As an author, Stephen King has written some of the best scary stories ever written, but his personal taste buds might surprise some fans of his horror fare. For example, did you know that he loves over-the-top TV shows? Whether King is obsessed with “Prison Break” or hates himself for enjoying Taylor Sheridan’s work, the well-respected writer is quite open about his guilty pleasures. That brings us to his appreciation of Mike Kelley’s “Revenge,” a juicy ABC drama currently available to stream on Hulu.
Inspired by “The Count of Monte Cristo,” “Revenge” tells the story of Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp), a young woman who moves to the wealthy Hamptons and immediately begins mingling with the locals. However, Emily is not who she says she is and she has nefarious intentions towards the townspeople who wronged her father 20 years ago. King was immediately drawn to the soap opera elements of the series and even compared it favorably to a classic in an op-ed he wrote for Entertainment Weekly:
“Guilty pleasure television, your name is “Vengeance”. There hasn’t been a nighttime soap this cool since the early days of “Dallas…” Watching Emily – a fist of steel in a velvet evening gown – take on ice queen Victoria Grayson (the wonderful Madeleine Stowe) is the most fun you can have with a bowl of popcorn on your lap. Special congratulations to Ashton Holmes as the world’s scariest best friend. »
King listed “Revenge” among his favorite pop culture releases of 2011, placing it above “The Walking Dead” and other hit properties. Plus, the author has continued to sing the praises of the ABC drama ever since.
Stephen King loves the ridiculousness of Revenge
Stephen King’s love of “Revenge” continued into 2012, with the author placing it on his Entertainment Weekly list of the best TV series he watched that year. As the series became more and more over-the-top, the author became more enamored with its storylines, its aesthetic qualities, and the aforementioned antagonist that Emily Thorne comes up against while causing trouble in the beach paradise. In his own words:
“More and more ridiculous, but ah, those clothes! And Queen Victoria, back on her throne in French writing! Yow! If I was bad, I wonder if she would… too bad.”
It also seems that King’s love of “Revenge” has ruined other series for him. Speaking to Parade in 2013, the author claimed he wasn’t a fan of “Mad Men” because Matthew Weiner’s acclaimed period drama doesn’t surpass “Revenge” as a wild, garish soap opera. Indeed, while everyone was raving about Weiner’s show, King was hooked on “Revenge,” becoming its proud standard-bearer. This may not be the first series we’d associate with a horror icon like King, but he’s arguably the series’ biggest celebrity fan.
“Revenge,” to reiterate, is available to stream on Hulu.
