly covet the breakfasts they have, overlooking the Mediterranean. If I was a mutli-millionaire that’s all I’d do.
Catie commented that the only people who seem vaguely happy in the show are the two young women who are dipping their toe into sex work. We’re only a few eps in so there’s every chance things don’t end happily for them (and their happiness is only comparative to the people they’re hanging out with). I agreed though. It did look like a fun job. “Would you mind if I became a whore?” I asked (I was using the vernacular employed by the women in the show.
Catie said that she would have to reconsider our relationship, as that would change the parameters somewhat.
I tried to make her understand that it wouldn’t be cheating on her, it would just be my job and we should support and not castigate sex workers. But she didn’t seem to want to change her mind.
I wasn’t convinced that if I became a whore that I’d get all that much business and probably wouldn’t have men buy whatever I wanted and put it on their hotel rooms. But that is down to the sexism and ageism of society. Hopefully I could change that and help people to realise that sexual attraciveness doesn’t just come from youth and beauty and that sexiness can be an internal thing.
Having said that, I’d only really want to have sex with people under 45. And preferably really good looking ones. I might just give it a go and go and hang out in swanky hotel bars and see how many beautiful young women are prepared to pay to have sex with me.
It might not go as well as the podcasting, but I have to try and live my dream.
