It's a sad day for fans of the Peacock series Hysteria!, led by stars like Julie Bowen, Anna Camp, and, of course, Ash himself, Bruce Campbell. Variety exclusively reports that Peacock has canceled the show after its one and (now only) season.
Hysteria! was an exciting thrill ride of a series, perfect for a Halloween binge-watch, but thankfully, the ending is mostly conclusive, though it did leave seeds for a potential follow-up season if it were to get renewed. The odds of the show being picked up or saved by another platform also seem unlikely, as Hysteria! didn't gain much traction at Peacock. Similarly, Peacock also canceled its other new 2024 horror series Teacup, so this latest cancellation news doesn't come as much of a shock.
As noted by Variety, it's hard to indicate what the viewership numbers were for shows like Teacup and Hysteria! because the streamer doesn't release that kind of data to the public. But it didn't crack the weekly Nielsen Top 10 charts despite being critically well-received.
Set in the late 1980s, Hysteria! is focused on the rise of Satanic Panic in a religious Midwestern town. After a Scream-inspired opening resulting in the death of a local high schooler, a group of teenagers use the opportunity to masquerade as Satanists to raise their credibility as a metal band. As some residents start to believe there is a genuine demonic presence in town, the show grapples with what's real and what's fake.
Overall, the series created by Matthew Scott Kane is really focused on themes of religious hypocrisy and groupthink. It was compelling, but Peacock has struggled to market its non-IP originals since its start.
Besides Bowen, Camp, and Campbell, the series also starred Emjay Anthony, Chiara Aurelia, Kezii Curtis, and Nikki Hahn.
All eight episodes dropped on October 18, 2024, and remain streaming on the platform.