In the 1980s, a wave of fearful suspicion that a devilish influence was infecting children across the country began to spread, which eventually came to be known as the “Satanic Panic.” These days, this trend is more often referenced in jest, but has also served as a source of inspiration as of late for some great horror movies — such as Ti West’s The House of the Devil — and horror TV shows, like Season 4 of Stranger Things, most notably. Its influence will continue with the premiere of Hysteria!
This upcoming Peacock TV show will not only be the latest modern series to comment on that bizarre, Reagan-era phenomenon, but also appears to be paying tribute to classic horror movies of the ‘80s, especially with the casting of one of the decade's most beloved horror movie icons in a major role. So, what exactly is the plot of Hysteria!, who all can we expect to see in the cast, and who is running the show? We reveal all that we know so far about the thriller below.
What Is The Hysteria! Premiere Date?
One thing that we, unfortunately, do not know about Hysteria! at the moment is when it is going to premiere. as there's no date set yet. However, we can tell you that a Peacock subscription will allow curious thrill seekers the ability to stream it when it does become available.
According to Deadline, the show was given a straight-to-series order by the NBCUniversal-owned streaming platform in August 2022. According to a casting call posted to AuditionsFree.com, production will take place in Georgia in May, arousing hope that the series may appear later on our 2023 TV premiere schedule or sometime early next year, at least.
The Hysteria! Cast Includes Julie Bowen And Bruce Campbell
According to Variety, Julie Bowen — best known for her two-time Emmy-winning performance as Claire Dunphy in the Modern Family cast — is about to take on her darkest role yet: leading the series as the mother to one member of a group of misfit teens who get caught up in the Satanic Panic. According to Deadline, most of the actors set to play said young outcasts — save Kezii Curtis of Charm City Kings fame — are already horror veterans in their own right. Emjay Anthony broke out in the 2015 holiday horror movie, Krampus; Chiara Aurelia starred in Mike Flanagan’s Gerald’s Game before joining Netflix’s Fear Street movies cast, and Nikki Hahn appeared in an episode of American Horror Story’s second (and, arguably, scariest) season.
Yet, the most notable horror legend among the Hysteria! cast is Bruce Campbell — best known for playing Ash Williams in the Evil Dead movies, which he recently revived as a producer on Evil Dead Rise — who, according to Variety, will play the police chief for the small town where the series takes place. The Deadline article detailing the younger cast members also mentions the addition of Anna Camp, who also has a few horror credits on her resume — most recently Shudder’s From Black — but is best known from the Pitch Perfect cast as Aubrey.
The Show Will Follow A Heavy Metal Band During The "Satanic Panic" Of The 1980s
As previously established, the plot of will revolve around the unsubstantiated fear that Satanism was influencing America’s youth in the 1980s. According to Peacock’s official logline, which was revealed along with the platform’s series order announcement, the show will depict the phenomenon through the eyes of a young, amateur heavy metal band, who see the paranoid reactions to their high school’s star quarterback disappearing as an opportunity to boost their music careers.
However, things begin to take a turn for the worse when the teens’ town soon becomes plagued by killings, abductions, and reports of strange, unexplainable activity that — given their newfound reputation — puts them under suspicion. This dark plot description suggests that the upcoming show is aiming to be more than just another good horror TV show, but a thrilling drama that's grounded by shocking elements of realism.
Matthew Scott Kane Is The Showrunner
This dark new series comes from the mind of Matthew Scott Kane, who wrote the show and will also serve as executive producer, according to the earlier Deadline article that detailed Peacock’s series order. The creator is something a horror veteran himself, as well, having worked on the sets of American Horror Story Season 6 and the 2019 Conjuring Universe spin-off, Annabelle Comes Home, as a production assistant.
Hysteria! is the first series to be produced by Kane, who also wrote an episode of the sci-fi TV show, Stitchers, which first premiered on Freeform in 2015 when the network was still called ABC Family. He has also worked as a production assistant on TV series like Judge Joe Brown, FX’s Billy Crystal and Josh Gad-led mockumentary series, The Comedians, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Jonathan Goldstein And John Francis Daley Are Producing And Directing
Also signed on to produce this new show are Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, who have recently gained a reputation as one of the most talented directorial duos working today. Thus, fans of the filmmakers behind the acclaimed 2018 comedy, Game Night, will be happy to learn they are also directing an unspecified number of episodes of the series.
Daley and Goldstein actually have a unique connection to the story behind Hysteria! — and not just because Daley played a young social outcast from the 1980s in the Freaks and Geeks cast years ago. The duo directed the fun, adventurous new 2023 movie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which is based on the popular role playing game that, believe it or not, played a role in the Satanic Panic craze — something the film’s cast members, Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez, were shocked to discover.
I cannot imagine that Daley and Goldstein’s own real-life interest in D&D and the game’s strange connection to Satanic Panic had anything to do with their decision to sign on for this new series, but it is an amusing little detail, nonetheless. Perhaps the role-playing game might even make an appearance. We will have to wait until Hysteria! premieres on Peacock to find out.
