Peacock Announces Thriller Series Hysteria! Inspired by Satanic Panic

Back in the ’70s and ’80s, there were genuine concerns in some communities that Satanic cults were springing up and carrying out all sorts of heinous acts, with Peacock announcing today that Hysteria! has gotten a straight-to-series order, a project that aims to explore the real-world paranoia. From executive producers and directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the series will chronicle a group of friends who are outcasts and first exploit the Satanic panic before becoming the target of the accusations themselves. Stay tuned for details on Hysteria! before it heads to Peacock at a later point in time.

The series is described, “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, until a bizarre series of murders, kidnappings, and reported ‘supernatural activity’ triggers a leather-studded witch hunt that leads directly back to them.”

Matthew Scott Kane serves as writer and executive producer. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein will executive produce and direct. Chris Bender and Jake Weiner will executive produce for Good Fear.  

“Our upcoming thriller series Hysteria! will explore the complex world of the Satanic Panic, set amidst ’80s nostalgia, mystery, heavy metal, and an all-American setting,” Lisa Katz, President Scripted Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, shared in a statement. “We’re excited to partner on this fresh, coming-of-age story led by writer Matthew Scott Kane, executive producers and directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, Good Fear, and our partners at UCP, for what is sure to be a compelling original series for Peacock viewers.” 

“This nail-biting thriller dives into a mass moral panic and all the fears, desires, anger, and dread that led to these dark days,” Beatrice Springborn, President, UCP, added. “Matthew’s script is original, intriguing, and perfectly captures the frenetic energy of the Satanic Panic. We can’t wait for audiences to experience the show on Peacock.”

As evidenced recently in Season 4 of Stranger Things, the real-world concerns of frightened communities showcase how its our friends and neighbors who we should truly be fearful of as opposed to forces from another realm.

Stay tuned for details on Hysteria! before it heads to Peacock.

Are you interested in the new series? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!