American Horror Story
Encyclopedia
American Horror Story is a horror
-drama
television series created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk
. The series centers on the Harmon family: Ben, Vivien and their daughter Violet, who move from Boston
to Los Angeles
after Vivien has a miscarriage and Ben has an affair. They move into a restored mansion, unaware that the home is haunted by its former inhabitants.
The series premiered on October 5, 2011, and is broadcast on the cable television channel FX in the United States.
On October 31, 2011, FX announced that the series had been renewed for a second season consisting of 13 episodes that may be extended.
), Vivien (Connie Britton
) and Violet (Taissa Farmiga
), who move from Boston to Los Angeles after Vivien has a miscarriage and Ben has an affair with one of his students. On arrival they learn that the previous owner of their new mansion was murdered by his lover, who then killed himself. Along with the house comes kleptomaniac neighbor Constance (Jessica Lange
); her mentally challenged daughter Adelaide (Jamie Brewer), who seems to have a supernatural connection with the house's mysterious, blood-soaked past; and Moira O'Hara (Frances Conroy
, Alexandra Breckenridge), the ancient and seductive housekeeper. Ben begins seeing patients out of his home office and one in particular, the possibly psychotic Tate Langdon (Evan Peters
), takes a keen interest in kindred spirit Violet. The more time the Harmon family spends in the house, the more they realize that their perfect new life is slowly becoming their worst nightmare.
began production. Murphy wanted to do the opposite of what he’d done previously and thus began his work on the series. He stated "So we’re doing some squeaky clean, sweet, optimistic, non-cynical piece, I wanted to do something that sorta tapped into the different side of my personality." 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.
The dark tone of the series is mirrored after the ABC soap opera Dark Shadows
, which Murphy’s grandmother forced him to watch when he was younger to toughen him up. In addition, the series draws inspiration from classic horror films such as Roman Polanski's
Rosemary's Baby
and Stanley Kubrick's
The Shining
.
was announced as executive producer. Production on the series began in April 2011. On July 18, 2011, FX officially announced the project had been picked up to series. On August 3, 2011, it was announced that Tim Minear
, Jennifer Salt
, James Wong
and Jessica Sharzer had joined the series as writers.
was shot on location in a house in Country Club Park, Los Angeles, California, which serves as the haunted house
and crime scene in the series. Designed and built around 1908 by Alfred Rosenheim
, the president of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Architects
, the Tudor or Collegiate Gothic
-style single family home was previously used as a convent.
The series is filmed on sets that are an exact replica of the house. Details such as Lewis Comfort Tiffany stained glass windows, and hammered bronze light fixtures, were re-created to preserve the look of the house.
Due to a "very aggressive" production schedule and the series' pilot shoot having to wait for co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's other show, Glee, to wrap its second season production, it was announced that the show's first season finale would be thirty minutes shorter than planned. An option was given to Murphy by the network to drop the thirteenth episode altogether and air an hour-long finale, but Murphy came up with a plan for a ninety-minute one.
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, entitled "Cello", "Baby", "Couples", "Coffin", "Lying Down", "Fire", "Stairs", "Melt", "Red Cello", and "Rubber Bump".
scored 61 out of 100 on Metacritic
based on 29 reviews. Ken Tucker
from Entertainment Weekly
awarded the pilot episode a B+, stating "AHS is pretty much all scare, all the time: a whole lotta screams, sex, jolts, mashed faces, psychotic behavior, and dead babies."
Chuck Barney of the San Jose Mercury News
said "Most TV shows, after all, quickly fade from memory. This one will haunt your dreams." Hank Stuever
from The Washington Post
said in his review that "Overdoing things is one of Murphy's trademark flaws, but this show has a captivating style and giddy gross-outs."
The New York Times'
Mike Hale calls the show "a more classically minded chiller," taking into mind the success of HBO's True Blood
and AMC's The Walking Dead
.
Not all reviews were favorable: Alan Sepinwall of HitFix
gave the series a D−, saying, "It is so far over the top that the top is a microscopic speck in its rearview mirror, and so full of strange sounds, sights and characters that you likely won't forget it - even though many of you will wish you could."
