6 Great Stephen King Miniseries You Can Binge Before the New Year

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With the end of the HBO series It: Welcome to Derry, fans of Stephen King are likely eager for more screen adaptations of his work. Luckily, there’s plenty on the way! Mike Flanagan is finishing up his versions of Carrie and The Dark Tower, while JT Mollner is beginning development on The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Plus, Doug Liman is reportedly working on a new adaptation of The Stand, and the novella Rat is also being turned into a movie.

As a huge Stephen King fan, I always get excited when his stuff hits streaming – 2025 brought us The Running Man, The Life of Chuck, and The Monkey, and I always revisit those. But honestly, some of his older stories really shine as miniseries. I’ve put together a list of some of his best (not in any order!), and the best part is you can totally binge-watch them all in a single weekend. A few of them feel like really long movies, but technically they are miniseries, and they’re fantastic!

6
‘The Stand’ (1994)

Director: Mick Garris – Episodes: 4 – Total Running Time: 6 Hours


ABC

I recently revisited the 1994 miniseries, The Stand, and it’s a fascinating adaptation of what many Stephen King fans consider his masterpiece. The story kicks off with a devastating virus wiping out most of America, and it’s not just about survival. It quickly becomes clear that this apocalypse is setting the stage for something far more sinister – the rise of a truly terrifying, demonic figure named Randall Flagg. It’s a compelling look at how people rebuild – and how easily power can corrupt in a world gone wrong.

The $26 million series proved to be a hit, reaching almost 20 million U.S. households upon its debut. Featuring a talented cast including Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Miguel Ferrer, and Rob Lowe, the show has a classic ’90s TV movie feel. However, the script, written by Stephen King, is considered one of his strongest works. It’s a captivating and suspenseful drama with a supernatural element, driven by characters that are easy to connect with.

5
‘Storm of the Century’ (1999)

Director: Craig R. Baxley – Episodes: 3 – Total Running Time: 4 Hours 15 Minutes


ABC 

Stephen King wrote Storm of the Century for television, creating a completely original story rather than adapting one of his novels. Many consider it one of the most frightening TV shows ever made. Though it begins with a seemingly peaceful, snowy backdrop, the story quickly turns terrifying. It centers on the people of Little Tall Island, who are shocked by the arrival of a stranger named Andre Linoge during a blizzard. Linoge makes unsettling demands, and the townspeople soon realize he’s a serious threat.

I’ve always been fascinated by how Stephen King’s work translates to TV, and Craig R. Baxley quickly became a go-to director for him. After Storm of the Century, King kept working with Baxley on miniseries like Rose Red, The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer, and Kingdom Hospital. But honestly, Storm of the Century still stands out as the best – it’s even one of King’s personal favorite adaptations. And if you watched Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass and thought it had a similar vibe? You’re not wrong! Flanagan himself has said he was inspired by Storm of the Century when he was making it.

4
‘It’ (1990)

Director: Tommy Lee Wallace – Episodes: 2 – Total Running Time: Approx. 3 Hours 15 Minutes


ABC

Before the recent Warner Bros. movies and the upcoming 2025 spin-off, the scariest version of Pennywise first appeared in a two-part miniseries on ABC called It. This 1990 series follows a group of friends, the Losers Club, as they face a terrifying creature that haunts the town of Derry every 27 years. The second half of the miniseries shows the friends returning as adults to battle the clown again, but many fans consider the first part to be the stronger of the two.

The strong connection between the young actors, the scary visuals, and how well it fit the standards for TV horror all made the 1990 miniseries of It a very popular adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. Despite a few frightening and somewhat violent moments, it’s a great introduction to the horror genre for younger viewers. Almost 30 million households tuned in, making it the most widely watched choice on this list.

3
‘The Outsider’ (2020)

Director: Multiple – Episodes: 10 – Total Running Time: Approx. 9 Hours


HBO

HBO’s The Outsider is based on Stephen King’s chilling 2018 novel of the same name. The series centers on a detective in a small town investigating a gruesome murder, which leads him to uncover a supernatural force responsible for the crime. Featuring a stellar cast including Jason Bateman, Cynthia Erivo, Ben Mendelsohn, Paddy Considine, and Julianne Nicholson, it’s the most visually impressive show on this list.

Despite positive reviews and a good audience response, The Outsider wasn’t renewed for another season and stayed as a limited series. It’s the longest show on this list, but definitely worth watching. The story is captivating, blending genres with a gradually unfolding plot, believable characters, and a truly unsettling villain.

2
‘Salem’s Lot’ (1979)

Director: Tobe Hooper – Episodes: 2 – Total Running Time: 3 Hours


CBS

In Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, author Ben Mears returns to his childhood hometown hoping to write a book about a local haunted house. The Marsten House looms over the town from a hilltop, but Mears soon realizes it’s not haunted by ghosts—something far more terrifying resides within its walls.

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Though it might seem a little old-fashioned compared to modern horror, Salem’s Lot is genuinely terrifying. The vampire villain, reminiscent of Nosferatu, is one of the most frightening ever shown on TV, and the scene with the floating vampire child at a window is arguably the scariest moment in any Stephen King adaptation. Plus, the series was directed by Tobe Hooper, the director of classics like Poltergeist and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

1
‘The Shining’ (1997)

Director: Mick Garris – Episodes: 3 – Total Running Time: 4 Hours 30 Minutes


ABC

ABC dominated Stephen King miniseries adaptations, hosting four out of a list of six. In 1997, the network aired Mick Garris’ The Shining, which attracted nearly 20 million viewers but remains a controversial adaptation among fans. It’s particularly noteworthy for how it’s often compared to Stanley Kubrick’s famous version.

While not Stephen King’s best series overall, the 1997 version of The Shining is a strong adaptation of his novel. Notably, King himself wrote the screenplay, ensuring it closely followed his original story – a departure from Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film. This miniseries delivers everything fans want: effective scares, solid acting, and even a brief appearance by King, who prefers this version. You can currently watch The Shining (1997) for free on Tubi.

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2025-12-27 19:22