• A. Disney+
  • B. Netflix
  • C. Amazon Prime Video
  • D. HBO Max

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This streaming service was a pioneer in creating original series and films, long before most competitors did. You’ll recognize them by their red logo and that iconic “tudum” intro.

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The correct answer is B. Netflix.

Stranger Things came out in 2016 as a Netflix Original and was an instant hit. The Duffer Brothers created a series that combined 1980s nostalgia, horror, and science fiction in a way that just worked. Millions of people worldwide became fans.

Netflix threw significant money at it, and that paid off. The series grew into a real phenomenon, with now four seasons and a fifth (and final) one in the works. It helped Netflix strengthen its position as the largest streaming service and proved that streaming platforms could deliver the same quality as traditional TV studios.

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Netflix started creating original content in 2013. “House of Cards” was the first major Netflix Original, but Stranger Things three years later really showed what was possible.

The impact went far beyond TV alone. Remember when Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” from 1985 was suddenly everywhere again after season 4? The series brought the song back to the charts, decades after its original release. And that’s just one example. Nike made Stranger Things sneakers, there were LEGO sets, Coca-Cola relaunched its old New Coke specifically for the series, and Universal Studios built attractions for it in their theme parks.

Season 4 reportedly cost more than 30 million dollars per episode (if this data is still accurate, because prices in the streaming world change rapidly). That made it one of the most expensive series ever. But then again, when that season launched, more than 286 million hours of content were watched within three weeks. Those kinds of numbers apparently justify those budgets.

Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), and Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin) were relatively unknown when they started. Now they’re global stars. That doesn’t happen often anymore in today’s media landscape where everyone watches their own thing.

Funny detail: the Duffer Brothers had to pitch their concept to about 15 to 20 different networks and streaming services before someone said yes. HBO turned it down. Other big names too. Netflix took the risk and hit the jackpot.

The series is set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, and breathes the atmosphere of Steven Spielberg, Stephen King, and John Carpenter. That mix of nostalgia, suspense, and adventure proves to work for all ages. It’s almost old-fashioned: a series that different generations can watch together. That doesn’t happen so often anymore these days.