Spooky season is almost here, and what better way to celebrate than with Peacock’s upcoming TV series Hysteria!
Set in the 1980s, Hysteria! revolves around the Satanic Panic of the era as a high-school heavy metal band gets more than they bargained for.
“Hysteria! is about both sides of that generational fear. It’s about the thrills of being young, rebellious in spirit and aspirational at heart — and the horrors of growing up and realizing that the world you thought you knew has shifted beneath your feet,” executive producers Matthew Scott Kane and David A. Goodman teased in an August statement. “That fear haunts every generation.”
The thriller is introduced as the perfect watch for parents and children.
“Children of the Atomic Age went on to terrifying their families by turning on, tuning in and dropping out in the ’60s. Those same ‘free spirits’ went on to vote for [President Ronald] Reagan and called for censorship of the ‘obscene’ and ‘satanic’ heavy metal bands their own kids worshiped,” the statement continued. “Now, those kids are adults who rail against pronouns, TikTok and a movie about Barbie. The cycle doesn’t end. And it’s hard to escape the feeling that someone, or something, is sitting by watching it all, and laughing.”
Kane and Goodman concluded: “Our hope is that parents and children (of the appropriate age, of course) can enjoy the chills, the laughs, the music, and the heart of Hysteria! together. Growing up is scary. So is parenting.”
Hysteria! features a star-studded cast including Julie Bowen, Anna Camp and Bruce Campbell. Keep scrolling for everything to know about the show:
When Is ‘Hysteria!’ Premiering — and Where?
Hysteria! premieres October 18 on Peacock, and the pilot will simulcast on USA Network and Syfy. New episodes will continue to air on USA Friday nights.
What Is the Plot of ‘Hysteria!’?
Based on the synopsis for the series, the story picks up “when a beloved varsity quarterback disappears during the Satanic Panic of the late 1980s,” at which point “a struggling high school heavy metal band of outcasts realize they can capitalize on the town’s sudden interest in the occult by building a reputation as a Satanic metal band.” The plan falls apart, however, when “a bizarre series of murders, kidnappings and reported ‘supernatural activity’ triggers a leather-studded witch hunt that leads directly back to them.”
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Who Else Makes Up the Cast of ‘Hysteria!’?
In addition to Bowen, Camp and Campbell, Emjay Anthony, Chiara Aurelia, Kezii Curtis and Nikki Hahn round out the cast. Hysteria! also features Garret Dillahunt, Nolan North, Elijah Richardson, Milly Shapiro, Allison Scagliotti and Jessica Treska in guest roles.
Will Things Be Getting Spooky?
The first glimpse at the show focuses on Bowen’s character dancing around her kitchen to Belinda Carlisle’s song “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” before an earthquake occurs in her small town. She then sees a demonic face staring at her from the microwave.
They may be A-List stars now, but these celebs got their start in some spooky (and occasionally cheesy) horror flicks. Click through the gallery to see who braved the scary genre for the sake of their careers.
Is This Julie Bowen’s 1st Horror Project?
Before her involvement with Hysteria!, Bowen delivered a memorable performance in Prime Video’s Totally Killer. The actress specifically was involved in an epic death scene, which director Nahnatchka Khan exclusively broke down for Us Weekly.
“When talking to Julie, [a fight scene] was the thing that she said she never got to do. So when she was in, she was 100 percent game,” Khan told Us in 2022. “She did all her own stunts, by the way. The only two things she didn’t want to do is be thrown through a coffee table and onto this concrete slab. But everything else, she did all the way through.”
Bowen has also appeared in horror movies such as An American Werewolf in Paris and Hubie Halloween.
