There are few authors that have been adapted more than Stephen King, but that can lead to a lot of hemming and hawing about where to start – especially after finishing “It: Welcome to Derry.”
While King’s film adaptations often take center stage, his stories adapted for TV have been just as successful. The ’90s were rife with miniseries of his biggest books, and later, other shows like “Castle Rock” were not afraid to dive deep into King’s larger connected universe, much like the latest HBO series.
Whether you’re looking for a new binge or a rewatch, these are the best Stephen King TV shows to stream now that “It: Welcome to Derry” is finished.
“Mr. Mercedes””
Tucked away on the Audience Network, “Mr. Mercedes” quickly rose to be one of the strongest crime thrillers that nobody was watching. Starring Brendan Gleeson and developed by David E. Kelley, the series adapts King’s Bill Hodges Trilogy about a retired detective who can’t let go of the one case he couldn’t solve as the killer reemerges.
The series is more grounded than just about any other King adaptation on offer and treats its viewers to a slow-burning drama that relishes the slow moments just as much as the cat-and-mouse game being played.
“Castle Rock”
Stephen King was doing connected universes before they were cool, and “Castle Rock” serves as a love letter to his expansive work. The series takes place in the titular town, where so many of the writer’s stories have taken place. The series only lasted two seasons – with the second being a little too lost in the sauce of playing in King’s toybox – but the first season follows a man returning to town after years, right as a boy is discovered living in the abandoned wing of Shawshank Prison.
It’s a contemplative and horrific season of TV that features King alum Sissy Spacek in one of the best roles in her career. If you consider yourself a Constant Reader and have always wanted to see characters from “Misery,” “‘Salem’s Lot,” and more interact than this is the show for you.
“The Outsider”
“The Outsider” began HBO’s partnership with adapting King’s work, and it largely succeeded straight out of the gate. The limited series finds a town leveled after the death of a young boy is put on a beloved member of the community – the problem being there is hard evidence of this man being responsible for killing and an equally strong alibi for him being towns away when the killing happened.
Just like with the book, “The Outsider” is stronger in its first half than its second, but it’s lifted by great performances from Ben Mendelsohn, Jason Bateman and Cynthia Erivo.
“Storm of the Century”
TV miniseries adaptations of King’s book were all the rage in the ’90s and ’00s, and while ones like “It” and “The Stand” have stayed in the public consciousness, truly great ones like “Storm of the Century” have fallen to the wayside.
The series follows – you guessed it – a small town besieged by an eternal evil, this time while also dealing with a historic snow storm. “Storm of the Century” is not for the faint of heart even all these years later, and the ending will leave a pit in your stomach.
“It” (1990 Mini-Series)
A legend to many who grew up in the ’90s, ABC’s two-part mini-series of “It” still works in a lot of ways. Sure, some of the effects are a bit dated, but the overall work is greater than the sum of its parts. Chances are, if you had more issues than love for the modern “It” remakes, you’ll find a lot of joy in the ’90s rendition.
And at the very least, the runtime is made worth it by the clinic Tim Curry is putting on as Pennywise the Clown.
