Meet the Ghosts! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cooper

The first series of 'Ghosts' introduces us to Alison and Mike Cooper, a young couple who are looking to buy a property and not finding anything they like or can afford. As they are being shown round yet another flat by an estate agent, Alison receives a phone call from a solicitor, informing her that she is the last surviving relative of the Button family and has inherited a substantial country house and estate.

Alison and Mike travel down to the house and instantly fall in love with it although they can see it would entail a lot of work. They move in, full of enthusiasm about what work needs to be done. Unbeknown to them at the time, there are several ghosts of family members and other people who had met their deaths in the extensive grounds, who do not welcome the idea of sharing what they regard as 'their' home with living newcomers!

Answer: They want to modernise it and turn it into a hotel

Neither Alison nor Mike are writers, but they are both very excited at the thought of developing the house into a hotel to provide an income, so that they can give up their jobs and run the proposed hotel together.

Mike is played by actor Kiell Smith-Bynoe in his first major role, and Alison is played by Charlotte Ritchie, who has made several film and television appearances including an uncredited appearance in 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' in 2015. In 2022, she began playing the part of Bonnie in Series 7 of the popular ITV drama 'Grantchester'.

Answer: Button House

The first installment of Series 1 informs us that the last inhabitant of Button House, which dates back to the 15th century, was Lady Heather Button, who died in the house at the age of 99. As she died intestate, it was then that the search was made to find an heir for her estate, which resulted in Alison and Mike moving in.

The series was filmed at West Horsley Place, near Guildford in Surrey. The extensive property had been inherited unexpectedly by Bamber Gascoigne of 'University Challenge' fame from his great-aunt. He generously signed it over to the West Horsley Place Trust. The property dates back to the 15th century and has been used in various films and television programmes. It is open to the public for guided tours and even has a large opera house in its grounds.

Answer: She is pushed out of a window by one of the ghosts

Discussions among the ghostly inhabitants reveal that they are very much against the idea of sharing what they feel is 'their' property with the newcomers, even briefly considering killing them. Alison is leaning out of a window and is pushed out by one of the ghosts, Julian Fawcett MP, who, though now deceased and in ghostly form, is by great efforts of concentration able to move things. He sees her leaning far out of the window and quickly seizes his opportunity.

Following his attack, Alison ends up in hospital, at one point being declared clinically dead for a short while, and is put into a coma. When she awakes and returns home it transpires that she is able to see and talk to the ghosts. After some heated talks, both sides agree to live together as harmoniously as possible, which sets the scene for the series.

Answer: Thomas, a poet

Thomas Thorne, played by Mathew Baynton, is a poet from the Romantic era, who lost his life in a duel. He falls hopelessly and unrequitedly in love with Alison the moment he first sees her and frequently composes poems to her despite her doing her best to dissuade him.

The fact that Alison can see and interact with the ghosts while Mike is unable to see them shows itself cleverly in the way the show is seen by filming the same events from each person's perspective.

Answer: Her husband pushed her out of an upstairs window

With Julian having pushed Alison out of a window, defenestration in 'Ghosts' seems to be quite the order of the day! In the case of Lady Fanny Button, her husband had been having an adulterous affair and pushed her out of an upstairs window to her death so he could be with his mistress.

Lady Fanny, played by Martha Howe-Douglas, is the bossiest of the resident ghosts with the possible exception of the Captain (Ben Willbond), who tries to plan every detail of what happens in Button House with military precision.

Answer: Accidentally shot by an arrow

Patrick Butcher, known as Pat, was a youth group leader, and was tragically shot accidentally by one of the boys in his group while he was giving them an archery lesson in the grounds of Button House. His ghost appears dressed in his group's uniform of khaki shorts and long-sleeved shirt with a yellow and grey striped scarf, and also the remains of the arrow which killed him through his neck.

Pat is played by actor Jim Howick, who has appeared in several television shows and films, most recently starring in the new British sitcom 'Here We Go', which premiered in 2022, and also stars Katherine Parkinson from 'The It Crowd' and Alison Steadman.

Answer: trousers

Julian Fawcett MP had in life been a Member of Parliament. He had been involved in a lurid headline-making scandal at the time of his death from a heart attack, which explains the lack of his trousers.

The character is played by Simon Farnaby, who has many film and television appearances to his credit, including the much-watched Paddington Bear sketch 'Platinum Party at the Palace', celebrating the Platinum Anniversary of the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II in the summer of 2022. In this, he played the part of the stoical footman who didn't flinch when covered in cream when Paddington accidentally trod on a pastry, sending its contents flying. Even more recently he has been involved in co-writing the screenplay for a musical film, 'Wonka' showing the backstory of Roald Dahl's book 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.

Answer: Robin

Robin, the caveman, was by far the oldest of all the ghosts. He had met his death before Button House had even existed by being struck by lightning in what became its grounds. In his ghostly existence, the lightning strike is believed to have enabled him to have some limited control over electricity, which can sometimes come in useful!

The character of Robin is played by Laurence Rickard, who also plays the decapitated head of Tudor nobleman Sir Humphrey. Kitty, played by Lolly Adefope, is a young, kind-natured but very innocent noblewoman who lived and died during Georgian times. Mary had been burned at the stake as a witch during the Stuart era and is played by Katy Wix.

Answer: Horrible Histories

'Ghosts' was created by many of the stars of the 'Horrible Histories' series, who got together after 'Horrible Histories' had ended to create a new and different sitcom. After working together on Sky 1's 'Yonderland', the team came together again to focus on something different.

They eventually decided on a haunted house theme, with both living and ghostly characters, with the result that 'Ghosts' was born. The first series, which began in 2019, opened to very positive reviews.