American Story | |
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Created by | Ryan Murphy Brad Falchuk |
Original work | American Horror Story |
Owner | FX Networks |
Years | 2011–present |
Films and television | |
Television series |
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American Story [1] is an American anthology television franchise consisting of several television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX and FX on Hulu. Each series follows a different genre of fiction, with each individual season conceived as a self-contained miniseries, following a different set of characters and settings, and a story line with its own "beginning, middle, and end." Some plot elements of each season and series are loosely inspired by true events. Many actors appear in more than one season and series, often playing a new character.
Actors who have appeared in two or more instalments of the franchise include: Sarah Paulson; Cuba Gooding Jr.; Connie Britton; Darren Criss; Finn Wittrock; Jon Jon Briones; Billy Eichner; Matt Bomer, who directed an episode of American Crime Story; Kaia Gerber; Naomi Grossman; Chad James Buchanan; John Carroll Lynch; Dylan McDermott; Charles Melton; Billie Lourd; Jamie Brewer; Naomi Campbell who appears in the form of archive audio in American Crime Story; Celia Finkelstein; Blake Shields; John Lacy; Nico Greetham; Teddy Sears; Judith Light; Rebecca Dayan; Matt Lasky; Cameron Cowperthwaite; Spencer Neville; Denis O'Hare and Gabourey Sidibe. Cody Fern and Max Greenfield have appeared in all three installments.
The American Story franchise has received widespread critical acclaim, winning several Emmy Awards.
What you saw in the finale was the end of the Harmon house. The second season of the show will be a brand-new home or building to haunt. Just like this year, every season of this show will have a beginning, middle and end. [The second season] won't be in L.A. It will obviously be in America, but in a completely different locale.
– Murphy on the series' anthology format [2]
Creators Murphy and Falchuk began working on American Horror Story before their Fox series Glee began production. Murphy wanted to do the opposite of what he had done previously and thus began his work on the series. He stated: "I went from Nip/Tuck to Glee, so it made sense that I wanted to do something challenging and dark. And I always had loved, as Brad had, the horror genre. So it just was a natural for me." [3] Falchuk was intrigued by the idea of putting a different angle on the horror genre, stating that their main goal in creating the series was to scare viewers. "You want people to be a little bit off balance afterwards," he said. [4]
In February 2011, FX officially announced that it had ordered a pilot for a possible series from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, with both Murphy and Falchuk writing and Murphy directing. Dante Di Loreto was announced as executive producer. Production on the series began in April 2011. [5] In July 2011, FX officially announced the project had been picked up to become a full series. [6]
From the beginning, Murphy and Falchuk planned that each season of the series would tell a different story. [2] After the first-season finale aired, Murphy spoke of his plans to change the cast and location for the second season. [7] He did say, however, that some actors who starred in the first season would be returning. "The people that are coming back will be playing completely different characters, creatures, monsters, etc. [The Harmons'] stories are done. People who are coming back will be playing entirely new characters," he announced. [2] In November 2012, FX chief executive, John Landgraf, described the unique format of the series stating: "[T]he notion of doing an anthological series of miniseries with a repertory cast—has proven groundbreaking, wildly successful and will prove to be trendsetting." [8]
On October 7, 2014, it was announced that FX had ordered a 10-episode companion series [9] titled American Crime Story , developed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. [10] While each season of American Horror Story focuses on a new horror theme, each season of American Crime Story focuses on a new true crime story. [11] [12] On May 11, 2020, Murphy revealed that a spin-off series named American Horror Stories was being developed; it will feature self-contained anthological episodes, instead of a season-long story arc as featured in American Horror Story. It was set to air on FX. [13]
On August 13, 2021, it was announced that FX had ordered a new spin-off limited series American Sports Story . The first installment, based on the podcast Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc. from The Boston Globe and Wondery, will focus on the rise and fall of former NFL player Aaron Hernandez. [1] On the same day, it was announced that FX had ordered a new spin-off series American Love Story. The first installment will depict the whirlwind courtship and marriage of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. [1]
Four television series make up the American Story franchise: American Horror Story, American Crime Story, American Horror Stories, and American Sports Story. All series in total amount to 191 episodes across 19 seasons of television.
