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Wow. A real tour de force from Brummie with a ghost theme (I think that’s what it is) to boot. Only spotted the theme late in, and it helped with my last two in, which I won’t mention now for fear of spoilers. FOI was 9.
COD? Really spoilt for choice, but if I must plump, I’ll plump for 22. But hey, also 25, 27, 30….where to stop?
Thanks, Brummie.

Need to sleep on 3 and 8.

Brummie - Thanks.

Just completed. Good puzzle. No sense of theme.

22a is good.

My likes include 2d, 14d, 23d and 30a (couldn't avoid wild goose chase).

Need to sleep on 3 and 8.

No I don't.

Thanks for verifying the theme, rog! Only just saw it.
I was stuck for the longest time on 8, but it's a thematic and the penny finally dropped.

FOI 9, LOI 8.

Thanks to Brummie.
While solving, I thought it was a lackluster puzzle, but post-theme awareness opinion revised to brilliant.

COD 8 for now. Pre-theme awareness 13, 26 and 5 seemed among the best of a weak lot, but now reassessment is required. 🤣

Will add 8d to my list as well. That required some inspiration.

Although I must admit that the theme is based on a genre I've never cared for.

Thanks, geeker. My LOI was 3, but a similar late PDM for an unhelpfully placed four-letter word.
I’m surprised that you thought it lacklustre while solving, because, a couple of weak clues apart, I really liked it, even before spotting the theme. Perhaps I should also revisit….
In the meantime, I haven’t yet counted the number of themed answers. My next task before bed.

Got the theme...should have seen it sooner.

Hmmm well I think I’ve found 8 thematics made up of 15 solutions. But I’m no expert on the theme so I may be missing some. Certainly there’s also an orphan solution which would form part of a thematic.