Julie Bowen microwaves a dish of suburban Satanic panic in Peacock’s Hysteria! teaser trailer

Last Updated on August 31, 2024

Who wants to travel back to a time when the most significant threat to the nation was a red-scaled demon with a bifurcated tail and great taste in music? That’s right, folks! Satanic panic is back, thanks to Peacock‘s Hysteria! teaser trailer! Hide your kids! Say your prayers! Prepare for a moral panic that is more appealing than anything you see on today’s news!

Here’s the official (and lengthy) synopsis for Hysteria!:

“What are those kids up to? Whatever it is, it can’t be good.”

That fear haunts every generation. Children of the Atomic Age went on to terrifying their families by turning on, tuning in and dropping out in the sixties. Those same “free spirits” went on to vote for Reagan and called for censorship of the “obscene” and “satanic” heavy metal bands their own kids worshiped. Now, those kids are adults who rail against pronouns, TikTok, and a movie about Barbie. The cycle doesn’t end. And it’s hard to escape the feeling that someone, or something, is sitting by watching it all and laughing.

Hysteria! is about both sides of that generational fear. It’s about the thrills of being young, rebellious in spirit, and aspirational at heart – and the horrors of growing up and realizing that the world you thought you knew has shifted beneath your feet.

Our hope is that parents and children (of the appropriate age, of course) can enjoy the chills, the laughs, the music, and the heart of Hysteria! together. Growing up is scary. So is parenting.

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.

In Peacock’s Hysteria! teaser trailer, Julie Bowen (Modern Family, Happy Gilmore) dances to Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” before getting interrupted by a supernatural phenomenon that would have the Ghostbusters booking it to her house. After what appears like aftershocks from a minor earthquake subside, Bowen returns to her chores. However, there’s something sinister inside her microwave, and all hell is about to break loose.

Julie Bowen (Totally Killer, Hubie Halloween), Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect, The Help), Emjay Anthony (Chef, Krampus), Chiara Aurelia (Luckiest Girl Alive, Tell Me Your Secrets), Kezii Curtis (Dolemite Is My Name, The Thundermans), and Nikki Hahn (Adventures in Babysitting, Pretty Little Liars) star in Hysteria!, with Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, Burn Notice) in a guest-starring role. Garret Dillahunt, Nolan North, Elijah Richardson, Milly Shapiro, Allison Scagliotti, and Jessica Treska guest as well.

Hysteria! debuts on Peacock on October 18, just in time for Halloween pre-gaming! The show consists of eight hour-long episodes. USA Network and SYFY will simulcast the first episode on October 18, with USA Network airing episodes each Friday.

What do you think about Peacock’s Hysteria! teaser trailer? Let us know in the comments section below.