Peacock has revealed a first look at Hysteria! and announced that the eight-episode series will premiere on the streaming service on October 18, 2024. USA Network and SYFY will simulcast the first episode on October 18, with USA Network airing episodes each Friday.
In the series, 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.
That is, until a bizarre series of murders, kidnappings, and reported “supernatural activity” triggers a leather-studded witch hunt that leads directly back to them. Heaven is a place on Earth – and Hell has come to this town.
Hysteria! stars Julie Bowen, Anna Camp, Emjay Anthony, Chiara Aurelia, Kezii Curtis, and Nikki Hahn. The recurring guest stars include Bruce Campbell, Garret Dillahunt, Nolan North, Elijah Richardson, Milly Shapiro, Allison Scagliotti, and Jessica Treska.
“‘What are those kids up to? Whatever it is, it can’t be good.’ That fear haunts every generation. Children of the Atomic Age went on to [terrify] their families by turning on, tuning in, and dropping out in the sixties,” said executive producers and writers Matthew Scott Kane (Stitchers) and David A. Goodman (The Orville).
“Those same ‘free spirits’ went on to vote for Reagan and called for censorship of the ‘obscene’ and ‘satanic’ heavy metal bands their own kids worshiped. 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 continued: “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.”
The show’s executive producers include John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Dungeons & Dragons, Game Night), and Chris Bender and Jake Weiner for Good Fear Content (My Spy, Mulan, Under the Silver Lake). Scott Stoops is the supervising producer for Good Fear.
Jordan Vogt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer, Kong: Skull Island) directed two episodes and is also an executive producer. The drama series comes from UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Watch the teaser trailer here and scroll down to view the key art.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills to provide the latest news on streaming, movies, and TV shows. He previously created the websites ComingSoon, SuperHeroHype, and ShockTillYouDrop.