Series | Season | Title | Episodes | Originally released | Network | Status | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Horror Story | 1 | Murder House | 12 | October 5, 2011 | December 21, 2011 | FX | Released | |
2 | Asylum | 13 | October 17, 2012 | January 23, 2013 | ||||
3 | Coven | 13 | October 9, 2013 | January 29, 2014 | ||||
4 | Freak Show | 13 | October 8, 2014 | January 21, 2015 | ||||
5 | Hotel | 12 | October 7, 2015 | January 13, 2016 | ||||
6 | Roanoke | 10 | September 14, 2016 | November 16, 2016 | ||||
7 | Cult | 11 | September 5, 2017 | November 14, 2017 | ||||
8 | Apocalypse | 10 | September 12, 2018 | November 14, 2018 | ||||
9 | 1984 | 9 | September 18, 2019 | November 13, 2019 | ||||
10 | Double Feature [lower-alpha 1] | 10 | August 25, 2021 | October 20, 2021 | ||||
11 | NYC | 10 | October 19, 2022 | November 16, 2022 | ||||
12 | Delicate | 9 | September 20, 2023 | April 24, 2024 | ||||
13 [15] | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | In development | |||
American Crime Story | 1 | The People v. O. J. Simpson | 10 | February 2, 2016 | April 5, 2016 | Released | ||
2 | The Assassination of Gianni Versace | 9 | January 17, 2018 | March 21, 2018 | ||||
3 | Impeachment | 10 | September 7, 2021 | November 9, 2021 | ||||
4 | Studio 54 [16] | TBA | TBA | TBA | In development | |||
American Horror Stories | 1 | N/A | 7 | July 15, 2021 | August 19, 2021 | FX on Hulu | Released | |
2 | 8 | July 21, 2022 | September 8, 2022 | |||||
3 | 9 | October 26, 2023 | October 15, 2024 | |||||
American Sports Story | 1 | Aaron Hernandez | 10 [17] | September 17, 2024 | November 12, 2024 [17] | FX | Airing | |
American Love Story | 1 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | In development |
In February 2011, FX officially announced that it had ordered a pilot for a possible series from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, with both Murphy and Falchuk writing and Murphy directing. Dante Di Loreto was announced as executive producer. Production on the series began in April 2011. [18] In July 2011, FX officially announced the project had been picked up to become a full series. [19]
Each season of American Horror Story focuses on a new horror theme. The series premiered on October 5, 2011, and is broadcast on the cable television channel FX in the United States. In November 2011, it premiered internationally on the respective countries' Fox Networks Group.The first season, retroactively subtitled Murder House , takes place in Los Angeles, California in 2011.It premiered on October 5, 2011, and concluded on December 21, 2011. The second season, subtitled Asylum , takes place in Massachusetts in 1964 which premiered on October 17, 2012. The third season, subtitled Coven , takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana in 2013 which premiered on October 9, 2013. The fourth season, subtitled Freak Show , takes place in Jupiter, Florida in 1952 which premiered on October 8, 2014. The fifth season, subtitled Hotel , takes place in Los Angeles, California in 2015 which premiered on October 7, 2015. The sixth season, subtitled Roanoke , takes place in North Carolina during 2014–2016 which premiered on September 14, 2016. The seventh season, subtitled Cult , takes place in the fictional suburb of Brookfield Heights, Michigan, during 2016–2017 which premiered on September 5, 2017. The eighth season, subtitled Apocalypse , features the return of the witches from Coven as they battle the Antichrist from Murder House in an attempt to prevent the apocalypse which premiered on September 12, 2018. The ninth season, subtitled 1984 , takes place outside of Los Angeles during the 1980s which premiered on September 18, 2019. The tenth season, subtitled Double Feature , includes two parts, and the first one takes place in 2021, focusing on a family who moves to Provincetown, Massachusetts, where the strange inhabitants begin to make an impact on their lives. In the second part, a group of students on a camping trip finds themselves embroiled in a terrifying and deadly conspiracy that has been preparing for decades which premiered on August 25, 2021.The eleventh season, subtitled NYC , takes place in 1980s New York City, and focuses on a string of killings involving gay men, as well as the emergence of a new virus which premiered on October 19, 2022. The twelfth season, Delicate , takes place in New York City and follows an actress who comes to believe that someone is going to great lengths to stop her from fulfilling her dream of getting pregnant which premiered on September 20, 2023. In January 2020, FX renewed the series for an additional three seasons, including the eleventh season, bringing it to at least thirteen confirmed seasons.
FX announced an order for a 10-episode companion series [20] American Crime Story in October 2014, developed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. [21] Substituting a new horror theme for each season, American Crime Story focuses on a new true crime story. The series features American Horror Story cast members Sarah Paulson, Connie Britton, Cuba Gooding Jr., Darren Criss, Finn Wittrock, Max Greenfield, Jon Jon Briones, Cody Fern, and Billy Eichner.
