We can all agree that the stamp of approval from Stephen King is equivalent to a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score! The bestselling author has never shied away from speaking his mind on what he watches, and his social media posts are the proof.
If you share the icon’s taste for TV shows, skip the endless scrolling because this list is for you. We’ve rounded up 10 TV shows that definitely got greenlit by Stephen King. So, without any further ado, dig right in!
10. Task
HBO Max’s ‘Task‘ is a crime drama exploring themes of justice and law enforcement in the criminal underbelly of suburban life. It’s another series that caught the attention of the iconic horror novelist.
Stephen King describes the show as “nailbiting suspense,” noting that it has a remarkable way of making the audience care about its central characters.
Related: 10 Best Stephen King TV Shows Every Fan Needs To Watch
9. Paradise
Stephen King says that this hit Hulu series would be loved by the renowned crime novelist Elmore Leonard, and we couldn’t agree more! ‘Paradise’ has conspiracy, apocalypse, and political drama in store for the protagonist Xavier Collins, who is accused of assassinating the president.
The series is currently on its second season, and it looks like it’s growing on Stephen King. The author took to X, commenting, “First season is good, second season is even better. How rare is that? The acting is good, the story actually hangs together, and the dialogue is the best part. Sharp. Few cliches.”
8. Silo
Set in a dystopian world, ‘Silo‘ is a survival drama in which humans live underground due to the perceived toxicity of the air, until questions begin to challenge everything they know. The series is an adaptation of Hugh Howey’s sci-fi dystopian book series, ‘Wool‘.
Stephen King agreed with the positive reception, calling it “worth (his) time” on X. Season 3 is expected to drop this year and will reportedly follow the second book in the ‘Wool‘ trilogy.
7. Marianne
This next horror mystery that Stephen King compares to ‘Stranger Things’ actually has a 100 on Rotten Tomatoes, and its plot tells you why! ‘Marianne‘ begins with a horror novelist, Emma, returning to her village in France after witnessing a horrific suicide. H
owever, the evil witch that is kept alive through her writing haunts her in the process. This show ranks high on Stephen King’s list of favorites, with the author declaring on X: “If you’re one of those sickos–like me–who enjoys being scared, MARIANNE (Netflix) will do the job.”
6. 3 Body Problem
This recent Netflix sci-fi series has it all: aliens, physics, and supernatural phenomena. On top of that, it adds time travel to it with the best of the storylines out there. And that’s all it took to grab King’s attention.
As a sci-fi author himself, Stephen King quickly expressed his approval, calling the show “sprawling, thought-provoking, immersive” in his X post.
In case you missed it: This 45-Year-Old Ghost Story Broke Stephen King’s Nerves
5. Big Sky
Stephen King calls this series “the best drama on network television,” so there’s hardly any doubt about the plot of the movie.
Starring Katheryn Winnick and Kylie Bunbury, ‘Big Sky’ is a crime drama set against a Western backdrop. In the series, we are initially introduced to a trail of kidnappings and murders that draws both private and official detectives into a tense investigation in a small Montana town.
4. From
MGM+’s most popular sci-fi horror is infamous for its on-the-edge jump scares, and it looks like Stephen King is a fan as well! ‘From‘ is basically the story of a fictional town that traps its residents and new arrivals to hunt them down. Harold Perrineau leads the crew of survivors as Boyd Stevens, the self-appointed sheriff, in the show’s three seasons.
Stephen King called the first season “wonderful concept, beautifully handled, is it possible these people are dead and don’t know it yet? That spike through the head…..holy cow.” in his X post. The fourth season will release on April 19, so we will probably hear more from him.
3. Yellowjackets
The athletes-turned-cannibal friends in ‘Yellowjackets‘ surely send shivers down your spine, while keeping you immersed in the survival arc.
Stephen King has nothing but love for the hit series, calling it “a hell of a good survival story, a hell of a good mystery story, and has its fair share of horrifying moments“.
2. Baby Reindeer
Stephen King loved this series so much that he even wrote an essay on it! ‘Baby Reindeer‘ is a thriller exploring stalking and obsessive tendencies that a woman develops after a comedian befriends her.
Even though it’s already a fan favourite and has a series of Reddit threads, Stephen King’s review on X, saying, “BABY REINDEER. Holy s—t“, is just a cherry on the cake.
1. Dark
Time travel joins hands with missing-person cases in this popular German sci-fi series. In their search for answers, four families uncover a loop connecting the past, present, and future, one that deeply impacts their lives.
Starring Louis Hofmann and Lisa Vicari, the series already boasts a massive fan following, and Stephen King’s comment saying, “terrific,” just gave it all the validation it needed.
You might also like to read: The Real-Life Horrors That Inspired Stephen King’s Killer Clown In ‘IT’
