Stephen King has created a vast body of work and he still continues to churn out new horror stories every single year. Considering the number of books and stories he has written, his fans will probably never run out of content to read while filmmakers will never stop traversing his works to the big screen.
Speaking of the big screen, the King of Horror's movie adaptations need no introduction. Despite having limited runtimes, most adaptations effectively capture the very essence of his horrors. Meanwhile, TV shows struggle to do the same. However, that does not mean that there aren't any promising Stephen King TV adaptations out there.
Updated on May 13th, 2022, by Shawn S. Lealos: Stephen King is back in 2022 with a remake of one of his classic novels. The movie is Firestarter and it will premiere on both Peacock and in theaters simultaneously. This is based on the 1980 novel by King that was already made into a 1984 movie that made Drew Barrymore a star in her performance as Charlie McGee, the firestarter of the title.
With the new movie coming to streaming services, it might make some newer fans want to search out other King adaptations that they can watch on TV. While there are countless movies based on the Master of Horror's stories, there have also been even more TV adaptations, and that includes several that IMDb voters seem to love.
Honorable Mention: Bag Of Bones (2011) - 5.7
- Available to buy on Prime Video, Google Play, and Apple TV.
Starring Pierce Brosnan, Bag of Bones ensues in Maine, which is often the quintessential setup for King's tales. The two-episode mini-series unfolds like a crime drama—with a paranormal twist—where a best-selling novelist returns to his lakeside cabin after his wife's sudden and tragic death.
Perhaps, for most viewers, the biggest pitfall of this adaptation is the extent to which it drifts away from the source. However, despite all the negative reviews, Bag of Bones does manage to make up for its flaws and find its feet as a standalone series with its intriguing premise and good performances.
The Shining (1997) - 6.0
Thanks to Stanley Kubrick's grandiose vision and Stephen King's forte with storytelling, The Shining now ranks among the best book-to-screen horror adaptations for many. Similar to the film, the series closely follows the mental descent of a struggling author, who moves to a desolate hotel with his family.
For obvious reasons, many viewers have compared the series with the movie, and while some believe it pales out in contrast with Kubrick's version, others have appreciated it for all the details of the source it brings to the table. Without the comparison, the show does have its flaws but seems more relevant for those who expect a more loyal adaptation of the book. In fact, even Stephen King prefers the show over the film.
The Langoliers (1995) - 6.1
- Available to buy on Vudu.
Based on King's eponymous novella, The Langoliers unravels in a flight from L.A to Boston. After making an emergency landing in Maine, ten passengers learn that not only has everyone else from their flight disappeared but so has every other person on the planet.
Like most Stephen King stories, The Langoliers, too, offers a promising storyline that shows a whole lot of book-to-screen potential. And although the mini-series seems a little dodgy from a production standpoint, it does deliver narratively. Considering how bizarre its premise is, it does demand a high suspension of disbelief from the viewer. But once that is out of the way, it's easy to sit through it in one sitting.
Under The Dome (2013) - 6.5
- Streaming now on Paramount+.
Under the Dome had a very strong start and its interesting plot easily garnered the attention of many viewers. However, towards the end of its first season, it became evident that the series was stretching its storyline beyond what it was capable of handling and that's what eventually led to its downfall.
Stephen King, too, was disappointed with the series' unrealistic setup and character developments. Still, in all of its shortcomings, the series does show immense potential, and if not all three of its seasons, at least the first season deserves a visit from fans of King's source material.
Salem's Lot (1979) - 6.7
- Available to rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu, DirecTV, or Microsoft.
The 1979 adaptation of Salem's Lot isn't bereft of the shortcomings of most TV adaptations; especially when it comes to its loyalty to the source. However, despite straying away from the original story, the series encapsulates everything from Stephen King's gripping yet terrifying atmosphere and the steadily growing sense of dread in his works.
The credit, for the most part, goes to Tobe Hopper as it's his simple yet effective camera work that makes this vampire chiller a lot more realistic and harrowing.
IT (1990) - 6.8
Long before the sewer-lurking clown, Pennywise, hit the big screen, his depiction in the 1990 miniseries was well-known. Because of the limited use of computer graphics back then, the series uses a whole lot of stop motion effects and puppetry to instill scares. And while these are often effective, they seem rather dull compared to the terrifying imagery of the movies.
What's good about the series, though, is that it stays true to the spirit of the source and portrays Pennywise in such a way that he comes off as the perfect allegory for the perils of one's youth.
Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From The Stories Of Stephen King (2006) - 6.8
Terror is best served in small doses and the 8-episode anthology series Nightmares and Dreamscapes very well proves that. Similar to most other anthologies, the series has its share of ups and down where some episodes are a lot better than others.
