Every Stephen King TV Show, Ranked Worst to Best

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – June 3, 2021

Originally a reluctant convert to television, best-selling horror author Stephen King has seen over two dozen projects bearing his name reach the small screen over the past 40+ years, from Salem's Lot to the just-launched Lisey's Story. While most of these have been adaptations of King's novels and stories, a few were wholly new projects written by the author directly for TV. Some have been deeply mediocre at best, but quite a few of King's TV shows have received a warm welcome from critics.

In the gallery on this page, we rank every Stephen King series from worst to best by Metascore, reflecting the critical consensus at the time of each show's debut. Miniseries are included alongside conventional TV shows, but made-for-TV movies are excluded.

14 of 26 photo by Josh Stringer/Shudder

64 Creepshow (Shudder, 2019–)

Based on the movie Creepshow (1982)

[#12] Recently renewed for a third season, this original anthology series on the horror streaming service Shudder is a continuation of George A. Romero's 1982 film of the same name. That film, which was also episodic in nature, was both written by Stephen King (it was his first produced screenplay) and partially inspired by several King short stories (as well as '50s-era horror comics like Tales From the Crypt). The series, too, has featured episodes based on King's work, including the series debut, "Grey Matter," and a special animated episode, "Survivor Type."

“Shudder’s Creepshow bottles the original’s pulpy spirit, using the atmosphere and variety provided by shorter segments for an irresistibly macabre package.” —Steven Scaife, Slant

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