Peacock has delivered a gory, nostalgic Halloween treat with its new coming-of-age horror series, Hysteria. Created by Matthew Scott Kane and David A. Goodman, the show digs deep into the 1980s and pulls back the curtain on a decade defined by both big hair and bigger fears—specifically, the Satanic Panic that gripped communities across the United States. Throw in Bruce Campbell, a heavy-metal soundtrack, and an eerie small-town mystery, and you’ve got a series ready to rock Halloween this year.
Hysteria captures a less-explored corner of ’80s culture that isn’t just about neon leggings and classic John Hughes moments. It takes us on a different path, right into the dark underbelly of suburban paranoia, where misinformation spiraled into genuine panic. As Kane told CNET, “While we’re in this period where there’s a glut of ’80s nostalgia pieces, I felt like here’s a corner that is not really being explored.” And thus, the show’s main focus became clear: to dive headfirst into the mass hysteria fueled by misinformation, all to draw an eerie parallel to the present day.
Release Details: When and Where to Watch
All eight episodes of Hysteria dropped today, October 18, on Peacock—just in time for Halloween binge-watching. The first episode is also airing on USA Network and Syfy, making it accessible to anyone not yet onboard with streaming. Following the initial episode’s simultaneous broadcast, new episodes will continue to air weekly, delivering a regular dose of ’80s-tinged fear.
Each episode’s title is a nod to the heavy-metal soundtrack of the era, including references to iconic songs like Die Young, Heaven’s on Fire, and Dance Macabre. The titles alone set the tone, pulling viewers back into a decade when rock music became synonymous with rebellion and even, for some, danger. Fans of Stranger Things will feel a kindred nostalgia here, but Hysteria does more than ride the coattails of that show’s success—it brings its own darker, heavier vibe.
The Story Behind Hysteria
Hysteria takes place in Happy Hollow, a small town inspired by Kane’s own hometown of Ypsilanti, Michigan. It’s a sleepy place, until the high school football star mysteriously disappears. The event sparks rumors of Satanic rituals and occult involvement, which grow out of control faster than you can say, “We’re not in Kansas anymore.” These rumors, buoyed by the 1980s’ lack of instant information, quickly start a witch-hunt-like panic in the community. Suddenly, it’s more than just a missing kid—it’s a question of who might be pulling the strings behind the curtain of darkness.
The focus falls on a trio of high school outcasts: Dylan, Jordy, and Spud, three friends already on the fringes of Happy Hollow’s social circles. Instead of being cowed by the hysteria, they decide to make it work for them, hyping their fledgling heavy metal band by pretending to be Satanists. It’s all fun and games—until it’s not. Their little rebellion against the mundanity of small-town life leads them straight into the crosshairs of Tracy Whitehead, a fervent religious zealot determined to pin all of Happy Hollow’s woes on Dylan and his friends. This is where Hysteria sets itself apart from other horror-tinged nostalgia trips: it makes no bones about showing how easily fear-mongering can spiral into real-life danger.
Meet the Cast
With a mix of horror legends and talented up-and-comers, Hysteria has assembled a fantastic cast. Emjay Anthony leads the trio as Dylan, while Kezii Curtis and Chiara Aurelia play his bandmates Spud and Jordy. Julie Bowen (Modern Family) takes on the role of Dylan’s mom, Linda—a woman doing her best to keep it together as her world unravels. Bowen describes Linda as “striving to be a normal mom, but there’s some internalized hysteria under her smiling surface” that might make you question her sanity. It’s a layered performance that lets Bowen flex her chops beyond comedic roles.
Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect) portrays Tracy Whitehead, a fervent believer with an overprotective streak, trying to shield her daughter from what she sees as a town overrun by evil. In an interesting twist, Camp emphasizes Tracy’s armor: her faith, her makeup, her prim facade—all tools to protect herself from a traumatic past. This depth makes Tracy less of a cartoonish villain and more of a tragically misguided figure, turning her antagonism into something complex rather than just predictable moralizing.
And then there’s Bruce Campbell, the man, the myth, the horror legend, stepping into the shoes of Police Chief Dandridge. For once, Campbell isn’t playing the caricatured anti-hero—instead, he’s the “normal one”, as Campbell himself put it. He’s the voice of reason in an increasingly chaotic town, struggling to contain a mess that’s spiraling out of control. His character provides a tether for the audience, a touch of stability amid all the madness—though Campbell assures us, Dandridge is not immune to the chaos that ensues.
