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Part of the job of a television critic is not just to review what we've seen, but try to project where a series is going based on what we've seen.

So … I can heartily recommend the two-hour premiere of "Scream Queens" (7 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13) — with a few words of caution. And, no, I don't think it's going to hold up in the long run.

It's almost too easy to say that "Scream Queens" is a cross between "Glee" (without the singing) and "American Horror Story," but it's true. And not surprising, given that "Scream Queens" comes to us from the producers of those two show — Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan.

It's an over-the-top parody of horror movies, with a little bit of "Animal House" thrown in.

"Scream Queens" begins with a flashback to 20 years ago at the Kappa Kappa Tau sorority house, where something terrible happens. Then we're back to present day, and Chanel (Emma Roberts) is the queen of Kappa Kappa Tau, in all her malevolent glory. She's mean to everyone; she refuses to learn the names of any of her sorority sisters; she calls the maid her "white mammy" — you get the picture.

But the dean (Jamie Lee Curtis) has it in for Kappa Kappa Tau and Chanel, for reasons that become somewhat clearer as the story progresses. She can't shut the house down, so she forces the sorority to accept anyone who wants to join.

So the "fatties," "ethnics" and a girl in a neck brace (Lea Michele of "Glee") get in. Along with Grace (Skyler Samuels), a seemingly normal girl whose past, we're led to believe, may have something to do with the sordid history of the sorority house.

Why they want to be there is hard to understand, given that someone in a devil mask is slaughtering people. Often in really gross ways. So gross it's funny, in an extremely over-the-top way.

(No, parents, this show is not for kids.)

"Scream Queens" starts out at such a high level of crazy it's difficult to imagine that it can maintain it for long. The good news is that Season 1 is 15 episodes long, and maybe Murphy & Co. can keep it going for that long.

But Murphy has never had a show that was good for the long run. "Popular," "Nip Tuck" and "Glee" all started strong and then lost focus and steam.

It's unclear, but the thinking is that "Scream Queens" would have to reset each year with an entirely new story, like "American Horror Story."

First things first, however. "Scream Queens" has to make it through 15 episodes.

The first two hours are well worth watching. It's funny stuff.

After that … we'll have to wait and see.