ManyStephen Kingadaptations fail to hit the mark, but one sci-fi show based on his acclaimed novel is undoubtedly a masterpiece. Almost every year, a new wave ofStephen King TV and movie adaptationshits the big and small screens. Unfortunately, not all of them capture the essence of the author’s stories and struggle to leave a mark.
While some horror and non-horror adaptations of the author’s works have performed incredibly well, sci-fi remains one genre where only a select few shows and movies have succeeded in balancing King’s vision with the thought-provoking themes the genre demands.Under the Domeinitially had the potential to become one of the better sci-fi adaptations of King’s works.
Unfortunately, after season 1, the show went completely off the rails and dropped everything that made the originalStephen King bookcompelling. OneStephen King TV show, however, has been an exception. It boasts an impressive Rotten Tomatoes critics' score of 83% and, despite introducing many changes to its source material, manages to honor Stephen King’s original story.
Stephen King Adaptations Don’t Always Live Up To The Source Material
Most Adaptations Of His Books Have Been Subpar
Even though many Stephen King books are adapted for the big and small screens, almost all of them find it hard to impress viewers familiar with his works. In recent times,movie adaptations, likeThe MonkeyandThe Life of Chuck, have done a far better job of capturing the elements that make Stephen King’s stories compelling.
When it comes to television, however, Stephen King adaptations are still seemingly struggling to live up to their source material. The2020 adaptation ofThe Standwas expected to become a worthy take on the iconic Stephen King novel, but most viewers and critics found it unwatchable.
MGM+’s recent take on Stephen King’sThe Instituteis significantly better than most television adaptations of the author’s work. However, it still has an average Rotten Tomatoes score of 65%. Arguably, 2019’sThe Outsiderwas the last Stephen King TV show that truly captivated audiences and did justice to its source material.
11.22.63 Is Both A Great TV Show And A Great Stephen King Adaptation
Despite Changing The Source Material, 11.22.63 Manages To Succeed As An Adaptation
Most adaptations, likeUnder the Dome, that ambitiously drift too far from the source material end up getting panned by viewers and critics. Surprisingly, though, despite taking the same approach,11.22.63ends up delivering a gripping and emotionally resonant story about time travel, regret, and the rippling consequences of one’s choices.
The show only seems to borrow the foundational ideas about alternate history and the risk of changing timeline-defining events from the original book. Beyond that, it sets out to etch its own identity by adopting several original story beats.
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The Kill Floor
Even though11.22.63remains one of the better adaptations of King’s works, some viewers have still complained about its creative liberties. However, many others have jointly agreed that even though the show is not as good as the original book in some ways, it strikes the right balance between staying true to King’s vision and making the original story a good fit for TV.
Why 11.22.63 Succeeded Where Other Stephen King Adaptations Failed
Stephen King, Too, Approves The Show “Wholeheartedly”
Stephen King is always honest about his views on the adaptations of his works. Like most critics, he, too, could not help but sing praises for11.22.63because he appreciated how the show only introduced the necessary changes to the book to make it more suitable for television’s serialized format.
As the author quoted (viaFast Company), the show is “in line with the spirit of the story,” which he approves of “wholeheartedly.” Apart from capturing its source material’s spirit,11.22.63also features some incredible performances from its cast, which includes James Franco, Sarah Gadon, George MacKay, Josh Duhamel, and Chris Cooper.
TheStephen Kingsci-fi show’s talented cast plays a crucial role in further elevating its drama and immersing viewers in its gripping portrayal of time travel and a man’s complex struggle against fate, making it one of the best takes on the author’s stories.
11.22.63
A teacher travels back in time to prevent the Kennedy assassination but grows emotionally tied to his new life in the past.
