The Stand

After a lethal pandemic wipes out most of humanity, the scattered survivors form small colonies and begin to coalesce around leaders with sharply different visions. A compassionate elder offers healing, community and moral guidance, while a charismatic, dangerous figure promises control and retribution. The series follows central characters as they travel, encounter allies and rivals, and make fraught decisions about trust and safety. Personal loyalties are tested, and tension builds as communities solidify toward a climactic confrontation that will decide what kind of world remains and which values will endure.

The Stand aired on ABC in 1994, created by Stephen King and directed by Mick Garris. It adapted King's 1978 novel for television, assembling a high-profile cast and condensing the epic story into a limited miniseries with a notable ensemble.

Reviews were mixed to positive, with critics praising the cast and loyalty to King's plot while noting a lengthy runtime and dated effects. User ratings sit around 6.8/10. Themes include survival ethics, faith versus fanaticism, communal responsibility, the corrupting nature of power, and questions about leadership dynamics.

As one of the most visible big-budget King adaptations of the 1990s, the miniseries kept Randall Flagg in public consciousness as an emblematic antagonist, introduced many viewers to the scale of King's scope, and influenced later TV treatments of apocalyptic settings, maintaining a steady cult following among genre fans today.

The Stand was not a major awards magnet, though it continued to be discussed in television retrospectives and by genre outlets for its ambition and performances, and remains a reference point. It has tended to earn attention from fans and critics over time rather than a pile of industry trophies.