
The first season begins in November 1983. They have inadvertently created a portal to an alternate dimension they refer to as the Upside Down, whose presence begins to affect the residents of Hawkins in calamitous ways. The nearby Hawkins National Laboratory ostensibly performs scientific research for the United States Department of Energy but secretly experiments with the paranormal and supernatural, sometimes with human test subjects. Stranger Things is set in the fictional rural town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s. An animated spin-off series, developed by Eric Robles and produced by Flying Bark Productions, is in development. It has received numerous nominations and awards. It has been critically acclaimed for its characterization, atmosphere, acting, soundtrack, directing, writing, and homages to 1980s films. One of Netflix's flagship series, Stranger Things has attracted record viewership on the streaming platform. They also took inspiration from experiments conducted during the Cold War and conspiracy theories involving secret government programs.

Several thematic and directorial elements were inspired by the works of Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, David Lynch, Stephen King, Wes Craven and H. The Duffer Brothers developed Stranger Things as a mix of investigative drama and supernatural elements portrayed with horror and childlike sensibilities, while infusing references to the pop culture of the 1980s. The ensemble cast includes Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, Matthew Modine, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, Sean Astin, Paul Reiser, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson and Brett Gelman. Set in the 1980s, the series centers around the residents of the fictional small town of Hawkins, Indiana, as they are plagued by a hostile alternate dimension known as the Upside Down, after a nearby human experimentation facility opens a gateway between it and the normal world. In February 2022, it was renewed for a fifth and final season.

Its second, third, and fourth seasons followed in October 2017, July 2019, and May and July 2022, respectively.

Produced by Monkey Massacre Productions and Levy's 21 Laps Entertainment, the first season was released on Netflix on July 15, 2016. Stranger Things is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen.
