A Time Travel Miniseries Based on a Stephen King Novel Still Divides Viewers

A flight into emptiness

In “The Langoliers,” a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Boston passes through a break in time. A small group of sleeping passengers wakes to find no human beings around them. The story takes its name from creatures that consume time and have razor-like teeth. King’s 1990 novella first appeared in his collection “Four Past Midnight.”

Cast and television debut

Tom Holland wrote and directed the two-part adaptation for television. His earlier horror films include “Fright Night” and “Child’s Play.” Patricia Wettig plays teacher Laurel Stevenson, while Dean Stockwell portrays writer Bob Jenkins and David Morse is pilot Brian Engle. Mark Lindsay Chapman plays a British secret agent, Bronson Pinchot takes the role of executive Craig Toomy, and King appears as Toomy’s boss.

The miniseries premiered on ABC in May 1995. The Los Angeles Times, citing the Internet Archive, reported an estimated 17.5 million households watched, making it the night’s top-rated movie broadcast.

Mixed reviews and King’s view

The series has a 48% critics’ score and a 46% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The Seattle Times criticized its dialogue and direction, while the San Francisco Chronicle faulted its characters and special effects.

Entertainment Weekly was more positive about the eerie premise, awarding the production a “B” before the CGI creatures appear. King told Fangoria, as relayed by Talk Stephen King, “I wasn’t crazy about it.” He added that it was “more of a TV thing,” but said it was fine for its time. King also credited the production with helping Tom Holland and Richard Rubinstein secure approval from Spelling Productions for “Thinner.”