Stephen King’s Underrated Sci-Fi Masterpiece

A nine-year-old series not only happens to be the best Stephen King sci-fi show but also easily ranks among the better adaptations based on the author’s works. Yet, despite doing an incredible job of bringing a Stephen King book to the small screen, the show remains fairly obscure and underappreciated after all these years.

Since Stephen King is known to be one of the most prolific horror authors of modern times, especially in the horror genre, his name alone is enough to sell many shows and movies. The excitement surrounding a TV series or film instantly increases when audiences learn that it is an adaptation of Stephen King’s works.

However, not all Stephen King TV shows end up becoming massive hits. While many struggle to capture the essence of his brilliant writing in the live-action medium, others are genuinely well-made but struggle to find the right audience. The series in question seems to fall into the latter category and deserves a lot more attention than it has received since its release.

11.22.63 Is Stephen King’s Best Sci-Fi Show, But It’s Also One Of His Best Adaptations

It Boasts An Impressive Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score Of 83%

Starring James Franco, 11.22.63 is based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. While it has a few elements of horror, it inclines more towards the sci-fi genre with its exploration of time travel, parallel timelines, and alternate history. In the show, Franco portrays high school teacher Jake Epping, who learns to travel back in time through a friend (Chris Cooper).

The friend expects him to use time travel to change the course of history by stopping the assassination of John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963. Things, however, do not go as planned, as Jake soon learns that changing the past can lead to disastrous consequences. Viewers well-versed with sci-fi will notice how 11.22.63 lurks in a familiar domain.

It is certainly not the first or last show to explore the ripple effects of time manipulation or the moral dilemmas that come with altering history for the greater good. Even its portrayal of time travel is far from being unique. Yet, what makes it a compelling drama is its deeply human core and performances.

By using time travel as a narrative device, 11.22.63 captures everything from the themes of love to the harrowing results of playing god with history. There are story beats where it stretches the suspension of disbelief a little too far, but it always remains grounded in relatable drama through its well-written characters.

What 11.22.63 Gets Right About Stephen King’s Book

The Show Changes Many Aspects Of The Source Material

Perhaps the biggest change the show makes to Stephen King’s original novel is that instead of sending James Franco’s character back to 1960, it sends him to 1958. This benefits the series because, as the creator, Bridget Carpenter, explained (via Uproxx), it allows the main character to find himself in the middle of the election year when the debates about Kennedy becoming president are actively underway.

Apart from that, the show also glossed over many other story elements from the book because, unlike the source material, it could not afford to derail too far from the main story. Owing to this, while the book often steps back from being a typical thriller and incorporates more light-hearted, feel-good themes, the show unfolds at a quicker pace.

For obvious reasons, many viewers were a little let down by 11.22.63‘s massive changes to the source material. However, Stephen King, as J.J. Abrams recalled (via LA Times), gave the series his stamp of approval by agreeing that all changes were necessary. In another interview (via Fast Company), the show’s creator revealed that King called the show’s concept “genius” and said:

“The best adaptations of my work are not slavish. They take liberty, and this is really in line with the spirit of the story, and I approve wholeheartedly.”

One of the more questionable changes in the show was that its central time travel portal was located in the middle of a street in the past timeline. Every time the James Franco character travelled to the past, he suddenly emerged in front of several people in broad daylight. The book did a better job of explaining how he kept his time travel a secret by revealing that the portal was hidden on both ends.

This Stephen King Series Doesn’t Get Enough Credit For How Good It Is

It Is Yet To Achieve The Same Level Of Recognition As Most Mainstream Stephen King Adaptations

Book adaptations that significantly change their source material often receive a lot of hate. However, 11.22.63 is among the few Stephen King shows that strike the perfect balance between telling a story that better fits the television format and honoring the spirit of the original narrative.

Owing to this, most viewers who ended up watching the series before reading the book could not help but like the TV adaptation more. Similarly, the ones who read the Stephen King novel before watching the show appreciated the source material more. Regardless of the chronology one wishes to follow, 11.22.63 remains one of the most compelling takes on Stephen King’s works.

Unfortunately, even though it landed in critics’ good books and also earned Stephen King’s praise, it has never risen in the ranks to become as popular as other mainstream Stephen King adaptations. Hopefully, in the future, audiences will give it a second chance and recognize it for the underappreciated gem that it is.