The Los Angeles Times
Mary McNamara gave it a mixed review, stating that it "...collapses into camp...upon more than one occasion" but also noting that it is "...hard to look away."
American Horror Story premiered on November 7, 2011 across Europe and Latin America on Fox International Channels, ranking #1 or #2 among all Pay-TV in most metered markets across Latin America and Europe for its time slot. In the UK, it premiered on non-terrestrial channel FX
, with 128,200 viewers. The second episode saw an increase of 27%, receiving an overall viewership of 158,700.
.
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
-drama
Dramatic programming
Dramatic programming in the UK, or television drama and television drama series in the US, is television program content that is scripted and fictional along the lines of √a traditional drama. This excludes, for example, sports television, television news, reality show and game shows, stand-up...
television series created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk is a television writer, director and producer. He is best known for his work on the television series Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story.-Early life:...
. The series centers on the Harmon family: Ben, Vivien and their daughter Violet, who move from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
after Vivien has a miscarriage and Ben has an affair. They move into a restored mansion, unaware that the home is haunted by its former inhabitants.
The series premiered on October 5, 2011, and is broadcast on the cable television channel FX in the United States.
On October 31, 2011, FX announced that the series had been renewed for a second season consisting of 13 episodes that may be extended.
Series overview
The series centers on the Harmon family, Ben (Dylan McDermottDylan McDermott
Mark Anthony McDermott , better known by his professional name of Dylan McDermott, is an American actor, known for his role as lawyer and law firm head Bobby Donnell on the television legal drama The Practice and his role in the series Dark Blue as Lt. Carter Shaw. McDermott currently stars in FX...
), Vivien (Connie Britton
Connie Britton
Connie Britton is an American actress. She is best known for the roles of Nikki Faber on Spin City and on Friday Night Lights as Tami Taylor. Her most notable films are Friday Night Lights and A Nightmare on Elm Street...
) and Violet (Taissa Farmiga
Taissa Farmiga
Taissa Farmiga is an American actress, best known for her roles in the FX TV series American Horror Story and the film Higher Ground. She is the younger sister of Oscar nominated actress Vera Farmiga....
), who move from Boston to Los Angeles after Vivien has a miscarriage and Ben has an affair with one of his students. On arrival they learn that the previous owner of their new mansion was murdered by his lover, who then killed himself. Along with the house comes kleptomaniac neighbor Constance (Jessica Lange
Jessica Lange
Jessica Phyllis Lange is an American actress who has worked in film, theatre and television. The recipient of several awards, including two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes and one Emmy, Lange is regarded as one of the première female actors of her generation.Lange was discovered by producer...
); her mentally challenged daughter Adelaide (Jamie Brewer), who seems to have a supernatural connection with the house's mysterious, blood-soaked past; and Moira O'Hara (Frances Conroy
Frances Conroy
Frances Conroy is an American actress. She is best known for playing Ruth, the matriarch of the Fisher family, on Six Feet Under, which earned her a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.-Early life:...
, Alexandra Breckenridge), the ancient and seductive housekeeper. Ben begins seeing patients out of his home office and one in particular, the possibly psychotic Tate Langdon (Evan Peters
Evan Peters
Evan Peters is an American actor, best known for his roles as Tate Langdon in American Horror Story, Jesse Varon in the ABC TV series Invasion and as Cooper Day in The Days, also on ABC. He also had a recurring role in Disney Channel's show Phil of the Future as Phil's geeky friend Seth...
), takes a keen interest in kindred spirit Violet. The more time the Harmon family spends in the house, the more they realize that their perfect new life is slowly becoming their worst nightmare.
