The 1994 mini-series adaptation of Stephen King's epic, apocalyptic 1978 novel The Stand was a major event for me in my childhood, introducing me to a story that captured my imagination on a level that few other things have ever reached. The Stand is one of my favorite novels and the mini-series one of my all-time favorite pieces of entertainment.
Directed by Mick Garris from a script by King, The Stand starred Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe, Miguel Ferrer, Ed Harris, Adam Storke, Matt Frewer, Laura San Giacomo, Ruby Dee, and Jamey Sheridan in the story of
a strain of flu which wipes out over 99 percent of the world’s population and the ensuing battle between good and evil.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the mini-series, and Garris and King have gotten back together to discuss The Stand in the next episode of Garris's podcast Post Mortem, which is released through the Fangoria Podcast Network.
While sharing the news of King's guest appearance on the podcast, Entertainment Weekly also included a quote from the episode in which King reveals that he almost gave up on writing the novel:
I said, ‘This is getting too big, this is unwieldy.' I almost ended the book right there, I almost left it in a drawer, because I said, ‘I don’t know what to do with all these people, I’ve spread the thing too wide.'"
There are many readers and viewers out there, including myself, who are very glad he decided to see it through.
The first installment of the four-part mini-series aired on May 8, 1994. Fittingly, the King episode of the Post Mortem podcast will be released on May 8, 2019.