Apple TV‘s latest addition to the horror genre is trending at #1 on its streaming catalog right now, and it is hard not to see how it repeats one Stephen King story that also inspired Mike Flanagan. When it comes to horror, Apple TV is not exactly known for giving us some of the best offerings of the genre. The streaming service’s primary appeal comes from its original and adapted sci-fi shows.
However, with its recent addition, Widow’s Bay, Apple TV has seemingly taken a massive leap towards rising in the ranks in the horror genre. Boasting a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 97%, Widow’s Bay is earning immense acclaim from viewers and critics the more it is progressing. Many can also not help but notice how it seems very similar to Stephen King’s brand of horror storytelling.
Given how Stephen King was one of the inspirations for the series’ showrunner, Katie Dippold, its parallels with the King of Horror’s stories should not be surprising. Interestingly, though, in its most recent episode, Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay seems reminiscent of one particular Stephen King book: Salem’s Lot. What makes these similarities even more fascinating is that Salem’s Lot was also the inspiration for Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass.
Like Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass, Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay Is Reminiscent Of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot
Like Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, both Netflix’s Midnight Mass and Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay unfold on an isolated island. In all three stories, a supernatural secret in the central setting is portrayed more as an infestation that gradually rots the main community. Crockett Island in Midnight Mass particularly feels like a perfect stand-in for Jerusalem’s Lot.
The town seems to be fading before Hamish Linklater’s Father Paul brings the “Angel” to the island, which is a direct structural parallel to Richard Straker shipping Kurt Barlow’s crate into the Marsten House.
The key difference in how the two approach their similar stories is that the Mike Flanagan show uses the “vampire” storyline as a device to portray religious fanaticism.
When it comes to the overarching tone, Widow’s Bay is far more satirical and light-hearted. The show has some truly unnerving moments, but it also features Hamish Linklater as the island’s deeply eccentric founder, Richard Warren. The character seems reminiscent of both Father Paul and Richard Throckett Straker because of his mix of malevolence and charm.
However, Widow’s Bay never strays too far from its comedic roots and ensures that there is always a layer of levity to its portrayal of the Richard Linklater character.
Like both Salem’s Lot and Midnight Mass, Widow’s Bay also brilliantly makes a whole character out of its town and the underlying terrors that haunt its people. These parallels between the three should not be surprising since both Mike Flanagan and Widow’s Bay‘s creator, Katie Dippold, have been vocal about their Stephen King inspirations.
While Mike Flanagan cited Salem’s Lot as an explicit inspiration (via Fangoria), Dippold revealed King was one of her key influences when she penned the original Apple TV show (via BostonGlobal).
Widow’s Bay Is The Best Thing That Has Happened To Horror TV Since Flanagan’s Netflix Shows
Every new year is packed with multiple exciting big-screen horror releases. Since major awards are also now appreciating horror more than ever, the genre has experienced somewhat of a renaissance in recent years. 2026 alone has been packed with some incredible big-screen horror releases like Obsession, Hokum, and The Backrooms.
When it comes to the small-screen, though, the genre still seems to be catching up. Mike Flanagan’s horror shows on Netflix, like The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of the House of Usher, gave the genre an incredible TV run in the late 2010s and 2020s. However, after Flanagan’s departure from Netflix, horror TV seemingly experienced a decline.
Mike Flanagan’s next horror TV series, Carrie (based on Stephen King’s book of the same name), premieres on Prime Video in 2026.
A handful of shows, like From, still gave the genre decent momentum on the small-screen, but other recent additions like The Institute and It: Welcome to Derry have only been slightly above average at best. Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay is seemingly changing things, though, by delivering both chills and thrills with its brilliantly written story.
Almost all the episodes of the Apple TV show, so far, have been incredible, combining some of the best elements from Stephen King‘s stories and Mike Flanagan‘s shows. In its upcoming episodes, Widow’s Bay is expected to get even better, which will seemingly allow it to rank among some of the best modern horror shows.