FX has picked up the Ryan Murphy/Brad Falchuk series "American Horror Story" for a third season, the network said Thursday.
The show is currently in its second season, which has been dubbed "American Horror Story: Asylum."
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So far this season, "American Horror Story" — which airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. — has outpaced its maiden season by 19 percent in both the advertiser-cherished 18-49 demographic and in total viewers. In Live+7 numbers, which take into account DVR viewings, the season has averaged 5.2 million total viewers, with 3.9 million of them in the key demo.
The current season ends its run Jan. 23.
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“With 'American Horror Story: Asylum,' Ryan and Brad have raised the bar in every way from Murder House, the first American Horror Story miniseries,” said FX Networks' president and general manager John Landgraf. “And their original idea — the notion of doing an anthological series of miniseries with a repertory cast–has proven groundbreaking, wildly successful and will prove to be trendsetting. We can’t wait to see what deviously brilliant ideas they come up with for their third miniseries.”
“The American Horror Story anthology is a labor of love for all of us and we could not be prouder of the work our brilliant company of actors and everyone on the production team is doing this year,” Murphy added. “To John and our friends at FX and Dana Walden and Gary Newman at 20th [Century Fox Television, which produces the series], we thank you for your vote of confidence — and to our loyal audience, keep watching!"
Where the first season of "American Horror Story" took place in modern-day Los Angeles, the second season is set in an East Coast insane asylum in 1964. Murphy has stated that each season of the series will take place in a different setting. "Asylum"'s cast is populated both by new members including Chloe Sevigny and James Cromwell, and returning cast members such as Jessica Lange, Evan Peters and Zachary Quinto, who are playing different roles than they had in the first season.
A new title and story for the third season have not yet been announced.