Yippie!......

by Kathie Huddleston

John Gray, executive producer of CBS's Ghost Whisperer, told SCI FI Wire that the upcoming second season will develop from this year's "big surprise ending." The show got official word of its renewal on March 6.

"We're not going to mess with our formula too much," Gray said in an interview. He added: "At the same time, we don't want it to get stale. So we are probably going to introduce some darker elements, just in terms of the characters. You know, the Laughing Man and the Wide Brim Hat Man, as we call him. They'll be back next year."

Gray added: "We're going to be giving some explanation for their presence in the last couple of episodes this year." Gray won't say much else about the first season's big surprise ending, but he promised that no one will see it coming.

Gray said that he believes that getting the early renewal is a benefit. "We have lots of ideas," he said. "Knowing this early, it's great for our show."

Ghost Whisperer stars Jennifer Love Hewitt as a young bride who sees and talks to ghosts. The series, which wins its timeslot each week, has helped CBS widen its lead over the other networks by winning Friday nights in both viewers and demographics. Ghost Whisperer was one of 14 series that CBS announced had been renewed. The show airs Fridays at CBS

Story: © 2006 SciFi Channel - an NBC Universal company. All Rights Reserved.