The reigning king of horror has been showing everyone else how it’s done for decades. Starting with his debut novel Carrie, Stephen King redefined the horror genre, leading to some of the most iconic stories. The Shining, Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile are all masterclasses in filmmaking, but television is another story.
The structure of television allows for a deeper dive into his work, which can sometimes elevate what was originally on the page. Some of his stories are just better with more time to devote to them.
The Outsider Was a Stirring Crime Series
The Outsider isn’t just a decent Stephen King adaptation; it is also one of the best crime dramas HBO has to offer. Released in 2020, the limited series starts with a confounding case that leaves law enforcement baffled. When a boy is found assaulted and murdered, police zero in on Terry Maitland, only to find their suspect appeared to be in two places at once at the time of the crime.
Detective Ralph Anderson has to partner with eccentric PI, Holly Gibney, played by Cynthia Erivo. Book readers will note that Erivo’s portrayal differs from the book version of the more than the highly observant character she is in the books. The Outsider draws a line from Holly’s abilities to characters in The Shining.
The idea that Holly may have the Shine creates an enjoyable throughline to King’s other works, which already is a connected universe. This adds even more layers to a villain that is reminiscent of Pennywise. The Outsider can make these connections that are varied because it has more time in the 10 episode series.
Stephen King Made Sure Lisey’s Story Made an Impact
Almost two decades after Julianne Moore and Clive Owen dazzled in the sci-fi masterpiece, Children of Men, the two reunited for the Apple TV+ adaptation of Lisey’s Story. Moore stars as the titular Lisey, who is grieving the death of her author husband, Scott. While going through his manuscripts, she finds a cryptic message from him that leads her on a treasure hunt.
Lisey’s Story is a King favorite that benefits from being in a visual medium that takes place over several episodes. The limited series had extra bite because the episodes were written by King himself, ensuring it was the best of both worlds in a way that movies would not allow. The performances from Moore and Owen made the story of grief and trauma even more gripping.
IT: Welcome to Derry Is a Surprisingly Original Story
When HBO first developed IT: Welcome to Derry, it was fair to question if anyone really needed more Pennywise content. IT Chapters One and Two were the definitive adaptation of that story, which nailed all the important points of the book more or less. That said, Welcome to Derry proved everyone wrong in a series that effortlessly covered more territory while offering something new.
Welcome to Derry takes place in the Pennywise cycle before the IT films. Because the series is set in the ’50s, it can be truer to the King novel than the more modern movies. While staying true to the spirit of the book, the series also redeems some of the more unsavory aspects of the original novel. It branches out, delving into more horrifying parts such as The Black Spot, while also disregarding the infamous Bev scene in IT, which shall not be named.
Castle Rock Was Allowed to Deviate From the Source Material
Hulu’s Castle Rock is the most creative series connected to Stephen King, which allowed it to surpass the stories it was based on. The first season takes place in the town that King sets many of his stories in. Including Shawshank Penitentiary, Jack Torrance’s niece, and Needful Things’ Alan Pangborn, Castle Rock weaves an original story that, while paying homage to King, was unlike anything else in his movie universe.
Season 2 escalates the story even further, not by adapting a famous King book, but by showing a prequel. Lizzy Caplan stars as Annie Wilkes, the terrifying villain in Rob Reiner’s Misery. The sophomore season was the final one and contextualized the character and gave her more nuance than in the film. Castle Rock covers more territory than any one film in a celebration of the author’s work.
Chapelwaite Went Further Than the Short Story
Stephen King’s short stories have a history of getting adapted into screen gems that can surpass the original work. The Shawshank Redemption is one of the best films ever made, and it stemmed from a short story in Different Seasons. MGM+’s series Chapelwaite isn’t quite as famous, but has the opportunity to explore a story beyond what a movie could do.
Chapelwaite is an adaptation of the short story Jerusalem’s Lot, which is a prequel to King’s notable vampire book, Salem’s Lot. Starring Adrian Brody, the series follows Captain Charles Boone, who relocates to his ancestral home in Maine after his wife dies at sea. Its 10 episodes allow the series to explore more territory and have certainly surpassed the recent Salem’s Lot adaptation in quality. The series offers a genuinely creepy vision of the famous town that would one day be overrun by vampires.