The first season The People v. O. J. Simpson premiered in February 2016. The second season The Assassination of Gianni Versace premiered in January 2018. [11] The third season Impeachment premiered in September 2021. [12] A potential fourth season, tentatively focusing on the rise and fall of Studio 54 owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, is currently in development. [22]
On May 11, 2020, Murphy revealed that a spin-off series named American Horror Stories was being developed; it will feature self-contained anthological episodes, instead of a season-long story arc as featured in American Horror Story. On June 22, 2020, it was announced that American Horror Stories would stream on FX on Hulu. [23] American Horror Stories premiered on July 15, 2021, and its first season consists of seven episodes. [24] On August 13, 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, [25] Which premiered on July 21, 2022, and consists of eight episodes.
Matt Bomer, Gavin Creel, Sierra McCormick, Paris Jackson, Belissa Escobedo, Merrin Dungey, Selena Sloan, Valerie Loo, Ashley Martin Carter, Kaia Gerber, Aaron Tveit and Celia Finkelstein starred in the first two episodes. [26] [27] Other American Horror Story alums who appeared in the first season include Naomi Grossman, John Carroll Lynch, Charles Melton, Billie Lourd, Chad James Buchanan, Cody Fern, Dylan McDermott and Jamie Brewer along with newcomers Rhenzy Feliz, Madison Bailey, Ben J. Pierce, Leonardo Cecchi, Kyle Red Silverstein, Amy Grabow, Adrienne Barbeau, Kevin McHale, Nico Greetham, Dyllón Burnside, Taneka Johnson, Danny Trejo, Ronen Rubinstein, Virginia Gardner, Vanessa E. Williams, Michael B. Silver, Kimberley Drummond, Jake Choi, Misha Gonz-Cirkl, Tiffany Dupont, Blake Shields, Colin Tandberg, Mercedes Mason, Noah Cyrus, Adam Hagenbuch, John Brotherton, Nicolas Bechtel and Tom Lenk. [28] [29]
Nico Greetham and Cody Fern returned for the second season. Denis O'Hare, Matt Lasky, Gabourey Sidibe, Max Greenfield, Austin Woods, Seth Gabel, Rebecca Dayan, Cameron Cowperthwaite, Spencer Neville and Teddy Sears, who appeared in previous seasons of American Horror Story, will also appear in the second season along with newcomers Kristine Froseth, Houston Jax Towe, Abby Corrigan, Simone Recasner, Maryssa Menendez, Emily Morales-Cabrera, Caitlin Dulany, Joel Swetow, Lily Rohren, Vince Yap, Nancy Linehan Charles, Bella Thorne, Anthony De La Torre, Billie Bodega, Addison Timlin, Julia Schlaepfer, Ian Sharkey, Dominique Jackson, Quvenzhané Wallis, Raven Scott, Kyla Drew, Kyanna Simone, Shane Callahan, Ryan D. Madison, Tiffany Yvonne Cox, Judith Light, Britt Lower, Todd Waring, Cornelia Guest, Madison Iseman, Jeff Doucette, Sara Silva, Jessika Van, Chelsea M. Davis, Alicia Silverstone, Olivia Rouyre, Bobby Hogan, Heather Wynters and Jarrod Crawford. [30] [31]
On August 13, 2021, it was announced that FX had ordered a new spin-off limited series American Sports Story. The first installment, based on the podcast Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc. from The Boston Globe and Wondery, will focus on the rise and fall of former NFL player Aaron Hernandez. [1] In January 2023, it was reported that the series was "heading toward production". [32] Principal photography began on April 3, 2023, in Jersey City, New Jersey. [33] Filming was suspended in July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. [34] The series premiered on September 17, 2024. [35]
On August 13, 2021, it was announced that FX had ordered a new spin-off series American Love Story. The first installment will depict the whirlwind courtship and marriage of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. [1]
Title | Season | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
---|---|---|---|
American Horror Story | Murder House | 72% (147 reviews) [36] | 62 (30 reviews) [37] |
Asylum | 84% (220 reviews) [38] | 65 (23 reviews) [39] | |
Coven | 85% (221 reviews) [40] | 71 (24 reviews) [41] | |
Freak Show | 77% (202 reviews) [42] | 69 (19 reviews) [43] | |
Hotel | 64% (214 reviews) [44] | 60 (24 reviews) [45] | |
Roanoke | 74% (160 reviews) [46] | 72 (9 reviews) [47] | |
Cult | 73% (218 reviews) [48] | 66 (24 reviews) [49] | |
Apocalypse | 79% (193 reviews) [50] | 63 (6 reviews) [51] | |
1984 | 88% (170 reviews) [52] | — | |
Double Feature | 80% (61 reviews) [53] | — | |
NYC | 71% (7 reviews) [54] | — | |
Delicate | 77% (13 reviews) [55] | 57 (8 reviews) [56] | |
American Crime Story | The People v. O. J. Simpson | 97% (94 reviews) [57] | 90 (45 reviews) [58] |
The Assassination of Gianni Versace | 88% (98 reviews) [59] | 74 (35 reviews) [60] | |
Impeachment | 69% (74 reviews) [61] | 61 (34 reviews) [62] | |
