Stephen King Defended Under the Dome’s Controversial Adaptation

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Stephen King is a hugely popular author whose stories are frequently turned into movies and TV shows. His latest film, *The Long Walk*, has just been released to excellent reviews and is already being hailed as one of the best horror films of 2025. While his works generally receive positive adaptations, King is often critical of changes made, a prime example being Stanley Kubrick’s take on *The Shining*. King’s approval is highly valued, as he’s known for being particular about how his stories are brought to life on screen. He notably stood by the three-season TV series *Under the Dome*, even when some fans didn’t care for it, as a faithful adaptation of his novel.

A major complaint from viewers of the TV series was how it differed from the book, especially the ending. Many felt the show became quite distinct from the source material as it progressed, with new plot points that strayed too far from the original story. Interestingly, despite fan concerns, the author himself praised the show and even defended the changes as being essential. Nevertheless, these deviations alienated many viewers, leading to lower ratings and the show’s cancellation after three seasons.

What Is Under the Dome About?

The TV series *Under the Dome* centers around the town of Chester’s Mill, which is suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an enormous, invisible dome. With no way in or out, the residents have to work together to survive, facing problems like dwindling supplies, keeping the peace, and the difficulties that come with being stuck together in a small space.

Strange and dangerous things start happening as time goes on – from odd electrical problems and unexplainable events, to growing conflict between people in the community.

The story centers around Dale Barbara, a newcomer who immediately raises eyebrows, and Big Jim Rennie, a local councilman. Alongside them are teenagers Joe and Norrie, who begin to unravel the secrets of a mysterious dome that has descended upon their town. Over three seasons, the town’s residents fight to understand the dome, survive its perils, and contend with threats like a group called the Kinship and strange crystals.

Changes Were Made in the Under the Dome TV Series

Turning novels into movies or TV shows is often complicated. Some stories are just hard to adapt creatively, and others seem almost impossible to bring to the screen well. It’s also important to decide whether a story works better as a movie or a TV series—some, like *It*, have successfully been made into two films, while others, such as *11.22.63*, needed the longer format of an eight-episode series to tell the story properly.

Initially, adapting Stephen King’s *Under the Dome* – a book roughly 1000 pages long, depending on the edition – appeared well-suited for television.

The show was originally intended to be a short, 10-episode series, but after ending its first season with a dramatic cliffhanger, it was brought back for another season. While season two’s ratings were a little lower, they were still good, especially after it was announced that Stephen King had written the first episode. However, both critics and viewers began to notice a decline in quality as the season went on. By season three, viewership had fallen to 6.25 million – a significant drop from the 11.21 million and 9.41 million who watched the first and second seasons – and it became obvious that people were losing interest. Another show airing in the same time slot consistently received higher ratings, suggesting viewers were tuning out.

The main problem with the adaptation was how much it strayed from the original book. Almost immediately, the series began to tell a different story than Stephen King’s novel. Characters were significantly altered – for example, Angie McCain, now called Angie McCalister, had a much bigger role and lived longer. Barbie wasn’t depicted as a local, and she became a suspect in the death of Julia Shumway’s husband. Even the reason for the dome’s existence was changed, moving away from the book’s explanation involving a military experiment to an entirely new alien-based one.

The show’s characters weren’t very similar to those in the book, and new characters didn’t resonate with the audience. The original novel gave equal importance to both its characters and the mystery of the dome, but the show prioritized plot twists and the dome’s origins, losing the character depth that many readers appreciated.

Stephen King Defended the Changes Made in TV Adaptation

Stephen King has always been vocal about his feelings regarding adaptations of his work, but his opinion on *Under the Dome* is complex. He initially enjoyed the first season, but later told *The Washington Post* he felt the show ultimately failed, describing it as having “gone entirely off the rails.” King specifically criticized the show’s lack of believability, explaining that while the setting appeared polished, the scenario itself didn’t feel realistic. He believes that for audiences to accept fantastical ideas, a degree of realism is necessary to keep them engaged.

Although Stephen King wasn’t thrilled with the *Under the Dome* TV series, he also didn’t think all the criticism it received was fair. He wrote a post on his website during the show’s run to address the negative reactions to its changes from the book. King recalled a story about author James M. Cain, who once told a frustrated reporter that Hollywood adaptations didn’t alter his original work at all – the stories still existed exactly as he’d written them. King felt similarly about *Under the Dome*, explaining that the book itself remained unchanged.

If you enjoyed the original book, the story is still there for you to rediscover. But that doesn’t make the TV series any less enjoyable – in fact, it’s quite good. You’ll find that most of the characters remain, though some have been merged or given different roles. The major plot points, like the supermarket riot and the reason for the propane, and the book’s themes about limited resources, are all still present. Many of the changes made by Brian K. Vaughan and the writing team were necessary, and I fully supported them. For example, the series keeps the Dome over Chester’s Mill for months instead of just a week, as in the book. Additionally, the writers have developed a completely new explanation for where the Dome came from, which led to other story adjustments.

He explained that his main worries weren’t about the artistic quality of the show, but about how it worked practically. The biggest issue was that showing the book’s ending too soon on television would ruin the mystery and suspense that are important for a long story. Some characters who died early in the book, like Angie McCain, lived longer in the TV show, and the fates of other characters were changed. He wrote that some characters who died in the book would survive for a while in the TV version of Chester’s Mill, while some who lived in the book might not be so fortunate on the show.

King also explained that his writing process is flexible, and stories often change direction as he develops them. He described the book and the TV series as similar to fraternal twins – they started from the same idea but grew into separate entities. While the central idea of the Dome was always fixed, almost everything else – character development and plot points – was adjusted to work best on television.

King ultimately encouraged viewers to appreciate the new series for what it is, rather than comparing it to his original book. He explained that he was enjoying seeing a different version of the story unfold, but still believed there was nothing quite like the original. He emphasized that the core of the story and the novel itself remain available for those who want to experience them.

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2025-10-06 01:47