American Horror Story reworking the genre?

It has been a long while since an attempt has been made to tackle the pure horror genre on the small screen - at least one trying to avoid cheap thrills, shlock and vampires. In some ways this can be seen as a good thing - think American Gothic or The Stand as shows that had the expectations through hype but also the crashing disappointment through failure to deliver. However American Horror Story is seemingly the best attempt at it since Twin Peaks with an equal measure of mystery, gore and just plain strange. The opening scene gives you an idea of what you will be in for with a flashback to the haunted houses first (or is it?) victims, an annoying set of child twins, in a very gruesome and graphic portrayal. We are also treated to a mini flashforward to the current owners maladies in their house although we are made to wait beyond the first episode to see what will come of that little sequence.

Dylan McDermott as Ben Harmon and Connie Britton as his wife Vivien play the main characters as a somewhat dysfunctional family that move into the house that seems to be inspired from The Amityville Horror. They move from the east coast after Vivien gives birth to a stillborn baby and decide to move in to the grandiose old home in upmarket LA due to the cheap cost thanks to the last owners dying there. Despite stating the obvious of 'why the HELL would you take it?', if you suspend your disbelief just enough to get past this rather awkward but critical series moment you will find yourself being taken by the twists and turns the house presents from the creepy neighbour, played by Jessica Lange, her mentally challenged daughter Adelaide (Jamie Brewer) and the housemaid (Frances Conroy). While McDermott and Britton are a little stiff in their roles (not that this takes away from the overall creepiness of the show), Lange and Conroy are stellar showing experience wins when portraying crazy and oddball. On the flipside, youngster Evan Peters nearly steals the show as Tate Langdon, a patient of Harmon's who befriends his daughter Violet (Taissa Farmiga) when on a visit to the house - another difficult to believe plot point that has Harmon, a psychologist, deciding to work from home so as to be closer to his family. Yet this twist allows for a frightening scene involving Tate, Violet, her school bully and the house, arguably the best part of episode 1.

It is too early to say if American Horror Story is in the category of a Twin Peaks or will become more of an American Gothic, however creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk have got the mood set just right with plenty of suspense, twists and turns and just plain scare throughout episode 1 and with plenty of room to manoeuvre there is no reason to think that this series will slow down any time soon. Horror on TV just may be back people - we will have to keep watching to see if it holds out. For your favourite horror TV shows or perhaps the ones that was failed to live up to expectations, feel free to comment below.