The Stand

The project spent several years in development before reaching television. During the 1980s the novel was initially planned as a theatrical film adaptation to be directed by George A. Romero, but the scale of the story and its projected budget prevented the project from moving forward. In the early 1990s the adaptation was revived as a television miniseries for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), allowing the narrative to be presented across multiple episodes. Filming took place primarily in Utah and Nevada, with additional production in Pennsylvania and New York, and involved extensive prosthetic makeup and visual effects work to depict the devastation caused by the pandemic.

The miniseries originally aired on ABC over four nights from May 8 to May 12, 1994. It attracted strong ratings and was watched by millions of viewers during its broadcast run. The Stand received generally positive reviews from critics and was nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or a Special.