American Horror Stories | 1 | 52% (39 reviews) [63] | 54 (5 reviews) [64] |
2 | 80% (5 reviews) [65] | — | |
American Sports Story | Aaron Hernandez | 70% (20 reviews) [66] | 72 (14 reviews) [67] |
As part of the promotion for American Horror Story , FX launched a "House Call" campaign, in which viewers at home could sign up and come face-to-face with a character from the series. [68] Prior to the series premiere, FX released several clues to shine light on the series. They were offered on the show's official YouTube channel. Ten clues were released. [69] In September 2011, FX launched a website which allows visitors to tour the Murder House throughout the decades and look for clues. [70]
In August 2012, the first promo for the second season was released on the American Horror Story Facebook page entitled "Special Delivery", in which a nun carries a couple of buckets filled with body parts through a field. As a church bell rings, the nun empties one bucket's bloody contents, leaving the empty bucket behind, and resumes her trek. [71] Over 20 subsequent teasers were released. [72] Four photos were also released on EW.com. [73] Two televised teasers, titled "Meet the Residents", were released on August 31, 2012. They feature the patients and some staff (such as Dr. Thredson, played by Zachary Quinto, and Sister Mary Eunice, played by Lily Rabe) lying in twin beds and dealing with their individual issues as the heads of the asylum (Jessica Lange, Joseph Fiennes and James Cromwell) look on. The song "Que Sera, Sera", mixed with the show's theme music, plays. [74] To promote Cult, a competition was set up where fans who donated to the Children's Hospital Los Angeles could get a chance to get a walk-on role in an episode, and lunch with Evan Peters. [75]
On August 16, 2016, FX announced a deal had been struck to feature an American Horror Story maze at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando for their Halloween Horror Nights events. The maze featured sets and themes from Murder House, Freak Show, and Hotel. Universal Parks & Resorts said of the experience, "Twisted scenes from Murder House will unleash the evil spirits that possess the Harmon estate, spiraling guests through decades of the tortured dead who previously resided there. In Freak Show, guests joined a troupe of biological misfits in a sinister sideshow where they were stalked by the murderous and deformed Twisty the Clown. Finally, guests succumbed to the warped desires of the Countess after checking into the haunted Hotel Cortez, conceived from the beginning as a torture chamber for its customers." [76] In 2017, the show returned as haunted attractions to both parks, with Universal Orlando having an attraction based on Asylum, Coven, and Roanoke, and Universal Studios Hollywood basing their attraction solely on Roanoke.
In December 2017, The Walt Disney Company announced it would purchase 21st Century Fox which included the 20th Century Fox film and TV assets. The deal was completely finalized on March 20, 2019, making 20th Century Fox officially part of The Walt Disney Studios. As Disney and Universal are bitter rivals in the theme park business (especially for their Central Florida properties), this would likely end the franchise's presence in Halloween Horror Nights at Universal parks. [77]
On July 14, 2021, an American Horror Story themed bakery opened in New York's Meatpacking District in Manhattan until July 24, 2021, to celebrate the release of spin-off American Horror Stories and the tenth season. Guests had to be over the age of 18 to enter the bakery. Guests also had to make reservations for 30 minute visits. It featured sweet treats inspired by the series, as well as unique designs and characters based on past installments of American Horror Story and American Horror Stories. After placing an order, the Rubber Woman, introduced in the first episode of American Horror Stories, delivered the order through a secret window. It opened in Los Angeles from August 4, 2021, until August 14, 2021, in Beverly Grove. The bakery opened in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where the first part of the tenth season were filmed, at Pat's Happy Park on September 1, 2021, till September 4, 2021. [78] [79] [80] [81] [82] [83] [84]
Ryan Patrick Murphy is an American television writer, director, and producer. He has created and produced a number of television series including Nip/Tuck (2003–2010), Glee (2009–2015), American Horror Story (2011–present), American Crime Story (2016–present), Pose (2018–2021), 9-1-1 (2018–present), 9-1-1: Lone Star (2020–present), Ratched (2020), American Horror Stories (2021–present), and Monster (2022–present).
