The Yvonne Strahovski Horror Series Stephen King Recommends

Stephen King is once again scoping out all the best genre TV to give fans the rundown on what's new and great. His Entertainment Weekly column may have ended ages ago, but the prolific author's pop culture knowledge knows no limits, and he still regularly takes to Twitter/X to post about what he's been watching or reading. Earlier this summer, he gave the Paramount+ series "Evil" a boost –- and may have kick-started an entire cast and fan campaign –- by requesting a renewal for the newly-ended weird horror series. His other recent recommendations include the Jeremy Saulnier thriller "Rebel Ridge" and the Kyle Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald-led indie "Strange Darling," both of which /Film's own critic Chris Evangelista also really liked.

People tend to joke that King's pop culture taste isn't always on the mark these days, but he's clearly on a roll with his recent recommendations, which is why we desperately hope he's right about the new James Wan-produced show "Teacup." The mysterious series, which drops on Peacock this month, clearly caught King's attention and he posted about it on Twitter/X earlier this week, writing, "TEACUP: If you like FROM or LOST, I think you'll enjoy this. It's strange, creepy, claustrophobic, and scary." The author also praised the show's short episodes for being "all killer, no filler," and warned any potential viewers to "beware the Gas Mask Man."

You might be asking yourself what show King is talking about and that's a valid response to his hype, given how many horror TV options there are to choose from these days. In the crowded streaming landscape, the new Peacock series "Teacup" doesn't seem to have gotten the pre-release buzz it deserves (the review embargo hasn't dropped yet, so critics can't share their takes on the show yet), but on paper, it has all the factors conducive to a truly scary and successful TV event. Executive produced by "Saw" and "Insidious" mastermind James Wan and created by Ian McCulloch, the series is based on the book "Stinger" by award-winning novelist Robert R. McCammon. It stars "Chuck" and "Dexter" alum Yvonne Strahovski, as well as "The Strangers" and "Grey's Anatomy" actor Scott Speedman and "Wild Indian" standout Chaske Spencer.

The show has a promising trailer that heightens the intrigue surrounding its mysterious plot but doesn't give too much away. In fact, the first look is downright Kingian, beginning with a child's perspective of rural farm life. Soon, though, things begin to tilt towards the strange, as a man in a gas mask appears, draws a line on the ground in blue spray paint, and warns the boy's family not to trust one another. The rest of the trailer promises a paranoid genre story (though by not showing the threat, the show keeps the details about which genre, exactly, close to its chest) filled with shadowy scares, high stakes, and something that the young boy (Caleb Dolden) warns will kill everything that gets in its way. As King notes, the show's episodes are only a half hour long, so the show also seems poised to keep the action moving and the mysteries fresh. We can't wait to see it.

"Teacup" had its premiere at Fantastic Fest last month, and will debut on Peacock on October 10, 2024.