Main cast
- Dylan McDermottDylan McDermottMark Anthony McDermott , better known by his professional name of Dylan McDermott, is an American actor, known for his role as lawyer and law firm head Bobby Donnell on the television legal drama The Practice and his role in the series Dark Blue as Lt. Carter Shaw. McDermott currently stars in FX...
as Dr. Benjamin "Ben" Harmon - Connie BrittonConnie BrittonConnie Britton is an American actress. She is best known for the roles of Nikki Faber on Spin City and on Friday Night Lights as Tami Taylor. Her most notable films are Friday Night Lights and A Nightmare on Elm Street...
as Vivien Harmon - Taissa FarmigaTaissa FarmigaTaissa Farmiga is an American actress, best known for her roles in the FX TV series American Horror Story and the film Higher Ground. She is the younger sister of Oscar nominated actress Vera Farmiga....
as Violet Harmon - Evan PetersEvan PetersEvan Peters is an American actor, best known for his roles as Tate Langdon in American Horror Story, Jesse Varon in the ABC TV series Invasion and as Cooper Day in The Days, also on ABC. He also had a recurring role in Disney Channel's show Phil of the Future as Phil's geeky friend Seth...
as Tate Langdon - Denis O'HareDenis O'HareDenis O'Hare is an American actor noted for his award winning performances in Take Me Out and Sweet Charity as well as the HBO television show True Blood. He is also known for his supporting roles in the films Charlie Wilson's War and Milk...
as Larry Harvey - Jessica LangeJessica LangeJessica Phyllis Lange is an American actress who has worked in film, theatre and television. The recipient of several awards, including two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes and one Emmy, Lange is regarded as one of the première female actors of her generation.Lange was discovered by producer...
as Constance Langdon
Recurring and minor characters
- Frances ConroyFrances ConroyFrances Conroy is an American actress. She is best known for playing Ruth, the matriarch of the Fisher family, on Six Feet Under, which earned her a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.-Early life:...
as Moira O'Hara, the housekeeper - Alexandra BreckenridgeAlex BreckenridgeAlexandra "Alex" Breckenridge is an American film and television actress, photographer and voice artist. Noted for her role as Willa McPherson on the television series Dirt, she also had a supporting role on the short lived series The Ex List...
as Young Moira O'Hara - Jamie Brewer as Adelaide "Addie", Constance’s daughter
- Kate MaraKate MaraKate Mara is an American television and film actress. Beginning acting in her hometown of Bedford, New York, she moved from the stage to her first film, Random Hearts...
as Hayden McClaine, Ben's student and former lover - Christine EstabrookChristine EstabrookChristine Estabrook is an American television and film actress. She has been featured in several motion pictures mostly in supporting roles...
as Marcy, the Harmons' real estate agent - Zachary QuintoZachary QuintoZachary John Quinto is an American actor and producer. Quinto grew up in Pennsylvania and was active in high school musical theater. In the early 2000s he guest starred in television series and appeared in a recurring role in the serial drama 24 from 2003 to 2004...
as Chad, the most recent former owner of the house - Teddy SearsTeddy SearsEdward M. "Teddy" Sears is an American television actor, best known for his roles on One Life to Live and the TNT series Raising the Bar.- Early life :...
as Patrick, Chad's partner - Shelby YoungShelby YoungShelby Young is an American actress best known for her roles in The Social Network and Wild Child. She also voices all of the Lucky Charms, Trix and Coco Puffs commercials, and play the role of Kinsey on Days of our Lives....
as Leah, Violet's bully-turned-companion - Matt RossMatt RossMatthew Brandon "Matt" Ross is an American actor best known for his role as Alby Grant in the HBO series, Big Love.-Filmography:*Urusei Yatsura 2 *Desperation Rising *PCU...
as Dr. Charles Montgomery, a surgeon who built the house in 1922 - Lily RabeLily RabeLily Rabe is an American actress. She is the daughter of the late actress Jill Clayburgh and playwright David Rabe and attended Northwestern University and the Hotchkiss School....
as Nora Montgomery, Dr. Montgomery's wife - Michael GraziadeiMichael GraziadeiMichael Graziadei is an American actor best known for his role as Daniel Romalotti on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless. He is only 14 years younger than Michelle Stafford, who plays the role of his mother Phyllis on the show. Graziadei is of Italian and Lithuanian heritage...
as Travis, Constance's young lover - Morris ChestnutMorris ChestnutMorris L. Chestnut is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles as teenage father Ricky Baker in the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, groom-to-be Lance Sullivan in the 1999 film The Best Man, as Tracy Reynolds, NBA star in the 2002 film Like Mike, and as the Visitor Ryan in the...
