Stephen King Reviews Apple’s TV Masterpiece Inspired by His Books & Reveals a Hidden Gem That’s Even Better

June 18, 2026, 10:39am

For decades, the works of Stephen King have been adapted into a plethora of movies and TV shows, and the author continues to influence filmmakers today. Just last year, we got adaptations of The Running Man, The Long Walk, The Monkey, and more. But King’s impact on creatives goes far beyond just bringing his stories to life on screen. Several original projects have been inspired by King, utilizing similar tones and storytelling approaches. One such recent example is the new TV series Widow’s Bay, a horror comedy that follows eerie happenings that take place in the titular town. King himself has made the time to watch Widow’s Bay and has shared his thoughts.

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On his X account, King posted “Widow’s Bay is good.” He then turned his attention to praising another recent TV show: the comedy thriller Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. King considers Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed to be “even better” than Widow’s Bay, particularly singling out star Tatiana Maslany’s terrific performance. Check out King’s post in the space below:

WIDOW'S BAY is good. MAXIMUM PLEASURE GUARANTEED is even better. It's like Hitchcock came back to do it one more time. And Tatiana Maslany is so good. The play of emotions on her face is pretty incredible. She goes from comic to terror in an instant.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) June 17, 2026

Apple TV Scores Two More Winners With Widow’s Bay and Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed

The peak streaming era is arguably over, but streamers are going to continue to come out with new films and TV shows, hoping to gain an edge over the competition. Apple TV has really established itself as the go-to platform for quality programming. It’s home to the likes of Severance, Pluribus, For All Mankind, The Studio, Silo, and more — all of which have earned critical praise and numerous accolades. All of these series have helped Apple earn a reputation and trust with the audience. When people see a show is on Apple, they know there’s a good chance it’s actually worth watching.

Time will tell if Widow’s Bay and Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed will join the ranks of the best Apple TV series of all time, but they’re off to a great start so far. Both have earned high praise of their own; Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, while Widow’s Bay is even higher at 97%. The two shows are considered creative riffs on their respective genres, combining captivating performances and compelling narratives to deliver something that commands the audience’s attention. They were doing well for themselves before King weighed in with his review, and now it wouldn’t be surprising to see both get a boost in viewership numbers. King’s word carries a lot of weight with his fans, so people will probably be inclined to add Widow’s Bay and Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed to their watchlists soon.

If you’ve been waiting to check out these shows, now’s the perfect time to jump aboard. Widow’s Bay was recently renewed for a second season, confirming it’s going to be a key part of Apple’s lineup for the foreseeable future. Knowing that a continuation is on the way will probably encourage more people to watch it. It’s safe to get invested in characters and storylines because Apple isn’t going to pull the plug prematurely. A second season of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed hasn’t been officially ordered yet; Apple could be waiting to see how the first season performs before making a decision on that front. As of this writing, there are six episodes available to stream and four more on the way (the finale premieres in mid-July), so there’s plenty of time to binge Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed and get caught up for the stretch run. If Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed posts high viewership numbers, Apple will likely be inclined to renew it.

It’s great to see Apple add two more great shows to its library, and hopefully it doesn’t take too long for second seasons to come together. One of the biggest issues plaguing streaming TV is extended gaps between seasons, which can halt forward momentum. On one hand, it’s admirable that creative teams have the opportunity to be patient, but a long wait can be frustrating for fans. New shows are constantly being released, so what’s the talk of the town today could fade away in a couple of years. Ideally, it won’t be too long before we can return to Widow’s Bay.

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