Tim Curry’s face. That’s usually where the conversation starts and ends when you bring up the Stephen King IT miniseries. You know the one. The 1990 ABC broadcast that basically birthed a generation’s collective coulrophobia. It’s weird to think about now, but back then, a major network putting a child-eating cosmic entity on primetime television was a massive gamble. It shouldn't have worked. The budget was tight, the special effects were—let’s be honest—pretty hit-or-miss, and the ending featured a giant stop-motion spider that looked like it belonged in a different movie.
Yet, it’s still here. People still talk about it.
When we look back at the Stephen King IT miniseries, we aren't just looking at a piece of nostalgia. We are looking at a masterclass in how to adapt a 1,100-page tome into something that fits between commercial breaks for laundry detergent. It’s a strange, clunky, terrifying, and deeply emotional piece of television history. While the big-budget Andy Muschietti films of 2017 and 2019 had the CGI and the gore, they arguably lacked the sheer, unsettling atmosphere that director Tommy Lee Wallace managed to squeeze out of a Vancouver filming schedule in the early 90s.
The Pennywise Problem: Tim Curry vs. Bill Skarsgård
Comparing the two portrayals of the titular clown is basically a rite of passage for horror fans. It’s also kinda pointless because they’re doing two completely different things. Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise is an alien. He’s drooling, he’s twitchy, and he’s clearly "other." But Tim Curry? Curry played Pennywise like a mean-spirited circus performer who might actually be standing on a street corner in your neighborhood.
That’s what makes the Stephen King IT miniseries so visceral.
There is a specific scene in the first half where Pennywise is standing in the middle of a wind-swept field, holding balloons, just... watching. He’s not doing a jump scare. He’s not morphing into a CGI monster. He’s just a guy in a suit who shouldn't be there. Curry’s background in musical theater and his ability to pivot from a raspy, Bronx-accented "Beep beep, Richie!" to a growling demonic snarl is what gave the miniseries its teeth. He was funny until he wasn't. And that's way scarier than a monster that looks like a monster from the first frame.
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Honestly, the makeup design by Bart Mixon deserves more credit. They went through several iterations, but they landed on something that felt grounded. It was "Lon Chaney meets Bozo." By keeping the design relatively simple, they allowed Curry’s eyes to do the heavy lifting. If you watch those close-ups in the sewer, his eyes are doing things that no amount of digital retouching could ever replicate.
Growing Up in Derry: The Kids vs. The Adults
The structure of the Stephen King IT miniseries is famously split into two parts. The first night focused on the Losers' Club as children in 1960; the second night followed them as adults in 1990. Most fans agree that the first half is superior. Why? Because the child actors—including a young Seth Green and the late Jonathan Brandis—had a chemistry that felt genuine.
You’ve got:
- Bill Denbrough, the stuttering leader fueled by grief.
- Ben Hanscom, the sensitive kid who writes poetry.
- Beverly Marsh, dealing with a horrific home life that the miniseries had to "sanitize" for TV, yet still managed to convey through subtext.
- Richie Tozier, the comic relief who uses jokes as a shield.
King’s writing has always been about the loss of innocence. The miniseries nails this. When the kids are in the Barrens, the world feels huge and dangerous. The transition to the adult cast is where things usually get rocky for viewers. It’s hard to follow up that kind of childhood camaraderie. While actors like John Ritter and Richard Thomas are great, the adult "Losers" often feel like they’re in a different show—one that leans a bit more into the melodrama of 90s television.
But even with the soap-opera lighting, the core theme remains: you can’t truly run away from your hometown. Derry is a character itself. The miniseries used Vancouver as a stand-in, and the gray, overcast Pacific Northwest skies perfectly captured the damp, suffocating feeling of a town that has something rotten underneath its sidewalks.
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Why the "Bad" Ending Doesn't Ruin the Experience
Okay, we have to talk about the spider.
If you ask anyone about the Stephen King IT miniseries, they will eventually complain about the finale. After hours of psychological torment and Pennywise appearing in mirrors and photo albums, the "true form" of It is revealed to be a giant, stop-motion spider-thing. It’s clunky. It doesn't move well. It’s clearly a puppet.
But here’s the thing: horror is rarely about the reveal.
The terror of the Stephen King IT miniseries is the journey. It’s the blood coming out of the sink. It’s the realization that the adults in town can’t see what the kids see. It’s the scene where the library becomes a nightmare. By the time the Losers get to the final cavern, the "monster" is almost secondary to the fact that these friends have reunited to fulfill a blood oath.
In the book, the ending involves a lot of "Macroverse" lore and a giant turtle named Maturin. There was no way a 1990 TV budget was going to handle cosmic turtles. So, they went with a physical creature. While it’s easy to poke fun at the effects now, for a kid watching this on a wood-paneled CRT television in 1990, that spider was plenty scary. It represented the "thing" that had been eating their town for centuries.
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The Cultural Footprint of the 1990 Miniseries
We wouldn't have the 2017 movie without this miniseries. It proved that King’s long-form stories needed room to breathe. You can’t cram IT into a two-hour movie; you need the "event" feel of a multi-night broadcast. This paved the way for other adaptations like The Stand and Storm of the Century.
The Stephen King IT miniseries also solidified Pennywise as the definitive "scary clown." Before this, you had John Wayne Gacy (a real-life horror) and maybe some fringe horror characters, but Pennywise became the archetype. He’s the reason people get nervous at the circus.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re looking to revisit Derry, don’t just jump into the modern movies. The original has a different soul. To get the most out of the experience, here is how you should actually engage with it:
- Watch the "Pennywise: The Story of IT" Documentary: This is a deep dive featuring interviews with the cast and crew. It explains the technical hurdles of the 90s and features some incredible behind-the-scenes footage of Tim Curry out of character but still in the makeup.
- Read the "Ritual of Chüd" Chapters: After watching the miniseries, go back to the book and read the chapters concerning the Losers' final battle. It will give you a massive appreciation for what the TV writers were trying to adapt and why they made the choices they did.
- Check the Soundtrack: Richard Bellis won an Emmy for the score. Listen to how the music changes between the 1960 and 1990 segments. It’s subtle, but it’s a huge part of why the atmosphere feels so heavy.
The Stephen King IT miniseries isn't a perfect adaptation, but it’s an effective one. It captures the loneliness of being a kid who doesn't fit in and the terror of realizing that the world isn't as safe as your parents promised. Whether it's the 90s or the 2020s, that's a fear that doesn't age. It just waits in the sewers for the next generation to come along.
If you haven't seen it in years, it’s worth a re-watch. Just maybe keep a light on when you go to the bathroom afterward. Or at least stay away from the sink.