as Luke, a security patrol officer - Brando EatonBrando EatonBrando Eaton is an American film and television actor. He may be best known for his role as Jonah Mitchell in the fourth, fifth and sixth seasons of Dexter .-Biography:...
as Kyle Greenwell, a victim of the Westfield High shooting - Ashley RickardsAshley RickardsAshley Nicole Rickards is an American actress. She has been in various films and television shows portraying a wide variety of characters, most notably Fly Away, in which she portrayed Mandy, a severely autistic girl. She is also the lead character, Jenna Hamilton, in MTV's Awkward...
as Chloe Stapleton, a victim of the Westfield High shooting - Alessandra Torresani as Stephanie Boggs, a victim of the Westfield High shooting
- Sarah PaulsonSarah Paulson-Career:She was a series regular on the cult television show American Gothic and the WB series Jack & Jill , playing the character "Elisa Cronkite"...
as Billie Dean, a mediumMediumshipMediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :... - Eric StonestreetEric StonestreetEric Stonestreet is an American actor, known for his starring role as Cameron Tucker on the ABC comedy Modern Family. Stonestreet has received critical acclaim for his performance in Modern Family and won the 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his...
as Derek, a patient of Dr. Harmon, who is afraid of the "Pigman" - Mena SuvariMena SuvariMena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Shortly after beginning her career as a model, she appeared in guest roles on 1990's television shows such as Boy Meets World and High Incident...
as Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia
Conception
Creators Murphy and Falchuk began working on American Horror Story before their Fox series GleeGlee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
began production. Murphy wanted to do the opposite of what he’d done previously and thus began his work on the series. He stated "So we’re doing some squeaky clean, sweet, optimistic, non-cynical piece, I wanted to do something that sorta tapped into the different side of my personality." 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.
The dark tone of the series is mirrored after the ABC soap opera Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
, which Murphy’s grandmother forced him to watch when he was younger to toughen him up. In addition, the series draws inspiration from classic horror films such as Roman Polanski's
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
Rosemary's Baby
Rosemary's Baby (film)
Rosemary's Baby is a 1968 American horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski, based on the bestselling 1967 novel Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin...
and Stanley Kubrick's
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
The Shining
The Shining (film)
The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an...
.
Development history
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 LoretoDante Di Loreto
Dante Di Loreto is an American writer and producer, best known for executive producing the 20th Century Fox series Glee.-Career:Prior to joining Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk to create Glee, Di Loreto produced several shows for cable and broadcast television as well as a selection of films...
was announced as executive producer. Production on the series began in April 2011. On July 18, 2011, FX officially announced the project had been picked up to series. On August 3, 2011, it was announced that Tim Minear
Tim Minear
Tim Minear is an American screenwriter and director. He was born in New York, grew up in Whittier, California, and studied film at California State University, Long Beach....
, Jennifer Salt
Jennifer Salt
Jennifer Salt is an American producer, screenwriter, and former actress.-Life and career:Salt was born in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were screenwriter Waldo Salt and actress Mary Davenport; her stepmother was the writer Eve Merriam...
, James Wong
James Wong (producer)
James 'Jim' Wong is a Cantonese-American television producer, writer, and film director notable for his screen works of The X-Files, Space: Above and Beyond, Millennium, Final Destination 1 & 3, The One, and the remakes of Willard and Black Christmas along with writing partner Glen...
and Jessica Sharzer had joined the series as writers.
Casting
Casting announcements began in March 2011, with Connie Britton first to be cast, portaying female lead Vivien Harmon. Denis O’Hare joined the cast in late March as Larry Harvey. Jessica Lange joined the cast in April as Constance, marking her first regular role on television. Dylan McDermott was cast as the lead Ben Harmon in late April. His character was initially described as "a handsome and masculine but sensitive therapist who loves his family but has hurt his wife." In May, Taissa Farmiga and Evan Peters were the last actors to be cast, portraying Violet Harmon and Tate Langdon, respectively.Filming
The pilot episodePilot (American Horror Story)
"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...
was shot on location in a house in Country Club Park, Los Angeles, California, which serves as the haunted house
Haunted house
A haunted house is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property...
and crime scene in the series. Designed and built around 1908 by Alfred Rosenheim
Alfred Rosenheim
Alfred Faist Rosenheim, F.A.I.A. was an American architect and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. He was one of the leading architects in Los Angeles, California in the early part of the 20th Century. His major works include the H.W...
