FX’s drama series American Horror Story has been a runaway hit with it’s brilliant narrative style and genre bending stories. Though if you caught the first-season finale, like other fans you would’ve been shocked that most of the main characters weren’t around by the end credits. The reason for this as co creator Ryan Murphy explains, is that the finale closed out the Harmon family’s story, and the next season will feature an all new Horror story, shifting the tone as an “anthology” in subsequent seasons.
There are all kinds of different American horror stories to tell. There are serial killing stories, prison stories, true crime stories…Each year of the show is designed to be a little miniseries unto itself.
Since it’s premiere in October, the show has generated some of the strongest ratings for the FX network. That said, a large part of the success was due to the shows’ leads – Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott and the Golden Globe-nominated Jessica Lange.
Murphy was asked whether he was concerned about starting over after enjoying such success and potentially alienating viewers:
Yes, we’ve thought of that. We too loved those characters and will mourn them and miss them. But the aspects of the show that people love, including the mystery and love story, will be there, albeit with new actors and characters. But you know, this has always been the plan from day one. We just weren’t interested in doing another season with those people trapped in the house…I’ve always wanted to do a kind of Mercury Theater approach, with a (rotating cast) and each year do kind of like a little novella.
Murphy added that film actors have approached him as they are interested in a show that doesn’t a require long term commitment – doing a show that re-invents itself each season is perfect way for them to do this.
While fans will miss Constance’s Southern charm or Dylan McDermott’s womanizing ways, we may not have seen the last of them with negotiations said to be underway that could see them return.
Some of them will come back. I’m in talks with several of them. There will be familiar faces … but they will be playing completely different characters and creatures and monsters.
Details on the next season’s cast and storyline are expected to be learned in February 2012.
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