Admit it: most of you had no clue what to make of those billboards, posters and commercials for “American Horror Story” back in September. The half-naked pregnant chick, the dude in the rubber bodysuit … it was a provocative, WTF-inducing ad campaign that not only worked, it promised that some weird-ass stuff was about to happen to TV.

For me, it also promised that “Nip/Tuck” and “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy was back to his effed-up storytelling ways. It also concerned me that he might not be able to give his full attention to his other baby, the latter show, which, in its third season on Fox, is trying to hold on to its audience and reinvigorate its relevance in pop culture – and the iTunes chart.

You see, when showrunners and producers give birth to a hot new show while continuing to nurture their other show(s) there can be a tricky tightrope to walk. Which successful show deserves all the attention? Can there be a balance? It’s a juggling act that, when handled successfully, is an admirable feat to accomplish. Sure, he or she could entrust their power in a No. 2 officer, usually a co-executive producer, while they go off to help their newborn find its footing, but sometimes that results in the older child being neglected – creatively speaking. When one television drama flourishes, the other flounders.

The TV history books are full of examples. Back in the mid-’90s when Darren Star tried to concentrate on “Central Park West,” the fourth season of “Melrose Place” went off its rails (luckily he made up for that a few years later by adapting “Sex and the City”). Then there’s that time when J.J. Abrams left “Felicity” to go do “Alias” … and then left “Alias” to go direct big-time feature films (OK, not too shabby for him).

But back to “American Horror Story” …

Flying under the radar and stealthily debuting after all of that network TV premiere fanfare, “AHS” introduced us to the troubled Harmon family who moves to Los Angeles to start a new life. Psychiatrist and husband Ben (a looking-good-for-50 Dylan McDermott) is running from the memory of his affair with a college student. Mom Vivien (“Friday Night Lights”’ Connie Britton) is recovering from a miscarriage. Daughter Violet (Taissa Farmiga, sister of Vera) is caught in the middle of all the dysfunction. So I’m sure moving into a gorgeous house with a haunted history is going to make things all better.

There’s the redheaded maid, Moira, who was shot in the head back in the early ’80s and reappears in the 2010s to wreak havoc on Ben’s libido – in between polishing the furniture. There’s next-door neighbor Constance (a scene-chewing Jessica Lange), who has a shitload of secrets up her sleeve – and a daughter who’s obsessed with the “Murder House.” And then there’s Ben’s patient, Tate (Evan Peters), an unstable young man who has a thing for Violet and a connection to the house’s ghostly denizens.

Each episode opens with a glimpse into the house’s history at certain points in time (1978, 1968, 1983, 2010, etc). The most recent Halloween-set episode introduced us to previous owners Chad and Patrick (Zachary Quinto and Teddy Sears), who had an untimely encounter with the Man in the Rubber Suit. The prologue was a tense entry, filled with viciously delivered dialogue and a wicked twist on the game Bobbing for Apples. [Sidenote: Isn’t it curious how Quinto officially came out of the closet the week before his guest starring role on “AHS” and the release of his film, Margin Call? Just saying. If that wasn’t a coincidence, then kudos to his publicist.]

That all said, “American Horror Story” is clearly my pick for the best new drama of the fall season (yes, go ahead and quote me on that). I eagerly await more revelations (Who the hell is in that rubber suit?) and more history lessons (What’s up with that Frankenbaby?). Hooray for the Murder House.

“American Horror Story” airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.

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