Jay Can't See the Ghosts in CBS's Latest Sitcom — So How Come Sam Can?

A TV show about two Manhattanites who inherit a haunted manor? That's CBS's Ghosts in a nutshell. Based on a BBC One series with the same title, the new sitcom charts the unlikely adventures of Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar), a married couple with big ambitions to turn a slightly decrepit property Sam inherited into a bed-and-breakfast. But the ghosts living inside the house have different ideas. So, why can only Sam see the ghosts?

Season 1 of Ghosts premiered on CBS on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, with two episodes charting the first complications Sam and her hubby, Jay, run into on their quest to transform the dust-covered rooms of the Woodstone Manor into a home away from home for keen travelers. Upon arrival, the two of them discover that they might have bitten off more than they can chew. Meanwhile, the ghosts hatch a master plan to scare the couple away. So, how does Sam develop the skill to see the ghosts?

A Viking named Thorfinn, (Devan Long), a hippie named Flower (Sheila Carrasco), and a singer named Alberta (Danielle Pinnock) are just some of the ghosts determined to make Sam and Jay's life a touch more difficult than what's bearable. They decide the best course of action is to scare Sam and Jay away. To do so, the ghosts come up with a multi-faceted action plan. Thorfinn pledges to manipulate the lightning, while Alberta resolves to put her musical talents to good use and hum the scariest ditties.

Things go wrong when Trevor (Asher Grodman) exerts all of his power to move an antique vase. He succeeds. It falls on the floor without shattering, only for Sam to enter the room, stumble on it, and fall straight down the staircase. She spends two weeks in a coma — and once she returns, she can see the large group of ghosts traversing her great aunt's former home. This is bad news for her and the ghosts.

The spirits of the Woodstone Manor all belong to different historical periods. Thorfinn has been around since the 1000s. Meanwhile, Trevor (Asher Grodman) embodies the endlessly greedy Wall Street traders who only entered into popular consciousness in the past few decades.

Sasappis (Roman Zaragoza) is a Native American with a deep-seated dislike for a colonialist dandy named Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones) and getting walked through (a real problem if you have flesh-and-blood roommates).

Before landing Thorfinn's role in the Ghosts, Devan Long appeared in TV shows like Doom Patrol, The Rookie, and The Magicians. Roman Zaragoza played Leigh Green in Stumptown and Miles in Austin & Ally, while Danielle Pinnock starred in Young Sheldon and This Is Us.

Rose McIver skyrocketed to fame with movies like The Lovely Bones and TV shows like iZombie. Meanwhile, Utkarsh Ambudkar appeared in The Mindy Project and many others.

Catch new episodes of Ghosts every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST on CBS.