The Time Travel Show That Proves Stephen King’s Stories Are Better As Miniseries

The best TV show based on a Stephen King novel can be binged in just eight hours. King’s stories have been adapted for the screen for about as long as he’s been published. His debut novel Carrie was turned into a classic movie just two years after it arrived in bookstores, and there’s been a steady stream of adaptations since.

There have been a ton of great movies based on King’s work — Misery, The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption — but some of his books have been expanded into TV shows. The Mist, Mr. Mercedes, and Under the Dome have all been turned into full-blown series, while It, The Stand, and Salem’s Lot have all been turned into miniseries.

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11.22.63 Is A Limited Series Based On Stephen King’s Book Of The Same Name

It’s A Curious What-If Story About A Time Traveler Trying To Prevent The Kennedy Assassination

Actor James Franco as Jake Epping in 11.22.63.

One of the best TV shows based on King’s work is 11.22.63, an eight-episode miniseries based on the novel of the same name (although the novel’s title is styled as 11/22/63). James Franco stars as Jake Epping, a divorced English teacher who’s given the chance to travel back in time to 1960 by an old friend, played by Chris Cooper.

Jake decides to use this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. But since Kennedy wasn’t killed until 1963, Jake has three years to build a life in the past, and he becomes so attached to his new life — and, more specifically, his new love — that it threatens to derail the whole mission.

11.22.63 is a fresh take on the well-worn story trope of a time traveler getting stranded in the past. It places the time traveler in the midst of one of the most significant and hotly debated events in American history. And by giving him a massive three-year window to plan his mission, there’s plenty of time to explore the fish-out-of-water aspect.

11.22.63 Is One Of The Best Stephen King Adaptations

It’s A Grounded, Earnest, Well-Executed Sci-Fi Thriller

There are many great King adaptations, but 11.22.63 is one of the very best. The miniseries is the perfect format to adapt King’s books. Movies have to condense a lot from their novelistic source material — especially when dealing with a dense tome like the kind King writes — but a limited series can capture the complexity of a novel.

11.22.63 was removed from Hulu, but it’s available to buy on Prime Video and Apple TV+.

So many TV shows have a juicy premise, but fail to live up to its potential in their execution. 11.22.63 is a rare example of a show that nails its premise. Franco gives a sincere performance that’s well-suited to the historical setting of the story; he comes off like an Old Hollywood star. This is Stephen King’s best sci-fi show.