The Story of IT (1990) Mini Documentary

A look back at Stephen King’s IT (1990), the TV miniseries that terrified a generation and redefined small‑screen horror. This documentary explores its production, the adaptation of King’s novel, and how its unsettling atmosphere and iconic villain left a lasting mark on pop culture. It is a 1990 ABC two‑part psychological horror drama miniseries directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and adapted by Lawrence D. Cohen from Stephen King’s 1986 novel of the same name. The story revolves around a predatory monster that can transform itself into its prey’s worst fears to devour them, allowing it to exploit the phobias of its victims. It mostly takes the humanoid form of Pennywise, an Eldritch clown. The protagonists are The Lucky Seven, or The Losers Club, a group of outcast kids who discover Pennywise and vow to kill him by any means necessary. The series takes place over two different time periods, the first when the Losers first confront Pennywise as children in 1960, and the second when they return as adults in 1990 to defeat him a second time after he resurfaces.