Scream Queens (2015)

Overview

Scream Queens is an American satirical slasher with elements of black comedy and horror, created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan for the Fox network. The series aired from September 22, 2015 to December 20, 2016 and spans two seasons (23 episodes). The first season's plot centers on the Kappa Kappa Tau university sorority, where a serial killer in the Red Devil costume begins to strike, and each episode combines murders with sharp satire of student life, gender stereotypes, and American pop culture.

The lead roles are played by Emma Roberts as the egocentric Kappa queen Chanel Oberlin, Jamie Lee Curtis as Dean Cathy Munsch, Lea Michele as the quirky Hester Ulrich, as well as Oliver Hudson, Skyler Samuels, and Diego Boneta. The second season moves the action to a hospital, retaining the "slasher plus comedy" format and the ensemble cast, including Abigail Breslin, Billie Lourd, and Ariana Grande, who also appeared in the first season.

Despite its cult status and star-studded cast, the series failed to maintain sufficient ratings, and Fox canceled it after the second season. Scream Queens remained a well-known Murphy project, and in 2026 announcements appeared of new collaborations among members of the production team, including Ariana Grande's return to "American Horror Story."

Franchise chronology

• Scream Queens (2015–2016) — two seasons on Fox: the first is devoted to murders in the Kappa Kappa Tau sorority, the second to the mysteries of a hospital where a killer strikes again.