You Think ‘The Institute’ Was Scary? Wait Till You Watch These 10 Stephen King Shows

Stephen King’s TV shows can be all the way more compelling and terrifying than many movies based on his novels, but those series rarely got further than just one season — luckily, The Institute has just broken that curse.

Based on King’s 2019 novel of the same name, the show starring Ben Barnes got a renewal soon after the first instalment’s finale aired, so now it might take a couple of years before returning to the small screens.

In the meantime, there’s a bunch of options for those who have just discovered Stephen King’s potential for horror — you might even like those better than The Institute.

‘Under the Dome’ (2013 — 2015)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Under the Dome holds scores of 67% and 44% from critics and viewers
• On IMDb, the show is rated 6.5/10

Based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, the show follows a small town’s citizens who suddenly find themselves isolated from the rest of the world by a giant and mysterious barrier.

As the dome starts revealing its supernatural essence, the town also uncovers some of its darkest secrets.

‘The Outsider’ (2020)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, The Outsider has scores of 91% and 82% from critics and audiences
• On IMDb, the show rates 7.6/10

Both a detective drama and supernatural horror, the series centres on an investigation of a child’s murder, eventually pointing out the impossible nature of the occurrence.

‘Salem’s Lot’ (1979)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Salem’s Lot keeps scores of 89% and 65% from critics and viewers
• On IMDb, the show’s rating is 6.8/10

Borrowing its plot from Stephen King’s vampire novel, the show sees a writer returning to his hometown only to realise that a blood-thirsty creature keeps the entire place in fear, continuing to prey on its citizens.

‘Castle Rock’ (2018 — 2019)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Castle Rock holds scores of 88% and 78% from critics and audiences
• On IMDb, the show is rated 7.5/10

Set in the Stephen King’s own multiverse, the show will be a perfect match for those who have already read some of the author’s bestsellers.

Castle Rock blends characters and storylines from King’s different novels and short stories, introducing a new mystery in each season.

‘The Dead Zone’ (2002 — 2007)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, The Dead Zone keeps a score of 72% from viewers
• On IMDb, the show rates 7.3/10

Loosely based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, the show follows a man who wakes up from coma with psychic abilities.

Those would later help him uncover truth behind the most horrifying crimes, all the while he’s also haunted by the visions of future catastrophes.

‘Storm of the Century’ (1999)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Storm of the Century holds scores of 84% and 83% from critics and audiences
• On IMDb, the show rates 7.3/10

Based on a screenplay written by King himself, the show has its events unfolding in a small Maine town where a mysterious man arrives to demand from local folks what he wants, otherwise the place will face a complete destruction.

‘Mr. Mercedes’ (2017 — 2019)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Mr. Mercedes has scores of 91% and 75% from critics and viewers
• On IMDb, the show’s rating is 7.8/10

The detective drama series centres on a retired detective who can’t spent a day without thinking about an unsolved case of a mysterious figure driving into the crowd and killing tens of innocent people.

However, when the killer starts tormenting the detective online, the two embark on a very dangerous cat-and-mouse game.

‘Stephen King’s It’ (1990)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Stephen King’s It holds scores of 67% and 64% from critics and audiences
• On IMDb, the show’s rating is 6.8/10

Sometimes outshined by Bill Skarsgard’s It, the two-part show is actually one of the best adaptations of King’s works, following the familiar story of a group of children terrorized by Pennywise the Clown who they meet again years later.

‘The Stand’ (2020)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, The Stand has scores of 67% and 73% from critics and viewers
• On IMDb, the show rates 5.7/10

A modern remake of King’s post-apocalyptic story, the show follows a group of people who have to choose between the good and the evil after a deadly plague wipes the population off the face of Earth.

‘Haven’ (2010 — 2015)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Haven keeps scores of 63% and 85% from critics and audiences
• On IMDb, the show is rated 7.5/10

A mix of procedural drama and supernatural mystery, the show follows an FBI agent who arrives in a small Maine town to investigate supernatural occurrences nicknamed as “The Troubles”.

However, she soon realizes that those events connect directly to her own dark past.