Peacock cancels horror comedy series Hysteria! after one season: Reports

Peacock has decided not to move ahead with the second season of Hysteria! The horror comedy series, which premiered in October 2024, has been canceled by the streamer after just one season.

Starring the likes of Julie Bowen and Bruce Campbell, the show is set in 1989 in the fictional town of Happy Hollow and follows a struggling high school band who decide to use the hype about Satanic activities in the neighborhood for their music’s success.

However, as strange things begin to happen, all hell breaks loose and the band becomes the center of attention. Hysteria! received mostly positive reviews from critics and audiences, and hence, its cancellation has come as a surprise to many.

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Hysteria! is not getting a second season at Peacock

As per a report by Variety, Peacock has canceled Hysteria! after one season despite the positive reception. The streamer has not officially revealed the decision behind the cancellation.

However, it is possible that the show might have been axed due to low viewership, as it failed to reach the Top 10 charts at the time of its release. Despite the low viewership, the show had attained a dedicated following.

It has an 87% audience rating and 91% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The eight-episode first season was released on Peacock on October 18, 2024, and earned praise for its perfect blend of humor and scares.

However, the show did not match up to the popularity of other shows on the streamer, like Bel-Air and The Day of the Jackal. Hysteria! has become the second horror series to be canceled by Peacock in a span of a few weeks, as the streamer previously scrapped Kathy Baker starrer Teacup after one season in January 2025.

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More about Hysteria!

The show takes place in 1989 in the town of Happy Hollow in Michigan, where a teenager is found dead, and the locals attribute it to a Satanic murder. A high school metal band, Dethkrunch, tries to take advantage of the situation by pretending to be devil worshipers and get famous, but the move goes awry.

A series of crimes and supernatural activities starts to happen in the town and the locals start blaming the band for it. The lines between reality and stories soon begin to blur.

Meanwhile, Police Chief Ben Dandridge believes the band is innocent. At the same time, church leader Tracy Whitehead begins her own mission to protect the children from evil.

Created by Matthew Scott Kane, the series stars Chiara Aurelia as Jordan Stanwyck, Bruce Campbell as Ben Dandridge, Anna Camp as Tracy Whitehead, Julie Bowen as Linda Campbell, Emjay Anthony as Dylan Campbell, Nikki Hahn as Faith Whitehead, and Kezii Curtis as Spud.

The cast also includes Nolan North, Brandon Butler, Garret Dillahunt, Milly Shapiro, and Allison Scagliotti. The series was announced in August 2022, but its production was delayed due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes of 2023, and it ultimately landed on Peacock in 2024.

The first season of Hysteria! is available to stream on Peacock.