Hysteria! Series Preview: Julie Bowen Comes Face-to-Face with a Demon in New Peacock Series

Modern Family‘s Julie Bowen returns to television with Peacock’s Hysteria!, set during the ’80s “Satanic Panic” era. The short teaser shows Bowen bopping out in her kitchen when suddenly the house shakes. A dish shatters and the face of a demon appears in her microwave. Creepy, right?

The cast also includes Anna Camp, Emjay Anthony, Chiara Aurelia, Kezii Curtis, and Nikki Hahn. Bruce Campbell, Garret Dillahunt, Nolan North, Elijah Richardson, Milly Shapiro, Allison Scagliotti, and Jessica Treska pop in as recurring guest stars.

“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,” reads Peacock’s synopsis.

The eight-episode season premieres on Peacock on October 18, 2024. USA Network and Syfy will also air the first episode on October 18th.

Matthew Scott Kane (Stitchers) and David A. Goodman (The Orville) serve as writers and executive producers. Additional executive producers include John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, and Good Fear Content Chris Bender and Jake Weiner. Executive producer Jordan Vogt-Roberts directs episodes one and eight.

“‘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,” said Kane and Goodman in a statement.

“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.”