American Horror Story
The pilot episode of "American Horror Story" was watched by 3.2 million viewers and averaged a 1.6 rating in the 18–49 years adult demographic, the most sought after by advertisers. These were the best numbers FX had ever received for a series premiere. The episode was seen by 3.2 million total viewers in 59 countries. Ratings increased as the season progressed, with the season finale being watched by 3.22 million viewers and receiving a 1.7 ratings share in the 18–49 years adult demographic. The series premiere aired in November 2011 across Europe and Latin America on Fox International Channels, and ranked as first or second most watched telecast in its timeslot among all paid television in most metered markets. "Numbers so strong, it's scary. "American Horror Story" has brought droves of new viewers to a killer global lineup", said Hernan Lopez, the president of Fox International Channels.
American Horror Story: Murder House
"American Horror Story: Murder House" received generally positive reviews from critics. The first episode scored 62 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 30 reviews. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 73% approval rating with an average rating of 6.6/10 based on 39 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Convoluted yet effective, "American Horror Story" is strange, gory, and twisted enough to keep viewers hooked." Ken Tucker from "Entertainment Weekly" awarded the pilot episode a B+, stating, ""AHS" is pretty much all scare, all the time: a whole lotta screams, sex, jolts, mashed faces, psychotic behavior, and dead babies." Chuck Barney of the "San Jose Mercury News" said, "Most TV shows, after all, quickly fade from memory. This one will haunt your dreams." Hank Stuever from "The Washington Post" said in his review, "Overdoing things is one of Murphy's trademark flaws, but this show has a captivating style and giddy gross-outs." "The New York Times" Mike Hale called the show "a more classically minded chiller," taking into mind the success of HBO's "True Blood" and AMC's "The Walking Dead". However, not all reviews were favorable. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix gave the series a D−, saying, "It is so far over the top that the top is a microscopic speck in its rearview mirror."