Many of the works ofStephen Kinghave been adapted to TV, but with so many shows, some have been forgotten, or many viewers don’t know they come from the mind of the King of Horror. SinceCarriewas published in 1974, Stephen King has been terrorizing generations of readers with a variety of novels and short stories.
King has created some of the most memorable villains of the horror genre in his works, both human villains, like Annie Wilkes, and supernatural ones, like It. Many of them have been adapted to film and TV, sometimes more than once, but in the latter category, many Stephen King adaptations have gone unnoticed or were silent hits.
There are many otherStephen King TV showsthat are lesser-known because the audience doesn’t know they are stories by the King of Horror, and these shows aren’t always adaptations of already existing works.
7Chapelwaite
Chapelwaiteis a horror TV show loosely based on King’s “Jerusalem’s Lot” short story, included in the 1978 collectionNight Shift.Chapelwaitetook the audience to 1850 to meet Captain Charles Boone (Adrien Brody). After the death of his wife aboard a whaler ship, Boone and his children return to the town of Preacher’s Corners in Maine.
However, once there, dark and disturbing family secrets and history begin to haunt them, forcing them to confront these demons. As “Jerusalem’s Lot” comes from the world ofSalem’s Lot,Chapelwaiteis a story about vampires, but these creatures in the universe of Stephen King are different from their traditional versions.
Chapelwaitemostly received positive reviews, though it holds a 60% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes (against a 79% popcornmeter score). Although it was renewed for a second season a couple of months after season 1’s finale,Chapelwaiteended after just one seasonafter MGM+ decided not to move forward with it.
6Golden Years
Golden Yearsis a sci-fi thriller miniseries created by Stephen King, but not based on a novel or short story. The seven-part miniseries aired on CBS in 1991, and it follows Harlan Williams (Keith Szarabajka), an elderly janitor working at a top-secret laboratory. One day, Harlan is caught up in an explosion at the lab, exposing him to strange chemicals.
Harlan survives, but he wakes up to a surprising and intriguing condition: he’s now aging backwards. However, he also ends up in trouble and has to escape from an operative of The Shop, the government agency from King’s novelFirestarter.
According toStephen King: A Biography, by Albert Rolls,Golden Yearswas intended to be made into a regular series, so it was given a cliffhanger ending. However, CBS decided not to move forward with it and denied King four hours of airtime to finish the story. Because of this, the home video version ofGolden Yearschanged the show’s final minutes to give it a proper ending.
5The Langoliers
The Langoliersis a two-part horror miniseries based on Stephen King’s novella of the same name, found in the collectionFour Past Midnight. Directed by Tom Holland (the director ofChild’s Play, not the actor),The Langoliersfollows ten passengers on a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Boston who awaken to find that the rest of the passengers and crew have disappeared.
Thanks to one of them being a pilot, the group lands in Bangor, Maine, but to their shock, the airport is deserted and has no power. As they try to make sense of what is happening, one of the passengers mentions the Langoliers, monsters that go after lazy children and eat them.
The Langoliersgot mixed to negative reviews, with many criticizing its pace, characters, and special effects, with some even calling it a stretched-outTwilight Zoneepisode. Because of this,The Langoliersbecame a forgettable Stephen King TV show.
4Rose Red
Another Stephen King TV show that isn’t an adaptation of one of his works is the miniseriesRose Red. King wrote the script for this project, directed by Craig R. Baxley, which aired on ABC in 2002.Rose Redfollows professor of parapsychology, Dr. Joyce Reardon (Nancy Travis), who brings a team of psychics to an old Seattle mansion known as Rose Red.
The Rose Red mansion is widely believed to be haunted, so Reardon and her team hope to get enough scientific proof of paranormal phenomena while there. However, once there, Reardon and her team awaken an evil spirit possessing the house, which leads to many deaths and disturbing revelations about the mansion.
Rose Redgot mixed reactions, with most critics agreeing that it’s an entertaining series, but the backstories, the origin of the house, and other elements are convoluted, and the script wasn’t the show’s strength.
3Haven
Havenis a supernatural drama TV show loosely based on Stephen King’s 2005 novelThe Colorado Kid.Havenfollows Audrey Parker (Emily Rose), an FBI Special Agent sent to the small town of Haven, Maine, on a routine case. However, once there, she ends up involved in the return of a plague of supernatural afflictions known as “The Troubles.”
In addition to that, and open to the possibility of paranormal phenomena, Parker also discovers a personal link in town that could lead her to her mother, whom she has never known.Havenaired on Syfy from 2010 to 2015 and was canceled after five seasons due to a decline in ratings and a shift in programming focus.
Haven’s blend of supernatural elements, mystery, and small-town drama, along with its well-developed characters, led to it running for five seasons and building a loyal fanbase. Although it does have its flaws, particularly its slow pace and rushed ending,Havenis worth watching for fans of Stephen King.
2Storm of the Century
Storm of the Centuryis a horror three-part miniseries written by Stephen King, but once again not based on a published novel or short story. Also directed by Craig R. Baxley,Storm of the Centurytakes the audience to Little Tall Island, Maine, as its residents prepare for a blizzard.
When an elderly resident is brutally murdered, the investigation leads to the arrest of André Linoge (Colm Feore). Linoge surprises the residents as he knows the names and morbid secrets of all of them, but shows particular interest in Ralphie, the son of the supermarket manager and part-time constable, Mike.
Ralphie has a birthmark on his nose, and without revealing anything, Linoge only asks to be given what he wants and then he will leave. However, while in his jail cell, Linoge possesses many of the town’s residents, causing murder, chaos, and suicides.Storm of the Centuryis one of Stephen King’s best TV shows, andKing has even shared how proud he is of it.
1Castle Rock
Castle Rockis a unique case in the list of Stephen King TV shows.Castle Rockisn’t based on any of King’s works, instead bringing together different characters (both from King’s universe and original ones) in the infamous title town. Season 1 is the story of Henry Deaver (André Holland), a criminal attorney, and The Kid (Bill Skarsgård).
The Kid is a prisoner at Shawshank State Penitentiary who was secretly kept in an abandoned and isolated cell for decades. There are no records of The Kid, but he knows a bit too much about Deaver. Season 2 goes in a different direction, this time exploring the backstory ofMisery’s villain, Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan).
Despite its positive critical reception,Castle Rockended after just two seasons.Castle Rockis worth watching thanks to its different perspective on the town, the already known characters like Alan Pangborn and Annie Wilkes, and the new and intriguing characters, particularly The Kid.
