The Best Stephen King TV Show Doesn't Come From A Book

Published Sep 5, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT Adrienne Tyler is a movies & TV features writer, with a focus on horror. She has written for Netflix, FanSided, & more. She was a regular guest on the Netfreaks podcast and was a YouTuber at some point. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. Many of the works of Stephen King have been adapted to TV, but the best King show doesn’t come from one of his novels or short stories. Among the best TV shows of all time are various horror series, all of them with different styles, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, and Supernatural. Many of the best horror TV shows are adaptations of Stephen King’s novels and short stories, such as Salem’s Lot, The Outsider, and the 1990 miniseries It, among others. With so many great Stephen King stories out there, TV adaptations are constantly in development and preparing to be released, with some recent examples being Prime Video's Carrie and the second seasons of It: Welcome to Derry and The Institute. Of course, with so many popular stories and shows, many have faded into obscurity, despite their great quality. Such is the case for Castle Rock, which premiered on Hulu in 2018. Castle Rock was a critical success, currently holding an 88% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, but despite this and a positive reception by general audiences, it was canceled after just two seasons. Although this led it to become a somewhat forgotten show, Castle Rock is one of the best Stephen King TV shows to date, and the most interesting part is that it isn’t an adaptation of a book or short story by the King of Horror. Castle Rock Used Stephen King’s Universe To Make Original Stories Instead of bringing a specific story from Stephen King’s works to life, Castle Rock opted for something more original but still from King’s universe. As such, Castle Rock takes the title setting from King’s world, characters from different stories (most notably Alan Pangborn, Annie Wilkes, and Pop Merrill), and characters unique to the show into new stories inspired by King’s rich universe. Season 1 of Castle Rock is the story of Henry Deaver (André Holland), a criminal attorney who returns to his hometown of Castle Rock to take on the case of a mysterious prisoner found in an abandoned cell at Shawshank State Penitentiary. The prisoner is simply known as “The Kid” (Bill Skarsgård), and according to some documents, he had been imprisoned for 27 years, during which he didn’t age a day. In addition to investigating how and why The Kid was secretly kept captive for so many years, the investigation of his origins uncovers some of the dark secrets of the town. Season 2 told a new story, this time that of Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan), some years before the events of Misery. Castle Rock stands out for its originality, connection to Stephen King’s universe, tone, and performances, giving some freshness to the world of Stephen King while staying true to its essence and mythology. How Castle Rock Connects To The Rest Of Stephen King’s Universe Although Castle Rock tells original stories within the Stephen King universe, it does have some interesting connections to some notable characters and stories. First off, season 2 of Castle Rock serves as a prequel to Misery, following a young Annie Wilkes and setting up her obsession with writer Paul Sheldon. Alan Pangborn is a recurring character in Castle Rock-based King stories, such as Needful Things and The Dark Half. Pangborn is the sheriff of Castle Rock, who, in the events between The Dark Half and Needful Things, goes through a family tragedy. Years later, Pangborn starts a relationship with Polly Chalmers, but within the continuity of Castle Rock, the events of Needful Things seem to have never happened. Pop and Ace Merrill both appear in the short story “The Sun Dog”, with Ace also being part of “The Body”, “Nona”, and Needful Things. Pop is a cruel loan shark and owner of the junk store Emporium Galorium, while Ace is his psychopathic, cruel, bully nephew, who might be better remembered by the audience as Kiefer Sutherland’s character in Stand by Me. Season 1 of Castle Rock features a character named Diane “Jackie” Torrance (Jane Levy), a writer who is the niece of The Shining’s Jack Torrance. Castle Rock also features different places across town that fans of Stephen King will recognize, such as Shawshank State Penitentiary and Juniper Hill, and subtle references to stories like Cujo, Pet Sematary, and Salem’s Lot. Castle Rock is a delight for both fans of Stephen King and those unfamiliar with his works, and it’s one of the most creative TV shows from his unique world. Release Date 2018 - 2019-00-00 Showrunner Dustin Thomason Directors Dustin Thomason