This Stephen King-Inspired 23-Episode Horror Series Deserves to Be Revived

Published Oct 15, 2026, 2:58 PM EDT

Collier Jennings is an entertainment journalist with extensive experience. Collier, or "CJ" to his friends and family, is a dedicated fan of genre films - particularly science fiction, fantasy, and comic book adaptations, not to mention all forms of animation. This stems from a close bond with his father, who introduced him to these genres via copies of X-Men comics and reruns of the original Ultraman series. With his near-encyclopedic knowledge and bottomless love of genre, he's tackled a wide variety of articles.

Stephen King is one of the most prolific authors on the planet, thanks to iconic novels like The Green Mile, It, and The Dark Tower series. Most fans of King's work also know that his novels are adapted more often than those of most other authors, though the success rate is hit or miss. That continues today, with King's dystopian novel The Long Walk turned into a gripping thriller in 2025 and Carrie now streaming as a series from Mike Flanagan on Prime Video. But an anthology series inspired by King's work deserves to make a comeback.

That series is Creepshow, which aired on AMC and Shudder. Unlike most of King's work, Creepshow isn't based on a novel, but a cult horror movie he wrote the screenplay for. The series and the movie both share an anthology format, with a collection of terrifying tales told by the decaying corpse known as the "Creep." Creepshow ran for four seasons and two special episodes before its cancellation was confirmed in 2025. Despite that cancellation, the series' appeal lives on through the wider Creepshow franchise.

Image via Shudder

The original Creepshow became a cult classic thanks to horror legend George A. Romero's direction. Romero was best known for his work on zombie movies, including the game-changing Night of the Living Dead, and he used that experience to infuse every frame of Creepshow with dread, especially where the Creep is concerned. For the television version, Shudder tapped a modern horror legend in Greg Nicotero. Nicotero is no stranger to zombie stories, thanks to his work on The Walking Dead, buthe was also a major fan of the original Creepshow and wanted to bring it to life for a new generation.

“‘Creepshow’ is a project very close to my heart! It is one of those titles that embodies the true spirit of horror, celebrating thrills and chills in one of its purest art forms: the comic book brought to life! I’m honored to continue the tradition in the ‘spirit’ in which it was created.”

True to his word, Nicotero delivered a series that kept the chills and humor of the original Creepshow and featured a talented cast. The first episode sets the stage for what's to come with its segment "Gray Matter," featuring Saw alum Tobin Bell and Giancarlo Esposito as two men who discover a horrifying secret that lies within an alcoholic man's house. The cherry on top is that "Gray Matter" is based on a short story written by Stephen King, letting Nicotero pay homage to the man who brought Creepshow to life. Creepshow continued this approach throughout its run, featuring stories by horror writers like King's son Joe Hill and performances from character actors including Keith David.

Creepshow was a massive critical success, landing a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes for its final season. The wider franchise also includes a collection of short stories by horror legends, a mazebased on select segments from Creepshow at Universal Studios Hollywood's Halloween Horror Nights event, and even a video game. Creepshow's real legacy lies in comic books; George A. Romero and Stephen King had Creep constantly reading a fictional comic book series that contained the stories from the original Creepshow, and Greg Nicotero kept that visual style for the series. Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment produced a line of Creepshow comics that has kept the same mix of macabre humor and imagery that made the series stand out.

In fact, the Creepshow comics might be the perfect way to show there's still interest in the series. Skybound Entertainment is run by Robert Kirkman, who's turned comics he co-created into highly successful TV shows. It wouldn't be a stretch to imagine him producing a new version of Creepshow, or even reuniting with Nicotero as the two worked together on the early seasons of The Walking Dead. A television revival remains hypothetical. Whatever's next for Creepshow, it's clear that the Creep will continue to deliver chills and thrills in various forms.

Creepshow

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  Pam Spinster

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  Andy Daly

  Clark "Murph" Murphy/Deputy Anton/Old Fella /Local Yokel (voice)

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  Bruce Davison

  Avery Whitlock

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  C. Thomas Howell

  Sam Spinster