Those darn games are corrupting the youth! No, not modern video games. ‘80s RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, naturally. And you can dive right into all the Hysteria in a new series from Peacock.
The coming-of-age thriller explores the dark history of mass hysteria through the lens of the Satanic Panic in the late 1980s. The series comes from writer and executive producer Matthew Scott Kane, as well as EPs and directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Dungeons & Dragons).
Here’s the series synopsis for Hysteria! from Peacock:
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.
“This nail-biting thriller dives into a mass moral panic and all the fears, desires, anger and dread that led to these dark days,” said Beatrice Springborn, President of UCP. “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.”
Fans of Netflix’s Stranger Things got a dose of Satanic Panic in the latest season, as the town rallied against the local D&D group Hellfire Club. So if that B-plot caught your attention, you’ll want to check out this new Peacock series.
Hysteria! will stream exclusively on Peacock. The series doesn’t have a release date yet, but check back to THS for more updates.
