Is Peacock’s Hysteria Based on a True Story?

A Michigan small town in the 1980s is gripped with Satanic panic after a varsity quarterback goes missing under whispers of occultism and Satanic influences. As explored in Peacock’s ‘Hysteria!,‘ the show follows three high school outcasts, Dylan Campbell, Jordy, and Spud, who capitalize on the growing fears in their town by rebranding their struggling heavy metal band Dethkrunch to a Satanic-inspired band.

However, the move ends up backfiring as the town’s witch hunt seems to target them as the main culprits behind the recent strange events. Created by Matthew Scott Kane, the thriller drama takes cues from an era awash with retro-pop themes against a small-town environment, where the bubbling outrage of a fearful town becomes as terrifying as the monsters lurking beneath it.

Hysteria! is a Nostalgic Throwback to the Satanic Panic Era

‘Hysteria!’ is a fictional story penned by creator Matthew Scott Kane and co-writers Jamie Flanagan and David Goodman. The show takes cues from the 1980s to create a sense of dread within the fictional town of Happy Hollow, where the central characters find themselves grappling with inexplicable events. It probes into the dark undertone of Satanic panic, which was a real moral panic that gripped the populace in the 80s. At the time, there was a prevailing belief that all the circulating media, including movies, music, and pornography, was an attempt to entice unwitting kids into the Satanic underground. The scriptwriters harnessed this internal fear to showcase the worldview held by people when true horror finds its way to their doorstep.

Kane started writing the script in 2019, during which he felt a whole host of anxieties in the contemporary world that mirrored the anxieties of the Satanic panic era. Of course, that specific time period also has a nostalgic presence in most people’s minds owing to the types of music and stories that dominated the pop-culture pantheon. Therefore, the choice to go back to that time was a creative decision driven as much by aesthetics as it was functionality, particularly given the use of music within the show’s thematic buildup. In some ways, the Satanic influences were an added bonus to the charming setting, as some things have been around since time immemorial. For instance, the fear held by parents that their children are dabbling in things they shouldn’t is a universal theme for all generations of humanity.

The Show Connects With Contemporary Matters and Fears

Despite being set in a different time, the genesis of ‘Hysteria!’ came to Matthew Scott Kane from a closer source—the current discourse on various subject matters. In particular, the writer was alarmed by how information was dispersed to the public today, often causing a greater level of panic amongst the masses. These fears subconsciously and consciously bled into the narrative, shaping its underlying themes while also finding a similar access point through the Satanic panic outrage. During the actual writing process, the creator also admitted that he stayed away from all Satanic Panic-related media in order to stay entirely focused on the one that was his responsibility. It is not uncommon for writers to do so, as cross-contamination of stories with similar genres is a real issue during the development process.

In an interview, Kane stated, “I wanted to kind of take that outlook and perspective of what’s going on right now and in the last several years and apply it back to the Satanic Panic, when I felt like something very similar was happening.” With some of the recent degradation in political discourse, societal harmony, and the manner in which people interact with one another, Kane saw a similar phenomenon play out during the 1980s at the height of Satanic panic. In a way, the show allowed the writers to delve into an era where classic 80s pop culture references like heavy metal music, John Hughes movies, and Video Nasties could be alluded to in a fun and engaging manner. To that end, it is reminiscent of the mainstream sci-fi show ‘Stranger Things,‘ which also captures a very similar tone in its narration.

Hysteria! is a Coming-of-Age Narrative at its Heart

Outside the various bells and whistles of the thriller show’s occult trappings, ‘Hysteria!’ manages to offer a heartfelt story about the pains of growing up while rebelling against the orthodoxy. Both parents and kids are reflected in the story in a compelling manner, creating a level of emotional investment in the ensuing drama that goes beyond the superficial exterior. Co-writer David A. Goodman described the core of the narrative as firmly rooted in the “universality of a parent’s fear of what their kid is up to.”

The co-writer, who also serves as executive producer, said in a joint statement with Matthew Scott Kane, “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.” In their journey, the central characters are confronted with unimaginable horrors that might be exaggerated in the elevated drama but strangely parallel how ordinary teenagers face the world at some point in their lives.

‘Hysteria!’ also captures another key part of being young: feeling trapped within a bubble that only extends as far as one’s social life. This notion is captured distinctly through the small-town environment of the show. The town of Happy Hollow may not exist in real life, but kids who grow up outside the bustling environments of cities are sure to find some authenticity reflected in the isolated existence led by the school kids. Additionally, as creator Matthew Scott Kane and several other cast and crew members grew up in the narrative setting of Michigan, it offers another layer of reality to the mix.

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