American Horror Story: Murder House is the first season of the FX television series American Horror Story, originally aired between October 5, 2011 and December 21, 2011. The season was produced by 20th Century Fox Television, and the executive producers were Dante Di Loreto and series creators Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy.
American Horror Story was created by Murphy and Falchuk. The season centers on the Harmon family: Ben, Vivien and their daughter Violet, who move from Boston to Los Angeles after Vivien has a stillbirth and Ben has an affair. They move into a restored mansion, unaware that the home is haunted by its former inhabitants.
The first season of American Horror Story was well received by television critics and fans. The cast was generally praised, particularly Jessica Lange and Frances Conroy. The series drew consistently high ratings for the FX network, ending its first season as the biggest new cable series of the year. The first season was nominated for various industry awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama. In addition, Lange won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. Conroy was also nominated for the Supporting Actress Emmy.