Stephen King’s 4-Part Horror Show With 97% On Rotten Tomatoes Keeps Getting Better

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Despite the success of many Stephen King adaptations, Shudder’s Creepshow series still doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, even though it ended three years ago. Stephen King has inspired countless TV shows and films, and he continues to be a remarkably productive author.

Even in 2020, the HBO thriller The Outsider showed that adaptations of Stephen King’s more recent work could be highly successful. King himself has praised shows like Baby Reindeer and Servant, but he continues to create compelling television, as evidenced by series like Shudder’s Creepshow.

Shudder’s Creepshow TV Series Is One Of Stephen King’s Best Shows

Michael Courtney / ©Shudder/AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection

The horror series Creepshow, available on the Shudder streaming service, is based on the 1982 movie of the same name, which was written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero. Over four seasons, the show features adaptations of King’s short stories—including “Gray Matter” and “Survivor Type”—as well as stories from other writers like Joe R. Lansdale and Josh Malerman.

The show wasn’t just based on existing Stephen King stories; some episodes featured completely original tales. These were penned by a diverse group of writers, including Rob Schrab, Rick and Morty writer Heather Anne Campbell, and special effects artist Greg Nicotero. This mix of adaptations and new stories kept things fresh and exciting, while still staying true to King’s overall body of work.

Creepshow’s Anthology Horror Stories Balanced Horror and Comedy Perfectly

Even though the Creepshow episode based on a Stephen King story was particularly frightening – so much so that King himself found it disturbing – the show cleverly used animation to soften the impact. This approach created a necessary distance between the audience and the graphic content, perfectly capturing the balance between horror and entertainment that Creepshow was known for.

Over its four seasons and two specials, Creepshow consistently blended horror and humor effectively. Even in its most gruesome episodes, the show maintained a dark wit without becoming overly campy or silly, unlike some later seasons of Tales from the Crypt. While that lighter tone isn’t a bad thing, Creepshow generally stayed more frightening.

Creepshow’s Two Spinoff Specials Make The Shudder Series Even Better

This is especially clear in the two specials Shudder produced. The first featured adaptations of Stephen King’s “Survivor Type” and Joe Hill’s “Twittering from the Circus of the Dead.” While called specials, these were essentially short, extra seasons of the show, each containing between three and ten original stories.

The show’s standalone specials let it feature a wide range of actors, from Ethan Embry to internet personality King Bach, in diverse horror stories. These ranged from lighthearted and funny to intensely disturbing. The consistent success of both the series and these specials demonstrates how skillfully Creepshow balanced these extremes over its three seasons.

Though fans would have loved to see even more stories from the world of Creepshow, its run on Shudder feels like a real treat. The series consistently earned praise over its four seasons and numerous special episodes, reliably delivering the signature blend of horror and dark humor that Stephen King fans enjoy.

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2026-02-25 20:18