Hysteria! is an American comedy horror-thriller[1] television series created by Matthew Scott Kane.
All eight episodes of the first season premiered on October 18, 2024.[2]
Premise
Set during the Satanic panic of the 1980s, a beloved varsity quarterback's disappearance causes whispers of occult activity and Satanic influence throughout the town of Happy Hollow, Michigan. Dylan Campbell, Jordy, and Spud, a trio of outcasts in a struggling heavy metal band called Dethkrunch, decide to capitalize on the town’s sudden interest in the occult by rebranding themselves as a Satanic metal band, which leads to them becoming the targets of the town's witch hunt. Especially when a bizarre series of murders, kidnappings, and reported "supernatural activity" begin happening.
In August 2022, it was announced Peacock had given a straight-to-series order to Hysteria!, a dramatic thriller set during the Satanic panic of the 1980s from writer Matthew Scott Kane.[3]Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley will direct and executive produce the series.[3]Jordan Vogt-Roberts is set to direct the premiere episode while David A. Goodman will serve as showrunner, writer and executive producer.[4]
Casting
In April 2023, it was announced Julie Bowen had been cast as the lead, Linda Campbell, the mother of a teenage outcast.[4] Later that month, Emjay Anthony, Chiara Aurelia, Kezii Curtis, Nikki Hahn and Anna Camp had been added to the cast.[5][6] In that same month, it was also reported that Bruce Campbell had joined the cast as Chief Dandridge.[7] In February 2024, it was reported that Nolan North, Garret Dillahunt, Elijah Richardson, Milly Shapiro, Allison Scagliotti, and Jessica Treska had joined the cast as Gene, The Reverend, Cliff, Ingrid, Officer Olsen, and Judith, respectively.[8]
Release
The first season consisting of eight episodes premiered on October 18, 2024 on Peacock.[2] The series premiere also aired on Syfy and USA Network the same day, with subsequent episodes continuing to air on USA Network every Friday thereafter.[9]
Reception
Critical response
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 91% approval rating with an average rating of 7.0/10, based on 22 critic reviews. The website's consensus reads: "Freaky in both scares and style, Hysteria! will be a raucous good time for viewers who like their horror programming to have a sense of humor."[10]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 62 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[11]
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