King at his best in spirited ‘Kingdom Hospital’

As envisioned by Stephen King, Kingdom Hospital, setting of the series of the same name, is more than a little like the Eagles’ Hotel California. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

As if there weren’t enough to be worried about in hospitals – runaway bills, infections, inedible food on plastic trays – now Bangor’s master of horror has added ghosts to the list. (And who knows what else? It’s early yet.)

“Kingdom Hospital,” debuting at 9 p.m. tomorrow on ABC, is set in Stephen King’s Maine. Which means that when the fictitious Castle Rock’s most famous resident, artist Peter Rickman (played by “Dynasty” alum Jack Coleman), is gravely injured while jogging by a hit-and-run driver, he’s rushed to Kingdom Hospital in nearby Lewiston.

Things are a bit hinky at Kingdom Hospital, which was built on the site of the Gates Falls Mills, where scores of children were killed by a fire in 1869. That may explain the tortured cries of a girl that can be heard in the building, the faulty elevator, the occasional earthquake.

This isn’t a great place for Rickman to be, as the accident has given him telepathic powers and he can also communicate with spirits. As he lies in a coma, his mind wanders the subbasement of the hospital, encountering the beings that live there.

The series, which runs for 13 weeks on Wednesday nights, also features ex-Brat Packer Andrew McCarthy as eccentric surgeon Dr. Hook, Diane Ladd as psychic Sally Druse, Bruce Davison as the arrogant chief neurologist from away, Dr. Stegman, and Ed Begley Jr. as hospital administrator Jesse James.

The strong cast successfully brings King’s fever dream to life, making “Kingdom Hospital” one of the strangest series to come to network TV in years. And since it is King’s baby, it should get the chance to play out without fear of early cancellation, unlike many challenging series in recent years (“Push, Nevada,” “Firefly,” “Pasadena,” “Harsh Realm”).

“Kingdom Hospital” has layers, and that’s often considered a curse on today’s TV scene. Those who don’t want to work should stick with the tried-and-true structure of “Law & Order.” But those willing to make the effort will be rewarded by the riveting “Kingdom Hospital.”