Bradley Douglas Falchuk is an American television writer, director, and producer. He is best known for co-creating with Ryan Murphy the television series Glee, American Horror Story, Scream Queens, and Pose. He was also a writer and executive producer for Nip/Tuck and is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.
American Horror Story (AHS) is an American horror anthology television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX. The first installment in the American Story media franchise, seasons of AHS are mostly conceived as self-contained miniseries, following a different set of characters in a new setting within the same fictional universe, and a storyline with its own "beginning, middle, and end." Some plot elements of each season are loosely inspired by true events. Many actors appear in more than one season, usually playing a new character though sometimes as a returning character, and often playing multiple characters in a season. Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, and Lily Rabe have returned most frequently, with each having appeared in nine seasons, followed by Frances Conroy and Denis O'Hare who both appear in eight; Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, and Leslie Grossman appear in six, while other notable actors including Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Adina Porter, Finn Wittrock, and Jamie Brewer appear in five of the seasons.
"Pilot" is the first episode and the series premiere of the television series American Horror Story, which premiered on the network FX on October 5, 2011. The episode was co-written by series creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk and directed by Murphy. Falchuk and Murphy had previously collaborated on the Fox musical comedy-drama Glee.
The first season of American Horror Story, retroactively subtitled Murder House, centers on the Harmon family, who, after dealing with a miscarriage and infidelity, move to a restored mansion in Los Angeles, unaware that the ghosts of its former residents and their victims haunt the house. The ensemble cast includes Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott, Evan Peters, Taissa Farmiga, Denis O'Hare, and Jessica Lange.
The fourth season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Freak Show, is set in 1952 Jupiter, Florida, telling the story of one of the last remaining freak shows in the United States and their struggle for survival. The ensemble cast includes Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Michael Chiklis, Frances Conroy, Emma Roberts, Denis O'Hare, Finn Wittrock, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, and Jessica Lange, with all returning from previous seasons, except newcomers Chiklis and Wittrock. The season marks the first not to be strictly anthological, with Lily Rabe, Naomi Grossman, and James Cromwell reprising their roles from the series' second cycle, Asylum.
American Crime Story is an American true crime anthology series developed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who are also executive producers, alongside Brad Falchuk, Nina Jacobson, Ryan Murphy, and Brad Simpson. The series is the second installment in the American Story media franchise, following American Horror Story. Each season is presented as a self-contained miniseries and is independent of the events in other seasons. Alexander and Karaszewski did not return after the first season, but retain executive-producer credits. In the United States, the series is broadcast on FX. In January 2023, the series was renewed for a fourth season.
The sixth season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Roanoke, follows supernatural experiences around a haunted house and its surroundings in North Carolina. The first half of the season is presented as a paranormal documentary entitled My Roanoke Nightmare, which reenacts the experiences of a married couple who lived in the house. The second half is presented as found footage and depicts the doomed production of the documentary's sequel. The ensemble cast includes Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Lily Rabe, Adina Porter, André Holland, Denis O'Hare, Wes Bentley, Evan Peters, Cheyenne Jackson, and Angela Bassett.
The seventh season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Cult, takes place in the fictional suburb of Brookfield Heights, Michigan, during the year 2017, and centers on a cult terrorizing the residents in the aftermath of Donald Trump winning the 2016 U.S. presidential election. It is a season that does not present supernatural elements. The smallest ensemble cast of the series, it includes Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Billie Lourd, Cheyenne Jackson, and Alison Pill, with all returning from previous seasons, except newcomers Lourd and Pill. This season marks the first to not feature cast mainstay Lily Rabe.
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The tenth season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Double Feature, is composed of two stories, each taking up half the season. The first story, Red Tide, focuses on a family in Provincetown, Massachusetts, who meet the town's mysterious true inhabitants. The second story, Death Valley, follows a group of camping students who find themselves in the midst of a conspiracy involving extraterrestrials. The ensemble cast includes veterans Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Finn Wittrock, Frances Conroy, Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, Adina Porter, and Angelica Ross, as well as newcomers Macaulay Culkin, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Neal McDonough, Kaia Gerber, Nico Greetham, Isaac Powell, Rachel Hilson, and Rebecca Dayan.
American Horror Stories is an American horror anthology television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for FX on Hulu. Originally premiering on July 15, 2021, the series serves as a direct spin-off/companion series to American Horror Story, and the third installment in the American Story media franchise. In contrast to American Horror Story, which tells a different story throughout each season, Stories tells a different story in each individual episode.
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Kindred is an American science fiction television series developed by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and based on the 1979 novel of the same name written by Octavia E. Butler.