However, even during its choppier bits, it's held together by the amazing performances of its cast and the treasure chest of plot lines that Stephen King brings in each of his stories
The Stand (1994 ) - 7.1
Despite being highly anticipated, the 2020 version of The Stand was forgotten a bit too soon because of how it failed to do justice to King's novel. The same, however, cannot be said about the 90s version of it. Even with a relatively lower budget, the 4-episode miniseries packs a punch with its strong performances and sophisticated direction.
Its depiction of Stephen King's magnum opus novel is a little muddled at times, but even during these moments, it keeps viewers on their toes and makes them wonder what'll happen next.
Storm Of The Century (1999) - 7.3
In 1999, Stephen King brought something special to television. This was a series called Storm of the Century, which was not based on one of his books but was a screenplay he wrote specifically for the TV show. A three-episode miniseries, the story took place on a small island town that was trapped in by a blizzard.
That is when a mysterious man showed up, a man that is based on the Man in Black from many King stories. He proves he can force anyone in town to take their own life, and he will have the entire town die if they don't surrender eight children to him. While a sheriff fights this, since his son is one of the children, he learns that you can't beat the devil. It was dark, especially for television, and pure King.
The Dead Zone (2002) - 7.3
- Streaming now on Fandor and Screambox.
Over the years, Stephen King's The Dead Zone has had many adaptations, among which the Christopher Walken-starring film is considered the best. Although comparatively obscure, the 2002 series also does a great job at exploring the political undertones and intense mystery drama that unfolds in the source material.
The show follows Johnny, who wakes up from a six-year coma with the ability to see a person's future just through one touch. Putting his abilities to good use, he joins forces with her ex-wife's husband, a sheriff named Walt, and helps him seek justice.
Haven (2010) - 7.5
- Available to buy on Apple YV, Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu, and Microsoft.
Loosely adapted from Stephen King's The Colorado Kid, Haven is a series that starts slow and steadily builds up to a crescendo that reveals the supernatural underpinnings and mysterious secrets lurking under a seemingly ordinary titular town. With each season, the show finds refreshingly new ways to evoke the curiosity of viewers, and in turn, keeps them hooked throughout its runtime.
Being a long-running five-season series, it isn't always consistent with its quality. This is not a Stephen King horror story, but by immaculately balancing its sci-fi elements with dark comedy and melodrama, the show stays strong throughout its first few seasons and leaves viewers asking for more.
Castle Rock (2018) - 7.5
- Streaming now on Hulu.
Castle Rock was not based on a Stephen King novel or short story but was instead based on the entire King world. Castle Rock is a fictional town in King's books that housed more than one novel and short story. This Hulu series put the action in the town and then brought in some familiar names for all-new stories of terror.
The first season had references to the Shawshank penitentiary and featured Sissy Spacek, the actress who originally played Carrie, in a big role. The second season went even more point on when it brought in a young Anne Wilkes and showed her life before she went on to become the monster from Misery.
The Outsider (2020) - 7.7
- Streaming now on HBO Max.
In 2020, HBO picked up the rights to a Stephen King novel called The Outsider and released it on its streaming service in 2020. The story was a detective mystery similar to True Detective, but with a supernatural twist. A child was found murdered and all evidence points to a little league baseball coach and family man that everyone loved.
However, while the town deems him guilty, a local lawman looks further into the case and realizes that the truth is not what it seems and someone might have stolen this man's face to commit the murders. Jason Bateman plans the accused, but the true stars here are Ben Mendelsohn as the investigating officer and Cynthia Envo as a PI he works with named Holly Gibney.
Mr. Mercedes (2017) - 7.8
- Streaming now on Hoopla and Peacock.
Holly Gibney from The Outsider makes a second appearance on a Stephen King television show when she also showed up in the series Mr. Mercedes. This was originally a series for AT&T's streaming channel, but when that service died, it moved on to Peacock.
Mr. Mercedes was the first novel in a trilogy and the TV series also lasted for three seasons. It started out with Brendan Gleeson as a retired police detective who was lured out of retirement by the serial killer he could never catch, known only as Mr. Mercedes. Harry Treadaway played the killer and Justine Lupe played Holly in this series.
11.22.63 (2016) - 8.1
- Streaming now on Hulu.
The highest-rated Stephen King television adaptation was a 2016 Hulu original miniseries called 11.22.63. This was based on the novel by the same name where a man learned there was a doorway where he could go back in time to a specific point in time. He aged while he was there, but if he returned to the present and then went back, he ended up in the exact same time in the past as before.
James Franco plays Jake, a former teacher who agrees to go back in time with the sole purpose of stopping the assassination of John F. Kennedy, believing he could make the world a better place by halting this tragedy. However, as anyone who loves time travel fiction knows, things are not always that easy.