Here's the first ever image from American Horror Story, the "haunted house" show from Ryan Murphy, creator of Glee and Nip/Tuck. The FX show made a presentation at the Television Critics Association today, and the early buzz is that it might be the scariest show ever.
And it features "REAL FREAKING MONSTERS that will scare the living bejeezus out of you," according to E! Online. Although it's not clear what sort of creatures they are, just yet.
Below is the first promotional video for the show:
If you're skeptical about the ability of Murphy and his Glee partner Brad Falchuk to create a real, non-campy horror show, then there's additional evidence that AHS might have the goods. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the newly hired writers for the show include Tim Minear — the guy who wrote the Firefly episode "Out of Gas," and also was the best thing about Angel. Also joining the team: James Wong, who wrote the first Final Destination movie. Plus Jessica Sharzer and Jennifer Salt (Eat Pray Love).
American Horror Story is about a couple, Ben and Vivien Harmon (The Practice's Dylan McDermott, Friday Night Lights' Connie Britton), who "move their family from Boston to a haunted Los Angeles home in an attempt to rebuild their family after a miscarriage and affair." Jessica Lange (Grey Gardens) co-stars as a nosy neighbor, who's a "proud Virginian" and a kleptomaniac. And according to another THR article:
Denis O'Hare (True Blood) co-stars as Larry the Burn Guy, a former resident of the haunted estate; with Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under) and Alexandra Breckenridge (Life Unexpected) both playing Moira O'Hara, a housekeeper who has worked at the home for years and appears as a young woman to Ben and an older woman to Vivien. Evan Peters (One Tree Hill) and Taissa Farmiga also round out the cast.
Murphy has described American Horror Story as a "feel-bad show" in contrast to Glee's "feel-good show," and also calls it a "psycho-sexual thriller." Also, where Glee was about under-achivevers, AHS is about a marriage coping with infidelity. Added Murphy at the TCA event:
I love it because there are no vampires or werewolves. The monster in the closet is infidelity.
Also, a major inspiration for the show is movies like The Shining and The Exorcist. And after watching the show, you may not be able to look at your infant children late at night, lest the shadows make them look... different.
American Horror Story premieres on FX on Oct. 5, with a 90-minute episode.
[L.A. Times and E! Online and THR]