Miniseries · ABC
The Shining
Some guests never leave!
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Stephen King
Gage Creed
1 eps
Rebecca De Mornay
Wendy Torrance
3 eps
Steven Weber
Jack Torrance
3 eps
Wil Horneff
Tony
3 eps
Courtland Mead
Danny Torrance
3 eps
Stanley Anderson
Delbert Grady
1 eps
Pat Hingle
Pete Watson
1 eps
Elliott Gould
Stuart Ullman
1 eps
Cynthia Garris
217 Woman
3 eps
Peter Boyles
AA Member
1 eps
Dan Bradley
Bodyguard #2
1 eps
Lou Carlucci
Bodyguard #1
1 eps
Mickey Giacomazzi
Waiter #2
3 eps
Bertha Lynn
TV Announcer
1 eps
J.P. Romano
Waiter #1
1 eps
David Sosna
AA Gene
1 eps
David Zambrano
AA Mitch
1 eps
Mick Garris
AA Hartwell
1 eps
Miguel Ferrer
Mark Torrance (uncredited)
1 eps
Michael O'Neill
Daniel Edwards (uncredited)
1 eps
Tomas Herrera
George Hatfield
1 eps
Tim Perovich
Croquet Player
1 eps
Kenn Solomon
Basketball Player
1 eps
Jan Van Sickle
Al Shockley
1 eps
Melvin Van Peebles
Richard Hallorann
2 eps
John Durbin
Horace Derwent
2 eps
Shawnee Smith
Waitress
1 eps
Ron Allen
TV Weatherman
1 eps
Rich Beall
Airline Gate Agent
1 eps
Joyce Bulifant
Customer
1 eps
Lois Hicks
Bookstore Lady
1 eps
Wendelin Harston
Car Rental Clerk
1 eps
Bill McBride
Principal
1 eps
Sam Raimi
Gas Station Howie
1 eps
Lisa Thornhill
Rita Hayworth Lookalike
1 eps
Frank Darabont
Living Room Ghost
1 eps
Christina Faust
Screaming Female Ghost
1 eps
Peter James
Praying Ghost
1 eps
Roger Baker
Rover
1 eps
Richard Christian Matheson
Hitman #1
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How The Shining actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
The Shining reads strongest on Character Depth, Serialized and World Building.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
A new caretaker moves with his family into the mysterious Overlook Hotel for the winter.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E01
Part 1
Struggling writer Jack Torrance takes his wife and psychic young son along to his winter job as caretaker of a sinister mountain resort.
- Directed by Mick Garris
S01E02
Part 2
Jack begins his slide into dementia when he uncovers the hotel's devious past, while Danny encounters the thing in room 217 and the horrific topiary.
- Directed by Mick Garris
S01E03
Part 3
Danny uses his "shining" to call Halloran for help as Jack finally goes over the edge.
- Directed by Mick Garris
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Mark CarlinerProducer
- Elliot FriedgenProducer
- Stephen KingExecutive Producer
Direction
- Mick GarrisDirector
Cinematography
- Shelly JohnsonDirector of Photography
Music
- Nicholas PikeOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
Checking regional listings…
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
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