American Horror Story Includes Actual Horror; See the Creepy Promo Videos

When SciFi Mafia started looking into American Horror Story, which is premiering on FX in October, it took a lot of looking to determine whether the title was a red herring. Was there really going to be any sci-fi-type horror? There was even more skepticism when word came that it was primarily a story about marriage. Oh, so “horror” was tongue-in-cheek? The creators made quiet mention of the “little bit of sci-fi” involvement.

Well, all our fears were put to rest last week when the first hour was screened for members of the Television Critics Association last week. Here’s my favorite reaction, from E Online:

It just might be the scariest show. Ever. In the history of television.

An American Horror Story screening was held last night for journalists and members of the Television Critics Association, and a Fox source tells me that some of the attendees were so frightened, they had to be escorted to their cars after the viewing. (Rumor also has it another reporter was too freaked out to enter her own teeny-tiny baby’s room when he woke up for his 2 a.m. feeding because “the shadows are making him look…different.” Ahem.)

Excellent news! Now we can go forward with our coverage without fear of, well, the lack of fear. Wanna get a hint of the creepiness to come? Here are three “promo clips” from Yahoo. Make of them what you will:

As I said. Creepy.

Do not be bothered by the fact that this show is by the creators of Glee, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. They have both been big fans of horror for decades. They describe this show as a “psychosexual thriller”, and also a “metaphor for marriage.” Yikes. I really hope they’re not married.

You may also be pleased to know that they will not leave you hanging with a mystery, wondering for weeks or even months what the answer is. THR reported:

“As a pilot, it has eight cliffhangers in it,” Murphy said Saturday while promoting the show at the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour in Beverly Hills, noting that the series has an “obligation” to explain the mysteries of the series to the audience. “By the third episode, all of those big mysteries are settled and I think the audience can just be along for the ride.”

This includes giving a reason for the silly people to stay in the scary house, something that similar haunted-house stories tend to gloss over.

And even more good news: according to THR, the series has hired “a bank of genre specialists” to the writers’ room. Most exciting in my opinion is the addition of Tim Minear as a consulting producer; his credits include Chicago Code, Terriers, X-Files, Angel, Dollhouse, and Firefly.

Just as a quick reminder, here’s what FX has to say about the show:

American Horror Story, co-created by former Nip/Tuck executive producers and current Glee co-creators/executive producers Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, revolves around The Harmons, a family of three who move from Boston to Los Angeles as a means to reconcile past anguish. The All Star cast features Dylan McDermott (The Practice) as “Ben Harmon,” a psychiatrist; Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights) as “Vivien Harmon,” Ben’s wife; Taissa Farmiga as “Violet,” the Harmon’s teenage daughter; Jessica Lange (Tootsie, Blue Sky, Grey Gardens) in her first-ever regular series TV role as “Constance,” the Harmon’s neighbor; Evan Peters (One Tree Hill) plays “Tate Langdon,” one of Ben’s patients; and Denis O’Hare (The Good Wife) as “Larry Harvey.” Guest stars for the series include Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under) as the Harmon’s housekeeper; Alexandra Breckenridge (Dirt) as the Harmon’s housekeeper; and Jamie Brewer as Constance’s daughter. The pilot episode of American Horror Story, shot in Los Angeles, was written by Murphy and Falchuk, and it was directed by Murphy. In addition to Murphy and Falchuk, Dante Di Loreto will also serve as Executive Producer of the series. American Horror Story is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television.