As a cinema devotee with over three decades of immersion in the intricacies of the silver screen, I must say that Ryan Murphy has outdone himself yet again. The sheer volume and quality of his recent output is nothing short of astounding, a veritable tsunami of captivating storytelling sweeping across our screens. His ability to juggle multiple projects simultaneously, all of which are not only launching at the top of their respective charts but also maintaining critical acclaim, is truly awe-inspiring.


For a span of ten days, Ryan Murphy unveiled four fresh series – “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez”, “Grotesquerie”, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” and “Doctor Odyssey”; the former two on FX, the latter two on Netflix and ABC respectively. Additionally, he launched new seasons of previously successful shows, “9-1-1: Lone Star” on Fox and “9-1-1” on ABC.

Murphy stated to EbMaster on October 1st that it’s quite a load, having six shows in a month, but remarkably, everyone in our company put in extraordinary effort, and they all managed to succeed. Incredibly, each of them debuted at the top spot, and individually, they are all thriving exceptionally well.

The events unfolding all at once didn’t follow a predetermined plan, according to Murphy, but were an outcome of his recent agreement with Disney, where he has been for a year and a half now.

Murphy mentioned that the writers strike and his new project were both factors. When they realized there would be six releases in just ten days, they asked him, “How are you going to manage this?” He replied, “Well, I have a fantastic team. I believe we can pull it off.

The number of Murphy’s productions is expanding rapidly, with several projects in the works. These include “The Beauty” and “American Love Story” for FX, as well as “All’s Fair” on Hulu, which he begins directing this week. Featuring an impressive cast including Glenn Close, Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson, and Nash, it is described as a unique take on a legal show, a genre he hasn’t tackled before. “It’s essentially a weekly divorce case,” he explained. “It’s over-the-top, glamorous, and aims to inspire.

“The Beauty” was written for Evan Peters and Jeremy Pope, Murphy said.

As a film aficionado, I’ve stumbled upon an intriguing series unlike any I’ve seen before. It delves into the realm of science fiction and medicine, presenting a unique virus that undergoes mutation and can be sexually transmitted. This virus has a peculiar quality: it transforms you into your ultimate self. The question that arises is: how much would one be willing to endure to attain beauty? What sacrifices would be made, and does it truly matter in the grand scheme of things?

He mentioned that he’s long dreamed about collaborating with Anthony Ramos and Ashton Kutcher, and he’s thrilled about the opportunity, particularly because of the grandeur of the project: “It’s quite distinct. It will be filmed in Europe – Venice, Rome, and Paris. It’s a massive budget production, almost on par with ‘Game of Thrones’ in its scope.

With any of his future projects Murphy has set a high bar for success.

Worldwide, the “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez” series has topped Netflix’s rankings for two consecutive weeks. It garnered an impressive 12.3 million views within its first four days, subsequently increasing to a staggering 19.5 million in its second week. This gripping tale has even managed to secure a spot in the Top 10 series across 89 different countries on Netflix.

On last Thursday, both “Doctor Odyssey” and “9-1-1” premiered their new seasons on ABC. “9-1-1” was the most watched program of the night with approximately 4.9 million viewers. Following it, “Doctor Odyssey” kept around 86% of that audience, attracting about 4.2 million viewers. This was ABC’s best drama debut since “Big Sky” four years ago. On the other hand, “9-1-1: Lone Star” began its fifth and final season on Fox with 3 million viewers initially, but when accounting for viewing over three days (including streaming), the number increased to 4.2 million on broadcast and 4.9 million in total. This made it Fox’s largest scripted broadcast since the “Lone Star” Season 4 finale in May 2023, excluding post-NFL telecasts.

Shows such as ‘Doctor Odyssey’, ‘9-1-1’, ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’, ‘American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez’ and ‘Grotesquerie’, all created by Ryan Murphy, have entered the Hulu Top 15 list since their premieres.

Each of these five components is included in his comprehensive agreement with 20th TV. Upon returning under the terms of a fresh contract, he aimed to demonstrate once more the extent of his capabilities.

My dearest companion globally is Dana Walden, while I’ve collaborated with John Landgraf since our childhood days, so I certainly felt a sense of responsibility towards my associates. It was time to act swiftly and boldly, taking on substantial projects, significant risks,” Murphy expressed. “These shows aim for a wide audience appeal, or that’s the goal at least. Hence, I felt the need to fulfill my promises, and post-strike, I made an effort to bring my teams back to work, which I achieved.

Typically, Murphy tends to act against his recent actions, moving between “terror and joy,” which is why he worked on “Grotesquerie” and “Doctor Odyssey” consecutively. The drama led by Nicey Nash was a personal endeavor for him, yet crucial to release prior to the election.

The series is strongly influenced by the collective emotions we’re experiencing globally. It certainly feels like a turbulent, chaotic period. This show revolves around an African American woman confronting what might be the greatest adversary of all – highly relevant in today’s political climate. As we developed it, this theme became increasingly clear. I believe the series is a reflection of how dismal things appear, but more importantly, it’s a testament to the power of unity and love to navigate through hardships. That’s what Niecy’s character embodies. She’s struggling each day amidst these horrific events while simultaneously maintaining her family, cultivating relationships, leading, and staying optimistic. To be honest, I resonated deeply with this concept during these times, and I think Niecy did too.

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2024-10-02 00:47