FX renews American Horror Story for fifth, possibly Jessica Lange-less season
Last week, the premiere of American Horror Story: Freak Show broke ratings records for FX, piquing viewer interest with provocative questions like “Is Jessica Lange really going to sing all of ‘Life On Mars?’” and “Where’s Kathy Bates’ bearded-lady character supposed to be from, exactly?” (Answers: “Yes,” and “Baltimore, apparently.”) After bearing witness to the bad things that happen to those who try to shut down Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s freakiest show, FX has responded to those all-time Nielsen highs by ordering a fifth season of American Horror Story. Those yet-to-be-produced 13 episodes have already broken an American Horror Story record: They’ll initiate the series’ biggest-ever game of chicken with Jessica Lange, whose comments that she’ll leave American Horror Story after Freak Show charge headlong toward Murphy’s recently announced plan to persuade her to stay. (“I really want her to keep her hand in,” he recently told reporters. “Does that mean 13 episodes? Does that mean six? Does that mean one?”)