'American Horror Story' Season 9: Ryan Murphy delivers a chilling lesson in how to keep a show fresh and relevant
![](http://d2a0gza273xfgz.cloudfront.net/36731/uploads/f01702e9-625c-4e2e-b453-e7c59dd01590_800_420.png)
First, he gets the most hits on the network his show airs in and then he gets a silver medalist Olympic freestyle skier to star on season 9 of 'American Horror Story' — will Ryan Murphy stop surprising us anytime soon? Probably no.
There's no denying that Murphy has changed the face of television horror as we know it ever since the first cycle of 'American Horror Story' premiered on FX in 2011. Not only did the show prove that something as niche as a horror genre could be weaved into mainstream TV, but he also taught us that the sky was the limit if you know how to freak people out for long enough. It's really no surprise that 'American Horror Story' has run, smoothly so, for a little less than a decade with eight seasons winning a total of 73 awards and 28 Emmy Award nominations. So how does he keep it fresh season after season?
![Outstanding Limited Series award for 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story' winner Ryan Murphy poses in the press room during the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 6, 2019, in Beverly Hills, California. (Getty Images)](http://d6ehjqrqtzoun.cloudfront.net/ebf35203-6f4c-4b05-bfe5-3ce4cc230fd1.jpg)