, the president of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
, the Tudor or Collegiate Gothic
Collegiate Gothic in North America
Collegiate Gothic is an architectural genre, a subgenre of Gothic Revival architecture.-History:The beginnings of Collegiate Gothic in North America date back to 1894 when Cope & Stewardson completed Pembroke Hall on the campus of Bryn Mawr College...
-style single family home was previously used as a convent.
The series is filmed on sets that are an exact replica of the house. Details such as Lewis Comfort Tiffany stained glass windows, and hammered bronze light fixtures, were re-created to preserve the look of the house.
Due to a "very aggressive" production schedule and the series' pilot shoot having to wait for co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's other show, Glee, to wrap its second season production, it was announced that the show's first season finale would be thirty minutes shorter than planned. An option was given to Murphy by the network to drop the thirteenth episode altogether and air an hour-long finale, but Murphy came up with a plan for a ninety-minute one.
Promotion
As part of the promotion for the series, 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.Prior to the series premiere, FX released several clues to shine light on the series. They were offered on the show's official YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel. Ten clues were released, entitled "Cello", "Baby", "Couples", "Coffin", "Lying Down", "Fire", "Stairs", "Melt", "Red Cello", and "Rubber Bump".
Critical reception
American Horror Story has received generally positive reviews from critics. The first episodePilot (American Horror Story)
"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...
scored 61 out of 100 on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
based on 29 reviews. Ken Tucker
Ken Tucker
Ken Tucker was an English footballer who played as a left winger....
from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
awarded the pilot episode a B+, stating "AHS is pretty much all scare, all the time: a whole lotta screams, sex, jolts, mashed faces, psychotic behavior, and dead babies."
Chuck Barney of the San Jose Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News
The San Jose Mercury News is a daily newspaper in San Jose, California. On its web site, however, it calls itself Silicon Valley Mercury News. The paper is owned by MediaNews Group...
said "Most TV shows, after all, quickly fade from memory. This one will haunt your dreams." Hank Stuever
Hank Stuever
Hank Stuever is an American journalist who writes about popular culture for the Style section of the Washington Post. In 2009, he became one of the paper's TV critics. He is a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing, in 1993 and 1996...
from The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
said in his review that "Overdoing things is one of Murphy's trademark flaws, but this show has a captivating style and giddy gross-outs."
The New York Times'
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Mike Hale calls the show "a more classically minded chiller," taking into mind the success of HBO's True Blood
True Blood
True Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana...
and AMC's The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead (TV series)
The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic horror television series developed for television by Frank Darabont and based on the ongoing comic book series, The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard...
.
Not all reviews were favorable: Alan Sepinwall of HitFix
HitFix
HitFix, or the HitFix.com is an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information and providing reviews and critiques of film, music and television...
gave the series a D−, saying, "It is so far over the top that the top is a microscopic speck in its rearview mirror, and so full of strange sounds, sights and characters that you likely won't forget it - even though many of you will wish you could."
The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
Mary McNamara gave it a mixed review, stating that it "...collapses into camp...upon more than one occasion" but also noting that it is "...hard to look away."
Ratings
The pilot episode gained a 1.6 ratings share among adults aged 18–49 and garnered 3.2 million viewers, and totalled 5.2 million between two airings. Ratings increased as the series progressed, with the fourth episode receiving a 1.7 ratings share among adults 18-49, a tenth of a point higher than the pilot episode. The seventh episode had a viewership of 3.06 million, receiving a 1.8 ratings share in the 18-49 demographic; a series high.American Horror Story premiered on November 7, 2011 across Europe and Latin America on Fox International Channels, ranking #1 or #2 among all Pay-TV in most metered markets across Latin America and Europe for its time slot. In the UK, it premiered on non-terrestrial channel FX
FX (UK)
FX is a television channel in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, owned by Fox, launched in 12 January 2004. It was originally branded as FX289 in reference to its Sky EPG number. It was rebranded to FX in May 2005 as the channel moved in the Sky EPG.FX targets a demographic between 25...
