Peacock is taking viewers straight back to the 1980s with the teaser for its latest offering, Hysteria! – a spine-tingling series set against the backdrop of the infamous Satanic Panic era. Mark your Calendars for October 18, 2024, when the darkly comedic thriller starring Julie Bowen makes its highly anticipated debut, 13 days before Halloween.
The teaser for Hysteria! Opens with a deceptively cheerful suburban scene: Julie Bowen’s character blissfully dances around her kitchen to Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven Is a Place On Earth.” The mood swiftly darkens as an earthquake starts and a demonic face emerges from the microwave! Campy, cheeky and demonic! Oh, my!
What We Know About Hysteria! So Far
The series follows a group of high school misfits who see an opportunity in the growing fear surrounding their supposed occult activity. Hysteria! will have eight 60-minute episodes, all of which will drop on premiere day. That is eight hours of spooky fun just in time for Halloween.
Here’s the full synopsis:
“When a beloved varsity quarterback disappears during the Satanic Panic of the late 1980s, 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, until 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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Created by Matthew Scott Kane (Stitchers) and David Goodman (The Orville), Hysteria! is more than just a period piece, it’s a commentary on fears and anxieties that still resonate today. In the official press release accompanying the trailer, Kane and Goodman explain:
”
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. 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.”
Alongside Bowen, the cast includes Anna Camp, Emjay Anthony, Chiara Aurelia, Kezil Curtis, and Nikki Hahn and Nolan North, with a guest appearance by the man himself, Bruce Campbell.
Produced by Universal, Hysteria! also boasts an impressive team behind the scenes. Kane and Goodman serve as executive producers alongside John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), and Chris Bender and Jake Weiner of Good Fear Content. Jonathan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island) directed the first and final episodes.
Whether you’re a fan of ’80s nostalgia, psychological thrillers, or simply looking for a fun series to binge leading up to Halloween, Hysteria! looks like a wild ride that will explore the darker side of community and the consequences of mass paranoia. So, grab your popcorn, tune in on October 18 and get ready to be thrilled and chilled by Peacock’s latest, which will also be simulcast on the USA Network and SyFy.