Production notes

After the success of the show The Walking Dead, the American cable TV network AMC planned to create a horror TV series based on the novel The Terror. In March 2016, it was confirmed that AMC ordered 10 episodes of the show, with an expected premiere date in 2018. David Kajganich and Soo Hugh serve as co-showrunners, while Kajganich penned the adaptation. Ridley Scott, Alexandra Milchan, Scott Lambert, David W. Zucker, and Guymon Casady are executive producers. In September 2016, it was announced that Tobias Menzies was cast as a series lead and the showrunners were seeking an Inuk woman, between the ages of 16 and 30, to play an unspecified 'major character', most likely Lady Silence. Most of the scenes on the ice were created using CGI. Archaeologist Matthew Betts consulted as historical advisor.

The second season, titled The Terror: Infamy, and consisting of 10 episodes, is co-created by Max Borenstein and Alexander Woo, who also serves as the showrunner. Derek Mio plays the lead role of Chester Nakayama, a son of Japanese born immigrants who joins the army. George Takei plays Yamato-san, a former fishing captain and community elder who was imprisoned with his family in two Japanese-American internment camps during WWII. Also cast are Kiki Sukezane as Yuko, a mysterious woman from Chester's past; Shingo Usami as Henry Nakayama, Chester's father; and Naoko Mori as Asako Nakayama, Chester's mother; and Miki Ishikawa as Amy, a Nakayama family friend. Takei also serves in a consulting role to ensure the accuracy of historical events and storytelling. C. Thomas Howell was cast as Retired Major Hallowell Bowen, an official with the War Relocation Authority whose "presence looms over the Japanese-American characters in the story." Josef Kubota Wladyka directed the first two episodes of the season. Production began on January 14, 2019, in Vancouver.

In January 2020, it was reported by Deadline Hollywood that AMC president Sarah Barnett had expressed interest in renewing The Terror for a third season and that AMC and Scott Free Productions were discussing plot ideas. In February 2024, AMC announced that the series would be renewed for a third season, subtitled Devil in Silver, consisting of six episodes that would premiere in 2025. The season is based on the novel of the same name by Victor LaValle. Chris Cantwell and LaValle serve as writers and executive producers. Karyn Kusama, also an executive producer, directed the first two episodes. Dan Stevens was cast in the lead role and also serves as an executive producer. The rest of the cast includes Judith Light, CCH Pounder, Chinaza Uche, Hampton Fluker, Aasif Mandvi, John Benjamin Hickey, Stephen Root, Hayward Leach, Michael Aronov, Marin Ireland, and Philip Ettinger.

The first season received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a 94% rating based on 69 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads: "A thriller wrapped in a prestige drama package, The Terror makes for gripping, atmospheric supernatural horror." On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the season has a score of 76 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

The second season also received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an 80% rating based on 46 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads: "Real-world and supernatural horrors collide in Infamy, an exceptionally well-crafted ghost story that creeps under the skin and stays there." On Metacritic, the season has a score of 75 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

The third season received generally positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a 95% rating based on 21 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads: "Dan Stevens and a game supporting cast deliver well-rounded performances with nuance and verve in this latest installment of The Terror, which humanely depicts its subject's troubles with mental health and supernatural frights." On Metacritic, the season has a score of 71 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".