This 3-Part Stephen King Adaptation Is One Of Streaming’s Best Hidden Gems

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Despite initially flying under the radar when it first came out in 2017, the miniseries Mr. Mercedes is now gaining well-deserved recognition thanks to its success on Peacock. Stephen King, a remarkably productive author with over 60 books to his name, continues to write at a rapid pace.

Stephen King’s work has been adapted for film and television many times, with some adaptations becoming classics like the movies It and The Shining. Other, less famous shows, such as the sci-fi series 11.22.63, have also found success – it became a streaming hit on Hulu in January 2026, a decade after its initial release. More recently, a 2017 adaptation of King’s work has become popular with viewers on Peacock.

Mr. Mercedes Is A Brilliant Stephen King Adaptation That Went Under The Radar

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I’ve always been fascinated by Stephen King’s range, and Mr. Mercedes really stood out to me. While he’s famous for his incredible horror, science fiction, and fantasy, this novel—based on his 2014 book of the same name—felt like a completely different direction. It’s a proper detective story, a hard-boiled crime novel, and it kicked off a whole series—Finders Keepers and End of Watch—that continued in that vein. It’s unusual for him, but brilliantly done!

Despite not being a typical horror show, Mr. Mercedes still delivers plenty of intense and disturbing moments. This gripping psychological thriller is as brutal as it is captivating, following detective Brendan Gleeson as he’s tormented by a cold case. Unlike many other TV adaptations of Stephen King’s work, Mr. Mercedes ran for three seasons, allowing the show to fully explore the complete story of the main character, Hodges.

Mr. Mercedes Is Currently Streaming On Peacock

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Originally, Mr. Mercedes aired on the Audience streaming service, with all 30 episodes released over three seasons from August 2017 to November 2019. When Audience shut down in early 2020, the show’s fate was uncertain. However, Peacock acquired the streaming rights in September 2020, giving Mr. Mercedes a new platform, though it didn’t receive much publicity.

It’s unfortunate the show ended, as it’s one of Stephen King’s strongest TV adaptations in recent years. Brendan Gleeson consistently delivers a great performance as Bill Hodges, and Harry Treadaway truly shines as the disturbingly unpredictable villain, Brady Hartsfield.

How Mr. Mercedes Connects To Another Stephen King Adaptation

Even though the Stephen King series The Outsider originally aired on HBO in 2020, it’s still closely connected to the Mr. Mercedes series. Holly Gibney starts as an assistant to detective Hodges in Mr. Mercedes, and later takes over his detective agency in The Outsider.

Cynthia Erivo played Holly in The Outsider, taking over the role from Justine Lupe who first portrayed her in Mr. Mercedes. Holly is an important supporting character in Mr. Mercedes, and later becomes the main character in the second Stephen King series.

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2026-01-28 22:28