Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King

Despite some highlights, this foray into “The Twilight Zone” territory mostly lacks the requisite punch Showtime’s “Masters of Horror” delivered, primarily owing to episodes with inadequate payoffs. Limited series should spur curiosity among King acolytes, but too few of the installments really pop creatively.

Like so many efforts to refashion ``The Twilight Zone," including two ``Zone" remakes, HBO's ``Tales From the Dark Side," and Steven Spielberg's ``Amazing Stories," it's a mixed bag that never quite moves beyond non sequitur creeps and special effects. The production values are sleek, and, with casts that include Jeremy Sisto, Steven Weber, Ron Livingston, and Marsha Mason, the acting is solid enough. But many of the stories fail to transcend their own narrative details toward something universal.