As Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” blares in Julie Bowen’s ears, something devilish begins to shake up her suburban home. In the Hysteria! teaser released Monday, Bowen (Modern Family) plays a housewife preparing a meal in her kitchen when all of a sudden, the lights flicker, plates rattle, and a Satanic figure pops into the microwave.
According to a press release, the upcoming thriller draws inspiration from the “Satanic Panic” and features a town fixated on occult occurrences after a varsity quarterback goes missing. As the eight-episode series unfolds, a high school metal band decides to capitalize on the paranormal activity by building a reputation as a Satanic band — that is, until murders, kidnappings, and abnormal activity leads a witch hunt back to them.
The Satanic Panic, based on baseless conspiracy theories, spread nationwide in the Eighties. Parents searched under preschools for secret tunnels, toothpaste and soap companies had to fend off accusations of working with the devil, and cults were wrongfully believed to commit mass child abuse. Hysteria! writers and executive producers Matthew Scott Kane and David A. Goodman used the phenomenon as an inspiration for their series.
“Children of the Atomic Age went on to terrifying their families by turning on, tuning in and dropping out in the Sixties,” the press release adds. “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 stated that Hysteria! delves into 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,” the producers said in a shared statement.
Additional cast members include Anna Camp, Emjay Anthony, Chiara Aurelia, Kezii Curtis, and Nikki Hahn. USA Network and SYFY will both premiere the first episode on Oct. 18, with USA Network airing episodes every Friday. Peacock will also stream Hysteria! on Oct. 18.
