The hit BBC sitcom Ghosts makes the move to the big screen with Ghosts: The Possession of Button House, a supernatural comedy that reunites the original cast for another adventure at the haunted mansion. Having never watched the television series, I may not be the ideal person to judge it, particularly when much of its appeal appears to rest on the audience’s familiarity with its characters and their established comic antics.

The story picks up with the ghostly residents of Button House adjusting to life without Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe), who have moved on from the mansion. With plans to turn the property into a hotel facing disruption from protesters, the ghosts are keen to find a way to reconnect with their former living companions. Things take a turn when an amateur séance goes wrong, allowing the mischievous Julian (Simon Farnaby), a former politician, to possess Jack (Scott Ellis Watson), a teenage ghost hunter. What begins as an opportunity for Julian to experience the outside world soon develops into a predicament with potentially permanent consequences.

The familiar collection of spirits includes Thomas (Mathew Baynton), a lovesick Georgian poet; Kitty (Lolly Adefope), an innocent Georgian noblewoman; Lady Fanny Button (Martha Howe-Douglas), an Edwardian aristocrat; Pat (Jim Howick), a scoutmaster who met an unfortunate end; the Captain (Ben Willbond), a reserved Second World War officer; and Robin (Laurence Rickard), a prehistoric caveman. Each brings their own peculiarities to the mix, although the extent to which these personalities resonate with newcomers is another matter.

Unfortunately, the film never quite won me over. It has the feel of an extended television episode rather than a cinematic experience, with the humour often leaning towards childish jokes and broad slapstick. The performances rarely rise above the exaggerated style of sitcom comedy, which may work better for viewers already familiar with the characters, while the story itself struggles to hold much interest. Although there are plenty of eccentric characters and supernatural shenanigans, the overall experience feels rather lightweight, and the feature-length format does not necessarily make the material more engaging.

That may be where the charm lies. The comedy is deliberately silly, the characters exaggerated and the storytelling uncomplicated, with the familiarity of the television series providing much of the enjoyment for its established audience. Without that connection, the jokes and relationships lack the same impact, leaving the film feeling less entertaining than it might otherwise have been.

Ghosts: The Possession of Button House will probably find its biggest audience among fans of the BBC series, who already have an affection for its eccentric characters and childish humour. For those coming to Button House for the first time, it feels more like an extended television episode than a film that justifies its big-screen ambitions. Having never experienced the show's original appeal, the charm of Ghosts may simply have passed me by.