When one moves into a posh apartment complex inhabited by gorgeous 20somethings and run by an attractive landlady (à la “Melrose Place”), one wouldn’t expect evil spirits to be included on the lease.

Such is the case with the luxury flats on BBC America’s upcoming horror drama, “Bedlam,” a place where the neighbors harbor sinister secrets, the bathtubs try to drown you and pissed-off apparitions appear in every window – just the type of cozy place one would want settle in, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Why no one has brought this compelling premise to television before remains a mystery to me. In fact, while partaking in the geektastic festivities at Comic-Con down in San Diego, I had the chance to sit down with David Allison, one of the creators behind this supernatural soap about an abandoned insane asylum that’s been renovated into residences. Naturally, I had to ask where the idea came from.

Turns out, “There’s an asylum in particular where I live,” Allison says. “I started looking at the online records of all the patients, and it was amazing, grim and terrifying, the things that went on. We got really fascinated by the area and the real-life stories.”

As writers, Allison and his fellow producers had also been influenced by Asian horror (The Ring, Audition) as well as good old-fashioned Victorian ghost stories.

“We want the show to be really scary,” he says. “We want these stories to be edge-of-your-seat, like movies. We want our show to properly have that constant sense of foreboding and darkness to it.” The pilot I screened in advance had plenty of jolts, particularly one bathtub scene in which landlady Kate (the gorgeous Charlotte Salt) has a run-in with a ghost that likes to get wet.

“She found it quite unpleasant and cold and horrible, pretending to be drowning,” Allison rehashes. “I wasn’t on set that day, but [I heard] she was not very happy.”

A face familiar to many Anglophiles, “Pop Idol”’s first winner Will Young, also takes up residence in the spooky complex. Who knew the singer had added acting to his repertoire? Allison did, especially after catching him in his debut opposite Judi Dench in the 2005 BBC film Mrs. Henderson Presents and his notable role in an episode of “Skins” last year.

“I swear to God, he just did the best audition,” Allison says. “We heard that he was interested … simple as that. It wasn’t like we were reaching out trying to get some pop name or a star of some kind, it just worked out that way.”

However, taking center stage on “Bedlam” is newcomer Theo James, Britain’s sexier answer to James Franco (go ahead and Google him).

“He’s definitely going to be going places,” the show’s producer predicts.

Theo plays Jed Harper, a drifter who can see ghosts and finds himself shacking up with the supernatural spookies in Bedlam Heights. Since the show had been in development for several years before it ever made it to air, Allison and his producers had lived with the characters for a long time and had a clear idea of what they were like, particularly Jed.

“When we saw the screen test for Theo, we were like, ‘Oh, this is him.’”

“Bedlam” looks to blend standalone ghost stories with serialized dramas packed with “Lost”-inspired mythology.

“Yes, we have an endgame planned,” Allison promises. “The biggest character is the building and the family who owns the building … so there is lots of history … There are things that we resolve in season one.”

And for anyone wondering, season 2 is already in the middle of shooting.

“We want it to be a ride, be a thrill, and we wanted to hit the ground running,” Allison tells, “and I think American TV is really good at that. We wanted to be visceral and scare people properly … and to have a proper British sensibility.” But of course.

“Bedlam” premieres Oct. 8 at 9 p.m. on BBC America.

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