From left: Rebecca Wisocky, who plays Hetty, takes direction from “Ghosts” CBS co-creators Joe Port and Joe Wiseman. Port may live in Los Angeles now, but he grew up sledding in Altoona on the lawn of historic Baker Mansion, the inspiration for the mansion featured in the hit comedy. Bertrand Calmeau/CBS

Local fans of CBS’s hit comedy “Ghosts” may have been surprised to hear Altoona mentioned in one of the episodes, and if character names sounded familiar, too, there’s a logical reason — producer and co-creator Joseph “Joe” Port is an Altoona Area High School graduate with a penchant for history and for his hometown.

Port, 47, lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Tessa, and 15-month-old son, Charlie, but grew up sledding down the snow-covered lawn of historic Baker Mansion on Oak Lane.

While Baker Mansion is the inspiration behind the mansion featured in the TV show, that’s not the end of the Altoona connection.

Ironmaster Elias Baker, who built the three-story Greek Revival-style Baker Mansion, and his wife, Hetty, are also remembered in the show as ghost Hetty Woodstone, who often talks about her husband, Elias.

Port’s name may also ring bells locally as his mother Phyllis, brother Dr. Joshua Port and uncle Neil Port still call Blair County home.

In “Ghosts,” Joe Port has found a way to tie in his hometown and his interest in history and, with his business/writing partner Joel Wiseman, help to create a hit TV series.

The show, also inspired by the BBC series of the same name, is a breakthrough hit, the first for Port and Wiseman, who have written many TV series pilots. But with “Ghosts,” the duo have gotten to go further, serving as co-creators/showrunners for the popular series.

In fact, due to consistently high ratings, it was just renewed for an additional 24 episodes to begin in the fall.

“This is a big breakthrough for me and Joe. We are excited,” Port said. “It’s been so well received and is getting a lot of viewers and great ratings. It’s super gratifying.”

Port said it’s unusual for a network to pick up a show this early in the year, noting “Ghosts” is the second-most watched show after “Young Sheldon” and the No. 1 new comedy.

The appeal, he feels, lies in its characters.

“Ghosts” airs at 9 p.m. Thursdays and tells the highs and lows of freelance journalist Samantha, played by Rose McIver, and her husband-chef Jay, played by Utkarsh Ambudkar, as they turn a rundown inherited estate into a bed and breakfast.

When the couple first moved into the home, they had no idea it was filled with ghosts — including a Scout leader, a Viking and a trouser-less ghost.

But, after an in-home accident, Samantha can see and talk to the home’s inhabitants, one of whom is Samantha’s ancestor, Hetty Woodstone, a society woman and wife of an 1800s robber baron, named Elias. Carrying on the Pennsylvania connection, Hetty is played by York native Rebecca Wisocky.

A 1993 high school graduate, Port majored in history at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

He got his start in the entertainment industry after college, when he followed his brother, Moses Port, to Los Angeles, where Moses was working on the TV series “Mad About You.”

“Moses was very helpful to me,” Joe Port said, as his brother had worked with acclaimed “Seinfeld” writer Larry Charles, who was looking for a production assistant on the animated show “Dilbert.” It was while working on “Dilbert” that Joe Port met Wiseman.

“We’ve been working together ever since the second season (of “Dilbert”),” Port said, during a telephone interview.

Port’s other credits include being a consulting producer on other TV series, such as “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” and “Fam” among a host of other producer credits and pilots.

But it’s the Altoona reference in “Ghosts” that prompted many fans to reach out to him on social media and share comments about the show.

“There’s a character for everyone,” he said. “It’s easy to find someone to identify with among the eight ghosts. I love how people are telling me they watch the show with their families. People have been stuck together in homes for the last two years and can relate to the ghosts being stuck there for eternity.”

The show’s references have prompted some fans to visit Blair County, according to officials from the Blair County Historical Society, which owns Baker Mansion.

“We at the Blair County Historical Society and Baker Mansion have been tickled by the wonderful public response and excitement for the show ‘Ghosts,”’ said historical society board member and treasurer Julia Schokker. Hetty’s husband, Elias, appeared in episode 13, which aired Jan. 20.

It was in episode 9 “Alberta’s Fan,” which aired Dec. 2, when Altoona was referenced as the location of a museum for Alberta Haynes, a 1920s jazz singer.

Danielle Pinnock plays ghost Alberta, a larger than life diva. In addition to Alberta and Hetty, other main ghost characters are Brandon Scott Jones as Isaac, Richie Moriarty as Pete, Asher Grodman as Trevor, Sheila Carrasco as Flower, Roman Zaragoza as Sasappis and Devan Chandler Long as Thorfinn, the Viking.

“Personally, I am enjoying ‘Ghosts,'” said Kate Rimbeck, executive director of the historical society.

“They have taken time to research various historical facts to include in the story lines, added to the talented actors and all those who are involved in producing the show,” Rimbeck said. “We are honored and appreciative to have Hetty and Elias Baker, as well as Altoona, added to this well-written and extremely enjoyable series on CBS.”

When the Mirror spoke with Port on Jan. 26, he had just returned to California from shooting the series finale on location in Montreal after a delay caused by a positive COVID-19 test. It was there he and Wiseman received the news of the show’s renewal.

It’s not only Port and Wiseman who have included Altoona references in the show. The duo oversee a 10-member writing staff who have also embraced the city.

“I always enjoyed seeing Altoona references in movies and TV shows when I was growing up,” Port said, because “it’s a comedic name. It sounds funny.”

He said he’s glad so many people like the show and is looking forward to the next season.

Rimbeck said she is appreciative that the show is promoting historical facts.

It’s “making learning history fun,” she said.