Satanic Panic: A Reflection of Modern Fears
Hysteria doesn’t just bank on nostalgia for fun’s sake—it has something to say. The Satanic Panic of the 1980s was a time when fear and rumor had terrifying real-world consequences, from wrongful accusations to full-blown public trials. It was the dawn of the “guilty until proven innocent” culture where, in the absence of information, fear stepped in to fill the void. The series makes pointed connections between the misinformation of the 1980s and the digital-age disinformation of today. As Kane told CNET, “Truth is malleable right now. Therefore, reality is malleable.” That’s the eerie undertone beneath Hysteria’s story—just how easily a community can be led astray when bombarded by fear-driven narratives.
Throughout the show, we see these parallels played out in Happy Hollow, a town where news spreads slowly, often mixed with half-truths and unchecked fear. Julie Bowen describes the frustration of the era—“You have to wait until the morning paper, the six o’clock news the next day, before any updates.” This delay in information makes Happy Hollow’s descent into madness all the more plausible, reminding us how far we’ve come—or maybe, how far we haven’t—in handling misinformation.
The Real Horror Lies in the Community
Much like the ’80s slashers and horrors that inspired it, Hysteria is as much about the darkness within the people as it is about external scares. As Kane points out, both the teenagers and their parents find themselves benefiting from the widespread panic. The teens ride the wave of fear for a little bit of clout, while some adults might be using the Satanic Panic as a convenient smokescreen for their own dubious actions. Hysteria makes no effort to hide its criticism of how a collective sense of dread—rational or not—can be manipulated to both gain power and hide sins.
Bruce Campbell emphasized this tension in his portrayal of Chief Dandridge: “He’s the one who’s trying to make sense out of this complete insanity.” But even he is not immune to the influence of the spreading paranoia. There’s a genuine sense that in the sleepy community of Happy Hollow, everyone is about one whisper away from complete chaos.
Heavy Metal: The Heartbeat of Hysteria
Music plays a massive role in Hysteria. It’s not just a backdrop; it’s the beating heart of the show. With episode titles that call out some of the greatest hits of the decade, Hysteria pays homage to heavy metal and its association with rebellious youth. For a brief moment in history, heavy metal music found itself at the center of the Satanic Panic. Bands like Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and Judas Priest became synonymous with everything from devil worship to societal corruption—largely misunderstood but certainly feared.
The fictional band at the heart of the series—fronted by Dylan, Jordy, and Spud—represents that youthful pushback against a world that’s determined to see them as villains. They’re not trying to summon demons, they’re trying to find a way to be seen, heard, and maybe even famous. The show deftly captures that spirit—the way music, rebellion, and a bit of bad behavior can collide and spiral out of control, especially when the rest of the world is eager to believe the worst.
Where Does Hysteria Go From Here?
The beauty of Hysteria is that it uses nostalgia and genre conventions to make pointed critiques of modern issues. Kane and Goodman have created a world that feels both distant and alarmingly close, capturing the absurdity of the 1980s while offering plenty of food for thought about how we handle fear today. Whether it’s social media-fueled frenzy or the small-town rumors that lead to tragic outcomes, Hysteria asks us to question just how easily we fall victim to mass misinformation.
The series manages to be genuinely funny in parts—not surprising, considering the talent behind it—but it never loses its sense of foreboding. The humor, much like the heavy metal soundtrack, provides a contrast to the darkness, reminding us that even in the worst of times, there’s room for rebellion, laughter, and maybe a little bit of hope.
Is Hysteria Worth Watching?
If you love ’80s nostalgia, heavy metal music, small-town mysteries, and a dash of dark comedy, Hysteria is absolutely worth your time. It’s a show that’s unafraid to delve into the uglier side of nostalgia, capturing not only the charm of an analog decade but also its blind spots and fears. It’s a reminder that mass hysteria isn’t just an artifact of the past—it’s a reflection of our present-day vulnerabilities.
The cast brings incredible depth to their roles, from Bruce Campbell’s surprisingly earnest portrayal of a small-town police chief to Anna Camp’s complex take on the deeply flawed Tracy Whitehead. The series balances horror, humor, and heartbreak in a way that’s hard to look away from.
Peacock has a winner on its hands with Hysteria. It’s got everything a horror fan could want: mysterious disappearances, a small town on edge, and just enough dark humor to keep the mood from getting too grim. And with Bruce Campbell’s stamp of approval? You know it’s worth at least a watch—if only to see how Happy Hollow gets out of its own hellscape.
