15 Best Stephen King Shows, Ranked
The literary world’s King of Horror is also a king of the screen, too: Stephen King stories have been thrilling TV viewers and moviegoers for decades now — and will likely do so for decades to come.
In fact, King’s IMDb filmography shows nearly two dozen projects in the pipeline, and we’ve heard chatter of possible TV adaptations of his stories The Jaunt, The Dark Tower, The Ten O’Clock People, Later, and Holly. Plus, we’re eagerly awaiting the It spinoff series Welcome to Derry.
Meanwhile, in honor of the 50th anniversary of his first book Carrie, here are the 15 best Stephen King television series so far, according to average critic scores from Metacritic .
The Shining
King was dissatisfied with the Stanley Kubrick’s take on The Shining, so he himself scripted this miniseries, starring Steven Weber and Rebecca De Mornay. “There’s a deep, rich creepiness … that makes this miniseries the most frightening TV movie ever made,” Entertainment Weekly’s Ken Tucker said. Metascore: 61
The Stand
Before directing that version of The Shining, Mick Garris helmed this miniseries, which featured Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe, and many others in a story about forces of good and evil battling for power in a plague-ravaged world. The New York Times’ John J. O’Connor called it “muddled [but] clever enough to keep you wondering what could possibly happen next.” Metascore: 61
Golden Years
This miniseries starred Keith Szarabajka as an elderly janitor who ages in reverse after getting caught in a lab explosion — and it ended on cliffhanger meant to set up a series that CBS turned down. “There’s a lot to like about the show,” said The Washington Post’s Jay Sharbutt. “It’s fun, interesting, and well-crafted.” Metascore: 63
The Dead Zone
Anthony Michael Hall led the cast of this sci-fi drama, playing a teacher who develops the ability to tap into the “dead zone” of his brain to see visions of the past and future. “It is absolutely riveting,” asserted the New York Post’s Linda Stasi. “There is all kinds of innovative photography, good writing, and a heck of a premise.” Metascore: 65
Salem’s Lot
Lowe starred in another King-inspired miniseries as the headliner of this production, playing a writer who discovers his hometown is overrun by vampires. “The interest of a horror movie lasts for seven-eighths of it, while suspense mounts and credulity deepens,” the NYT’s Virginia Heffernan said. Metascore: 65
Castle Rock
Characters (and actors) from a variety of King’s works converged in this psychological horror series. RogerEbert.com’s Allison Shoemaker observed that the fan service sometimes veers toward self-parody, but “when Castle Rock is focused on being a damn fine story — a smart one, a playful one — it can be good, even great.” Metascore: 67
Under the Dome
A mysterious, invisible dome cuts off the town of Chester’s Mill from the rest of civilization in this sci-fi drama for which Stephen King wrote the second-season premiere. “If not top-tier TV terror fare, Under the Dome certainly is solid second-level stuff,” wrote The Plain Dealer’s Mark Dawidziak. “And given the state of horror on television these days, that’s a bloody good compliment.” Metascore: 68
The Outsider
Cynthia Erivo, Ben Mendelsohn, and Jason Bateman are just a few of the players in this all-star adaptation, in which a seemingly straightforward murder investigation takes a turn for the supernatural. “The Outsider ’s relative sprawl — 10 hours to tackle a nearly 600-page book — affords unusual leeway and breathing room, which [screenwriter Richard] Price exploits with intelligence and deft creativity,” said Slate’s Jack Hamilton. Metascore: 68
11.22.63
James Franco played a man sent back to time to thwart the assassination of John F. Kennedy — only to find that altering the course of history is hard work — in this miniseries from producer J.J. Abrams. “11.22.63’s aesthetics are tantalizing, the acting compelling, and the twists and supernatural elements are genuinely shocking,” wrote Collider’s Allison Keene. Metascore: 69
Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King
Eight of King’s short stories got the television treatment in this anthology miniseries, with William H. Macy, Jeremy Sisto, and Kim Delaney among the cast. “If Stephen King had written The Twilight Zone, it would have looked like this.” said Deseret News’ Scott D. Pierce. Metascore: 71
Mr. Mercedes
A psychopathic young man (played by Harry Treadaway) lures an ex-detective (played by Brendan Gleeson) into an online game of cat and mouse in this adaptation from prolific TV producer David E. Kelley. “Mr. Mercedes … is premium-unleaded nightmare fuel right out of the gate, without even a touch of the strange or supernatural,” said The Boston Globe’s Isaac Feldberg. Metascore: 72
Storm of the Century
A rare example of a King story written specifically for television — and a production that the novelist named as his favorite of his television career — this miniseries starred Colm Feore as a magical menace who terrorizes a Maine town during a blizzard. “Storm is classic King, scary as heck and loaded with dark, psychological twists and turns,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Gail Pennington declared. Metascore: 74
It
Before Bill Skarsgård brought the demonic clown Pennywise to the big screen, Tim Curry played the character on the small, and 30 million viewers tuned in to watch the two-part series. “It is a humdinger, one big kicky ride thanks to the charismatic acting of Curry as savage, sneering malevolence,” said The Hollywood Reporter’s Miles Beller. Metascore: 79
Salem’s Lot
Tobe Hooper, a master of horror known for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Poltergeist, directed this version of Salem’s Lot. “As we head into a new era of King adaptations, we should remember the bracing, relatively restrained example of one of the King adaptation’s oldest forebears,” Paste’s Max O’Connell wrote. “Hooper captured what is great about its original artist and what was great about its adaptor: They knew too well how to make forgotten fears feel real again.” Metascore: 82