Arrow creator bringing new September 11th-themed Stephen King series to CBS

Stephen King has long been the source for TV mini-series like THE STAND and THE TOMMYKNOCKERS, but in recent years, his fiction has provided the jumping off point for several full series like HAVEN and UNDER THE DOME. Now, it looks like another project will be making it to CBS in the form of THE THINGS THEY LEFT BEHIND.

The series, based on the short story of the same name, will be produced by ARROW’s Greg Berlanti and Seth Grahame-Smith. Grahame-Smith, author of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES and ABRAHAM LINCOLN VAMPIRE HUNTER, will also write the pilot of the show. The show is being described as a supernatural procedural.

Almost a year after 9/11, strange things start happening to narrator Scott Staley, who—at the time of the attacks—is employed at ‘Light and Bell Insurance’ on the 110th floor of the World Trade Center. Not only is Scott unable to get rid of his survivor’s guilt (on 9/11 he followed an inner voice that told him to take a day off to enjoy the sun), but things belonging to his late colleagues start to appear in his apartment. A pair of sunglasses, a baseball bat, a farting cushion – Scott can easily identify them all. After convincing himself that they are no illusion and that others can see them, he tries throwing them away, yet they reappear after his return home. He confides in Paula, a neighbor, who offers to stow away one of the things. It triggers the most horrible nightmare of Paula’s life, recreating in her mind the last minutes of its proprietor. Paula immediately returns the object, but makes Scott understand his mission: he must give the things to the victims’ immediate family – and on seeing the joy on their faces, he feels his guilt slowly fade away.

The series will follow a pair of characters as they return the missing objects to the friends and families of those lost on 9/11. While many shows and films have touched on the World Trade Center tragedy, making a weekly series about it may strike too close to home for some viewers. But, the key to the story is inspirational rather than depressing, so this could be an intriguing concept, especially if handled well.

Grahame-Smith recently adapted Stephen King‘s IT for a big screen remake, so he has experience with the author’s work. Many critics of King have cited that his longer works don’t have satisfactory endings, something his short stories have always accomplished well. Hopefully this represents another chance for viewers to connect with King and realize he is not strictly a horror writer.