Stephen King Recommends Two Shows He Calls “Unbeatable Entertainment”

Stephen King, often called the King of Horror, doesn’t just write scary books. He also likes to talk about the TV shows he’s watching. Back in 2021, he shared two titles with his followers, calling them “unbeatable entertainment.”

One of those shows was The Sinner. The series began in 2017 and was based on a German crime novel. It follows a detective, played by Bill Pullman, as he looks into unusual crimes and tries to understand why people commit them.

Each season brings in a new story and mostly new actors, with Pullman being the one constant. What started as a limited miniseries grew into a four-season run because of its strong ratings and good reviews. The show also earned award nominations, including recognition for Jessica Biel’s performance in the first season.

The other show King highlighted was Mr. Mercedes. Unlike The Sinner, this one came straight from King’s own books. The story is adapted from his trilogy about retired detective Bill Hodges. Brendan Gleeson stars as Hodges, with Harry Treadaway in another leading role. The series first aired in 2017 and continued for three seasons. Even though it didn’t return for a fourth, the episodes found a new home on Peacock in 2020, making it easy for fans to catch up.

Both series deal with crime, suspense, and dark characters, which makes it clear why they stood out to King. His stamp of approval shows how highly he thinks of them, especially since he doesn’t often make such strong recommendations.

These shows seem like solid picks for anyone who enjoys crime stories with a psychological edge. King calling them “unbeatable entertainment” is a strong endorsement. But what about you? Have you watched The Sinner or Mr. Mercedes? Do you agree with King, or do you think other shows deserve that title? Share your thoughts in the comments.