There are few authors who have been adapted as much as Stephen King, but that can lead to a lot of hesitation about where to start – especially after finishing “It: Welcome to Derry.”
While King’s film adaptations often take center stage, his stories adapted for television are just as successful. The ’90s were full of miniseries of his biggest books, and later other shows like “Castle Rock” weren’t 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 over.
“Mr. Mercedes”
Nestled on Audience Network, “Mr. Mercedes” quickly became one of the strongest crime thrillers that no one 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 reappears.
The series is more grounded than any other King adaptation on offer and offers its viewers a slow-burn drama that enjoys the slow moments as much as the ongoing game of cat and mouse.
“Castle Rock”
Stephen King was creating connected universes before they were cool, and “Castle Rock” serves as a love letter to his vast body of work. The series is set in the titular town, where many of the writer’s stories took place. The series only lasted two seasons – the second getting a little too lost in the sauce of King’s toy box – but the first season follows a man returning to town after years, just as a boy is discovered living in the abandoned wing of Shawshank Prison.
It’s a contemplative, gruesome season of television that stars King alum Sissy Spacek in one of the best roles of her career. If you consider yourself a constant reader and have always wanted to see the characters from “Misery,” “Salem’s Lot” and more interact, this is the series for you.
“The Stranger”
“The Outsider” launched HBO’s partnership in adapting King’s work, and it was largely successful from the start. The limited series finds that a town razed to the ground after the death of a young boy is left in the care of a beloved member of the community – the problem being that there is hard evidence that this man is responsible for the murder and an equally strong alibi for him being in town when the murder took place.
Much like the book, “The Outsider” is stronger in its first half than its second, but it is buoyed by superb 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 series like “It” and “The Stand” remained in the public consciousness, true greats like “Storm of the Century” fell by the wayside.
The series follows – you guessed it – a small town under siege by an eternal evil, this time while also dealing with a historic snowstorm. “Storm of the Century” is not for the faint of heart, even all these years later, and the ending will leave you with a pit in your stomach.
“It” (1990 miniseries)
A legend to many who grew up in the ’90s, ABC’s two-part miniseries “It” still works in many ways. Sure, some of the effects are a little dated, but the overall work is greater than the sum of its parts. Chances are, if you had more issues than love for modern remakes of “It,” you’ll find plenty of joy in the ’90s rendition.
And if nothing else, the runtime is worth it thanks to the clinic Tim Curry puts on as Pennywise the Clown.
