The scary stories of Stephen King have astonished audiences for years and years, whether through the pages of his celebrated books, the silver screen, or the small screen. Beaming into the homes of viewers across the globe, these harrowing tales have found fame through the attention of audiences of all kinds. Notably, King hasn't been a fan of many television adaptations of his work, especially the 1997 re-imagining of The Shining. But thanks to the lengthier duration made possible through this format, a New York Times article quoted him as saying, "That is the great thing about TV. You can take these things as they are and expand more.”

In a miniseries format, these stories get a designated time to shine and often allow for more character development, which makes many of these tales more impactful. They also draw audiences back to their TVs to catch up on the latest installment of these visual nightmares, instead of taking multiple one-and-done trips to the movie theater. Here are the best miniseries based on Stephen King's books, ranked.

7 Bag of Bones (2011)

Annabeth Gish in Bag of Bones.
A&E

Bag of Bones takes a typical King premise – a small town on the water shrouded in mystery and murders – and kicks it up a notch in a modern retelling. Following the untimely death of his wife, successful author Mike Noonan goes back home to his hamlet on Dark Score Lake in hopes of starting to heal. Instead, he's plagued by ghostly visitors and finds himself drawn into a fight for custody over a young girl. This miniseries adds a bit of heart to typical horror elements, incorporating some familial drama as well. Despite its complicated storyline, a New York Times review called it "handsomely shot and deliberately paced, it has a superficially cinematic quality."

6 Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006)

Claire Forlani and Eion Bailey in Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King.
TNT

Serving up several terrifying tales, Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King is based on King's similarly named collection of short stories and other stand-alone works of his. This anthological gathering sparkles on screen, bringing audiences a fresh new fear with each installment. Spanning across eight episodes, the stories include "The End of the Whole Mess," "Crouch End," and "The Road Virus Heads North." In fact, Jim Henson's Creature Shop assisted in the special effects department for this miniseries, bringing gruesome figures and haunting imagery to life.

Related: Best Horror Anthology Movies, Ranked

5 Rose Red (2002)

A scene from Rose Red.
ABC, Buena Vista International Television, & Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

An original miniseries written by Stephen King himself, Rose Red is a thematic visual treat. Against the backdrop of the vast and extremely haunted estate, Rose Red, a handful of psychics led by Dr. Joyce Reardon, are introduced into the house to discover its mysteries. Of course, the house is the site of many deaths and vanishings, and the team quickly begins to divine the source of its true power. This sprawling story really envelops viewers into its vast world, weaving together the stories of the mansion's happenings with the lives of the visitors, resulting in a winding tale that seeps with King's creative magic.

4 The Tommyknockers (1993)

A scene from The Tommyknockers.
American Broadcasting Company

The Tommyknockers situates two writers against a town that is transforming before their very eyes after the finding of a mysterious stone. In Haven, Maine, residents become obsessed with making new technological creations, infected by a strange affliction and babbling about the incoming "tommyknockers." A curious green light punctuates the atmosphere of this story, accomplishing a feeling of peculiarity from another world. This series sees an unwilling mentality imposed on a group of people, while also incorporating typical elements of alien invasion stories.

3 The Stand (1994)

A scene from The Stand.
CBS Television Distribution & ABC

As the original on-screen adaptation of King's gigantic epic novel, the first adaptation of The Stand is a stunning portrait of a society consumed by chaos. When a government-created epidemic is leaked from a laboratory, the plague starts to spread like wildfire. A collection of characters comes together in the face of it in order to ensure their survival, coming to terms with the end of the world as they know it. Each person must choose between two factions, spurred on by prophetic dreams. This series showcases the anguish of the apocalypse and the courage to keep fighting at all costs.

2 'Salem's Lot (1979)

Danny Glick in 'Salem's Lot.
Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Introducing a bloodthirsty gathering of vampires into a peaceful community, 'Salem's Lot encourages audiences to steer clear of windows at night. A best-selling author by the name of Ben Mears heads home to the town of Salem's Lot, Maine, where the mysterious Marsten House looms with underhanded opportunity. A giant crate shows up on the doorstep of the home, setting off a series of strange events that sees the town devolve into mayhem when bodies start to drop. For many horror fans, there's nothing like a good vampire story, and this one is an excellent and time-honored example. A remake is in the works from Warner Bros. Discovery.

Related: What We Hope to See in the Salem's Lot Remake

1 It (1990)

Tim Curry in It.
Warner Bros. Television Distribution & ABC

The original adaptation of the King's '80s classic, the It miniseries only takes two episodes to capture the reign of terror that Pennywise places upon the town of Derry, Maine. With Tim Curry playing a creepy and campy version of the evil Dancing Clown, the series captures the peak aesthetic of the '90s through a horrifying happenstance that affects a tight-knit group of friends. We get to see the Loser's Club in their glory days as a ragtag group of kids and follow them into adulthood as their greatest adversary comes knocking again. The anthological style of their individual stories refreshes the horrors of the otherworldly evil they're up against, as each Loser plays their part in banishing the shape-shifting being once and for all.