, with 128,200 viewers. The second episode saw an increase of 27%, receiving an overall viewership of 158,700.
International broadcast
Beginning the first week of November, American Horror Story premiered internationally on Fox International ChannelsFox International Channels
Fox International Channels is a subsidiary of the Fox Entertainment Group, which is a part of Rupert Murdoch's global media conglomerate News Corporation...
.
| Country/Region | Channel | Premiere date |
|---|---|---|
| Fox Fox (Italy) Fox is an Italian Entertainment TV channel, owned and produced by Fox International Channels Italy and broadcast in Italy by Sky Italia on Channel 111. Timeshifts of the channel are available at channel 112 and 113... |
November 8, 2011 | |
| Fox and Cuatro Cuatro Cuatro is Spanish for the number four. It may also refer to:* Cuatro , Name for two distinct Latin American instruments one from Puerto Rico and the other from Venezuela.... |
November 7, 2011 | |
| Fox Channel Fox Channel (Germany) Fox Channel is a German television channel dedicated to television drama series.The channel started broadcasting on the Arena platform and the Unitymedia cable network on May 20, 2008.... |
November 9, 2011 | |
| FX FX (UK) FX is a television channel in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, owned by Fox, launched in 12 January 2004. It was originally branded as FX289 in reference to its Sky EPG number. It was rebranded to FX in May 2005 as the channel moved in the Sky EPG.FX targets a demographic between 25... |
November 7, 2011 | |
| Fox Life (Serbia) | November 7, 2011 | |
| Fox Life (Bulgaria) | November 7, 2011 | |
| FX FX (Greece) FX Greece is a television network, launched by the Fox International Channels, which launched on 31 December 2009 and is currently available to the subscribers of Conn-x TV and NOVA Greece.... |
November 13, 2011 | |
| FOX FOX (Portugal) FOX Portugal is a Portuguese TV channel. It broadcasts series such as House, Bones, The Walking Dead, The Simpsons and much more. It is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation... |
November 13, 2011 | |
| FX | November 8, 2011 | |
| FOX | November 8, 2011 | |
| FOX Channel Japan | November 12, 2011 | |
| FOX Fox (Poland) Fox is a Polish TV channel which broadcasts mainly American series produced by 20th Century Fox Television. Fox HD was launched on November 6, 2010 at 20:00. Since that day it has been available in two DTH platforms: n and Cyfrowy Polsat... |
November 12, 2011 | |
| FOX Fox Latin America Canal FOX is the Latin American version of the American channel FOX. It was launched on October 15, 1993. The channel is mainly oriented towards family audiences, unlike its sister channel FX... |
November 2011 | |
| FOX Channel Chile | November 8, 2011 | |
| FX FX Canada FX Canada is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel which launched on October 31, 2011, devoted primarily to scripted dramas and comedies. The channel is based on the U.S. cable network FX. in standard and high definition. The channel is currently wholly owned by Rogers Media... |
October 31, 2011 | |
| Eleven | November 1, 2011 | |
| FOX | November 8, 2011 | |
| FoxLife | November 7, 2011 | |
| FX FX - Entertainment :* FX , an international cable/satellite television network * F/X, a movie set in the world of special effects* F/X: The Series, a television program based on the movie... |
November 23, 2011 | |
| Fox Crime Fox Crime Fox Crime is a television network, launched by the Fox International Channels, which airs across several countries of Europe and Asia, such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia and Bulgaria... |
November 10, 2011 | |
| yes Yes Yes may refer to:* One of a pair of English words, yes and no* The affirmative grammatical particle in the English language* An indication of acceptance* Yale Entrepreneurial Society, an American non-profit organization... |
January 2012 | |
| Jack TV Jack TV Jack TV is a Philippine cable TV network owned by Solar Entertainment Corporation, test launched on May 2005, officially debuting on July 12, 2005. It offers Western comedy, animation, sports entertainment, drama series and reality shows, such as Cartoon Network, USA Network, The CW, MyNetworkTV,... |
November 11, 2011 | |
| Fox Life (Croatia) | November 7, 2011 |