Rewind
10 Years Ago, Netflix Changed Pop Culture Forever With A Generation-Defining Debut
“Will could’ve cast Protection last night, but he didn’t. He cast Fireball.”
by Dais Johnston
just now
Netflix
In 2016, Netflix looked a lot different from what it looks like today. House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black dominated the conversation, while new shows like Sense8 and Bojack Horseman were gaining steam. At that point, Netflix was still a new player in the Wild West of streaming, and anything seemed possible. At the time, the notion of Netflix was still partly connected to waiting for DVDs in the mail in a little red envelope
And, there was one thing missing from its original streaming offerings: A show with a big concept, which could, in theory, attract tweens or teens who love horror and sci-fi. Because Netflix was exempt from the Standards and Practices rules of broadcast TV, it had an advantage with adult-focused programming, but those projects don’t leave a lasting legacy like a show that grows up with its audience. Before 2016, it wasn’t building a new audience of younger viewers. After July of 2016, that changed.
Ten years ago, a humble Stephen King-esque homage series managed to finally give Netflix the hit it needed — and started a movement that’s still going on a decade later
Stranger Things Season 1 Episode 1, “The Vanishing of Will Byers,” started strong by establishing the three major parts of the story: first, the characters’ love of Dungeons and Dragons, second, the mystery of Will’s disappearance, and third, the curious case of the strange girl with the shaved head
Like any streaming series, it had a big, strong start, but it was in Episode 2 that this series showed off its true strength. According to Netflix, 70% of viewers who watched Episode 2 went on to complete the rest of the season. It’s in this episode that you realize that Episode 1 isn’t a fluke, that that really is the pace the series will keep for the entire run
There’s no secret weapon with this show; every element is perfectly executed. The casting, especially of the young actors, is impeccable; the ’80s nostalgia was perfectly timed, happening just as pop culture was full of bright colors and big hair, and there was even an ’80s icon, Winona Ryder, for the viewers who saw Heathers in the theater. The story gave just enough information to make the arc satisfying, while also leaving more that wouldn’t be fully explained until the last hours of 2025.
But the biggest impact Stranger Things had was on pop culture more broadly. In the last 10 years, it’s hard to find another franchise that didn’t exist at all and now is a generation-defining phenomenon. The series came out in July, and by Halloween, it seemed like everyone with short hair was putting on a pink dress and chowing down on Eggo waffles. Barb, the redshirt from the first episode, became a fan-favorite character almost instantly, and David Harbour’s performance as Sheriff Hopper sparked new appreciation for dad bods.
Saying Netflix doubled down on this success would be an understatement. The subsequent seasons may have taken a while to make, but they each got more and more complicated and impressive, and that was only the beginning. Stranger Things: The First Shadow played on Broadway for years, and even after the series ended, there are still new projects premiering, like the animated spinoff Tales From ’85 and an upcoming professional recording of The First Shadow
It’s hard to believe all of this started just 10 years ago with two episodes about a missing boy and a mysterious girl. But without Stranger Things, our world would be a lot less interesting, and a few generations would have lacked brand-new heroes
Stranger Things streams on Netflix
Related Tags
- Netflix
- TV Shows
- Science Fiction
