36 years after its original release on the small screen, one of Stephen King’s best adaptations has surged on streaming. Starring the late, great Tim Curry in one iconic horror performance, the two-part miniseries feels like a made-for-TV film, but that doesn’t make it any less essential for horror fans.
Tim Curry’s Portrayal of Pennywise Puts Him Alongside Cinema’s Greatest Villains

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The miniseries is It, the 1990 event that saw Stephen King’s iconic novel brought to life for the first time ever. The story follows a group of children being terrorized by a supernatural entity residing in Derry for centuries, and which returns every 27 years to feed itself. This entity, simply known as It, manifests in people’s greatest fears. However, it mostly manifests in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, the playful monster who likes to crack a few jokes before attacking helpless victims. After the Losers defeat it once, they swear to come back to Derry if It ever comes back, and guess what happens 27 years later? Pennywise is brought to life by Tim Curry, the actor who passed away a few days ago and who was made famous for his role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Even though playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the horror musical was a turning point in his career, it is his role as the creepy clown that has made him a staple in horror. In his portrayal of King’s classic character, Curry achieves a brilliant representation of malice – a villain perfectly imagined by the author in the 1986 novel, but also one fueled by Curry’s astounding interpretation of a relentless evil force. Yes, this is a TV show, but Curry’s Pennywise has a strong antagonistic presence that places him among all-time greats such as Hannibal Lecter, Darth Vader, and Nurse Ratched. Curry stars alongside John Ritter, Jonathan Brandis, Seth Green, Richard Thomas, Annette O’Toole, and Richard Masur, among others. The series was directed by Tommy Lee Wallace (Halloween 3: Season of the Witch), from a script he co-wrote with Lawrence D. Cohen (1976’s Carrie). Despite an active participation in many of his adaptations, King was involved very little in the miniseries. It almost makes you wonder how different things would have been if original director George A. Romero had stayed in the director’s chair, given the zombie mastermind’s long-standing creative relationship with King after they worked together on Creepshow. Needless to say, It would have surely been different.
36 Years Later, ‘It’ Floats Up the Streaming Charts

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The miniseries premiered on Nov. 18, 1990, and quickly became one of the most successful programs on ABC. Over its two-night showing, 30 million viewers tuned in to watch the adaptation of King’s modern classic. The critical reception was positive as well, and currently, the miniseries sits at 70% on Rotten Tomatoes.

As with the 2017 and 2019 film adaptations, most critics and viewers prefer Part 1 over Part 2. One of the details that differs the most between the two chapters is Pennywise’s presence in the different time periods. Part 1 is based on an almost mystical rendering of the villain, while Part 2 does a lot more exposition. Following Tim Curry’s passing, viewers have propelled It to the top of the streaming charts. Per the latest update to the rankings, the miniseries sits at No. 8 among HBO Max’s most-watched titles, which also include Practical Magic and Mortal Kombat II. In case you’re wondering why the streamer categorizes the series as a movie, it’s because HBO Max is actually streaming a supercut of 188 minutes that merges both parts together.

Release Date

1990 – 1990

Network

ABC

Directors

Tommy Lee Wallace

Harry Anderson

Richie Tozier