‘Ghosts’ and ‘CSI: Vegas’ review: CBS steps into the unknown with a British sitcom, and back to the familiar with William Petersen and company

The premise in “Ghosts” is pretty easy, as a younger couple (Rose McIver, Utkarsh Ambudkar) inherit an outdated home from the spouse’s deceased nice aunt, one inhabited by plenty of ghosts from totally different eras, relying on after they died. Unable to go away, they’re enthusiastic about doubtlessly having some recent blood round, with one asking, “Whose life are you guys hoping to observe subsequent?”

The eccentric residents embrace a ’60s hippie (Sheila Carrasco), an Eleventh-century Viking (Devon Chandler Lengthy), a Native-American from the 1500s ((Román Zaragoza), and a foppish Revolutionary Struggle militiaman (Brandon Scott Jones), who, amongst different issues, is aghast to listen to that one-time rival Alexander Hamilton’s title has change into extra well-known than his.

Tailored from a BBC collection (creativity in Hollywood solely goes thus far), the odd mixture of characters yields a good quantity of hit-miss gags and film callbacks. One of many ghosts, for instance — a stock-broker bro (Asher Grodman) who died with out his pants — can bodily transfer objects, barely, in a nod to Patrick Swayze’s character within the singular film “Ghost.”

Nonetheless, the query of whether or not the folks and spirits can be taught to coexist has an age-old high quality to it, with the disclaimer that the premise creates some limits on the place this idea can go, and does not essentially bode properly for the way it will age.

For now, although, “Ghosts” — which premieres with back-to-back episodes — milks sufficient laughs from the sharpness of its writing and sheer goofiness to warrant a glance. Whether or not that interprets right into a long-term keep stays to be seen, however in contrast to numerous new sitcoms, a minimum of this one does not look lifeless on arrival.

Talking of issues that come again after dying, “CSI” revives certainly one of TV’s greatest hits of the 2000s, bringing again a number of acquainted characters whereas introducing a brand new boss, Maxine Roby (Paula Newsome), step by step establishing the premise with a thriller that stretches over the primary few episodes.

Particularly, questions come up about tainted circumstances from the previous, forcing Roby to achieve out to the alumni squad within the seek for solutions. The outdated standbys embrace (not instantly, in all circumstances) William Petersen and Jorja Fox, however saying way more would threat spoiling issues, to the extent they are often.

The collection clearly feels as if it is hoping to get a head of steam happening the energy of its nostalgia, earlier than taking off in a extra standard body-of-the-week path that made the unique tick.

After all, with a trio of “FBI” reveals, two variations of “NCIS” and “S.W.A.T.,” CBS has demonstrated it is smart to not guess towards the lingering viewers demand for capitalized crime reveals.

So whereas it would take a few episodes to kind out the “Who’re you?” a part of The Who’s credit score music, the “why” behind “CSI’s” revival is fairly apparent.

“CSI: Vegas” premieres Oct. 6 at 10 p.m. ET and “Ghosts” premieres Oct. 7 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.