The 21 Greatest Stephen King TV Series Adaptations

From chilling network miniseries to prestige streaming originals, this lineup spans four decades of small-screen nightmares. Which adaptation haunts you most?

1

It (1990)

Tim Curry's Pennywise anchors this two-part miniseries watched by 30 million viewers, the most iconic King TV adaptation ever made.

1000pts

2

The Stand (1994)

A sprawling four-part apocalyptic epic with Gary Sinise and Molly Ringwald, widely considered the definitive King miniseries.

633pts

3

Castle Rock

An anthology series set in King's fictional Maine town, weaving together characters and lore from across his novels.

591pts

4

Lisey's Story

King adapted his own favorite novel for Apple TV+, starring Julianne Moore in a haunting meditation on grief and memory.

542pts

5

Salem's Lot (2004)

TNT remake starring Rob Lowe, a solid but less beloved retelling of the vampire novel.

487pts

6

The Dead Zone

USA Network series starring Anthony Michael Hall as a man with psychic visions after a coma.

487pts

7

The Outsider

HBO's eerie small-town murder mystery blending detective drama with supernatural horror, one of the highest-rated King TV shows ever.

422pts

8

Kingdom Hospital

King's own reimagining of Lars von Trier's 'Riget,' a haunted-hospital series that lasted one season on ABC.

345pts

9

Under the Dome

A small town is trapped beneath a mysterious force field in this CBS summer hit based on the 2009 novel.

345pts

10

Chapelwaite

Epix series starring Adrien Brody, expanding King's short story 'Jerusalem's Lot' into a gothic family horror drama.

345pts

11

Rose Red

A King-scripted haunted-house miniseries starring Nancy Travis, about psychics investigating a sentient, murderous mansion.

345pts

12

Salem's Lot (1979)

Tobe Hooper's vampire-horror miniseries, praised by King himself as one of the best and most faithful adaptations of his work.

345pts

13

The Institute

MGM+ series about a boy with psychic powers held captive in a facility that harvests gifted children's abilities.

345pts

14

Carrie (2026)

Mike Flanagan's reimagined miniseries starring Summer H. Howell and Matthew Lillard, premiering fall 2026.

345pts

15

IT: Welcome to Derry

HBO prequel series expanding Pennywise's history in Derry, Maine, spun off from the recent It films.

253pts

16

Nightmares & Dreamscapes

TNT anthology miniseries adapting eight King short stories, featuring William Hurt and William H. Macy.

253pts

17

Mr. Mercedes

David E. Kelley's cat-and-mouse thriller pits a retired detective against a mass-murdering 'Mercedes Killer' over three seasons.

253pts

18

Haven

Syfy series inspired by King's novella 'The Colorado Kid,' about a Maine town plagued by supernatural afflictions.

253pts

19

The Stand (2020)

CBS All Access remake of the 1994 classic with a starrier cast and a King-penned new ending.

141pts

20

11.22.63

James Franco travels back in time to stop JFK's assassination in this acclaimed Hulu miniseries with an unsettling tone.

141pts

21

Storm of the Century

An original King miniseries about a demonic stranger terrorizing an isolated Maine island town during a blizzard.

141pts