Stephen King said that the CBS adaptation of Under the Dome went so far off the rails it became unwatchable. The series aired for three seasons from 2013 to 2015. Under the Dome follows characters in the small town of Chester's Mill when a mysterious dome crashes over the town, sealing its residents inside. The show starred Dean Norris, Rachelle Lefevre, Britt Robertson, and Mike Vogel.
Based on King's novel of the same name, the series received decent reviews for its first season, but those devolved as the series wore on. The novel it is based on is complex and, like many of other King's work, an absolute door stopper. With a surplus of King adaptations on the way and copious amounts having already been released in the last year, the author is prolific as ever and he never holds back his opinions when it comes to adaptations of his own work. He controversially loathes the Stanley Kubrick adaptation of The Shining, considered by some to be one of the greatest films of all time.
His opinion of Under the Dome is less likely to be as controversial as that opinion, though. Speaking to the NYT about the various adaptations of his work, King did not hold back his thoughts on the series. King says CBS did not want to put too much thought into the series and while he praised the first few episodes, he thought the series truly went downhill.
The first few episodes were great. But the thing was, what CBS wanted was basically meatloaf — nothing too challenging, something to just fill some hours. It went off the rails [and] descended into complete mediocrity. It was a sad thing, but it didn’t bother me. I stopped watching after a while because I just didn’t give a [expletive].
King adaptations have always been hit or miss. Under the Dome was definitely one of those misses, which is rather unfortunate. The show had such potential, if the book is any indication. The book only takes place over one week and while there is still plenty of story to mine and plenty of character's to explore, it's easy to say the book would have been better suited for a more streamlined adaptation. Instead, the series dove deeper into the alien creators behind the titular dome, undermining much of the plot laid out in season one.
Fortunately for King, his work has seen a revival of sorts since 2017 and 2019's It double hitter, leaving room for better adaptations. With The Stand on the way and numerous other adaptations in the works, King fans and the author himself will have plenty to watch. King's works are inherently adaptable - there's something cinematic about them, and Under the Dome was no exception. Here's hoping one day we'll get a book-accurate adaptation. With multiple versions of It, The Stand, and other King works, there's always a possibility that Under the Dome could make a comeback.
Source: New York Times
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