American Horror Story (sometimes abbreviated as AHS) is an American anthology horror television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. It is broadcast on the cable network FX. Each season is conceived as a self-contained miniseries, following a different set of characters and settings, and a storyline with its own “beginning, middle, and end.” Some plot elements of each season are loosely inspired by true events.[2][3][4] Many actors appear in more than one season, but often play a new character. Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, and Lily Rabe have returned most frequently, all appearing in eight of the nine seasons with Frances Conroy appearing in all but two. Other notable actors such as Denis O’Hare, Emma Roberts, Jamie Brewer, Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, and Angela Bassett have all appeared in five of the nine seasons.