FX台Ryan Murphy的《美国恐怖故事》以每一季都叙述不同故事的风格引起了一股新的潮流，它还用大部分都相同的演员在每一季当中饰演不同的角色。所以电视台还希望用这个制作人接下来要推出的《美国犯罪故事》取得相似的成功(不要和ABC台已经推出的《美国罪恶》这个相似的标题给搞混了)。这部新剧在2月份即将播出的第一季将会瞄准臭名昭彰的美式橄榄球运动员O.J. Simpson的杀妻一案。

　　在获得艾美奖过，并且已经在11月份获得了第六季的续订的《美国恐怖故事》的前五季当中，故事分别发生在洛杉矶的一幢鬼屋中，20世纪60年代马萨诸塞州的一间精神病院中，一个以新奥尔良风俗为基础的女巫团中，20世纪50年代一个逐渐衰败的畸形秀马戏团中，还有刚刚结束的第五季是在现代洛杉矶的一个拥有超自然能力的旅馆中。尽管我们还不清楚下一季会发生在哪里，但是一些关于第六季的细节已经公之于众了。

　　FX台的总裁John Landgraf告诉记者，第六季将会是当代与过去的结合：

　　“它将被设定在两个时间段上，不过还是以当代为主。我只能透露这一点了，如果再多说的话Ryan Murphy会杀了我的。”

　　在到目前为止的美恐系列当中，鬼屋，女巫集会和旅馆这三季都是设定在当代的，但是为了能够向大家展示主要角色的丰富背景故事，其中也不乏对过去年代的闪回。对于最新一季的其他消息则实在知之甚少。

　　Murphy最近告诉记者，新的一季将会与旅馆这一季大不相同，并且也不会再像旅馆一样华丽，他也透露了他已经向Lady Gaga发出了出演第六季的邀请。这个最近刚因为美恐中所扮演的女伯爵而荣获金球奖的歌手很好地接下了美恐前四季常驻演员Jessica Lange兰姨的班，但是目前还没有确切消息表明她会在下一季当中回归。

　　想来如果下一季能够更加的黑暗和扎实，接地气，那么它必将更受欢迎。自从它那真正恐怖恼人的前两季之后，相比于实质性，美恐则更加注重其风格，更多地是运用特效，以及扭曲震惊的价值观和行为来征服观众，而不是深入探寻传统恐怖故事。不过它一直以来难以避免的一个缺点就是缺乏一致性连接性，每一季在剧情正式走上正轨之前，都需要有大量的铺垫与背景陈述，还有陆续重新登场的演员的融入。

　　Murphy和他的联合制作者Brad Falchuk在吸引出色的演员和导演这点上很有一套，但是在坚持将一开始把观众吸引到这个系列当中来的元素延续下去这一点上，他们还可以有所提高。在如今确认新的一季会主要着重于当代，仅仅有很少的过去的闪现之后，希望这部剧集能够少花点功夫在过为广泛的人物细节的描述上以及一些不必要的背景故事的叙述上，从而将更多的精力专注于故事主线的连贯性发展上。

　　《美国恐怖故事》第六季将会在2016年秋季开播。

　　Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story on FX helped launch the recent trend of anthology series that tell a distinct story in a new setting each season, with largely the same cast portraying different characters. The cable network is hoping to find similar success with the producer’s upcoming series American Crime Story (not to be confused with ABC’s similarly titled anthology American Crime), which tackles the infamous O.J. Simpson trial in its inaugural season starting in February.

　　In its first five seasons, the Emmy-winning American Horror Story — which was renewed for season 6 in November — has been set in a Los Angeles haunted house, a 1960s mental institution in Massachusetts, a New Orleans-based witch coven, a waning freak show in the 1950s and, most recently, a supernatural hotel in present-day LA. While we don’t yet know where the next season will take place, a few details have been released on the upcoming sixth season’s time period.

　　TVLine reports that FX president John Landgraf told reporters at the Television Critics Association winter press tour that season 6 would be “set in the present” with“echoes of the past” mixed in:

　　“It’s set in two time periods, but principally in the present. Ryan [Murphy] will kill me if I tease anything [else].”

　　American Horror Story: Murder House, Coven, and Hotel were all set in the present, but featured various nods to the past, as did the other seasons to reveal important details on each character’s often horrific backstory in flashbacks. Other details onAHS’s latest season have been scarce thus far.

　　Murphy previously told EW that the latest edition will be very different and less opulent than Hotel, and later revealed that he had already asked Lady Gaga to join season 6. The singer — who recently earned a Golden Globe award for her portrayal of The Countess — took the reins of the series following the departure of Jessica Lange after Freak Show, but it has yet to be confirmed that she’ll return for another round.

　　A darker and more grounded season could be a welcome change for the franchise. Since its genuinely scary and disturbing first two seasons, American Horror Story has often preferred style over substance, resorting to stunt casting and shock value to enthrall viewers rather than exploring classic horror tropes. There’s also been a lack of consistency, with each season starting off with a strong premise and cast of characters, before eventually going off the rails somewhere down the road.

　　Murphy and co-creator Brad Falchuk have a talent for attracting gifted actors and directors, but could do a better job of sticking to what draws fans to the genre in the first place. Hopefully, the confirmation that the new season will take place primarily in the present with only a few sequences in the past means that they show will rely less on detailing extensive and sometimes unnecessary backstories, and instead focus on creating and maintaining coherent plotlines for the main story.

　　American Horror Story season 6 is scheduled to premiere in fall 2016.

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（编辑：何莹莹）