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As the final season of Stranger Things approaches, there’s never been a better time to look back on the shows that tried to replace it, from Wednesday to Dark. The arrival of Stranger Things season 5 will be a historic moment for Netflix. Nine years after the small town sci-fi mystery debuted in 2016, Stranger Things is finally ending. Only that’s not quite true, since Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 will arrive in 2026, and the spinoff already looks and sounds a lot like a continuation of the original series. Of course, every spinoff owes something to its predecessor in creative terms, but Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 is a unique case. The show follows the same characters, including Dustin, Eleven, Mike, Lucas, Max, and Will, in the same setting of Hawkins, Indiana, and takes place between seasons 2 and 3 of Stranger Things. The characters have been recast, and the format has shifted from live-action to animation, but this still sounds suspiciously like an interquel, rather than a spinoff. Perhaps this shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, Netflix and its competitors have spent years trying to replicate the popularity of Stranger Things with varying degrees of success. From YA horror-comedies to anime adaptations, there are many shows that have aimed to be the next Stranger Things since 2016. 8 Dark 2017’s Dark is one of the best shows on this list, and proof that not every show that tried to replace Stranger Things could be called a mere ripoff or an imitator. Instead, this German series simply had the good fortune to be a dark sci-fi mystery thriller set in a small town at the same time that Stranger Things was taking the world by storm. Lasting three seasons, Dark was constantly compared to Stranger Things in Netflix’s marketing, although its trippy, unsettling time travel story was more complicated than that of the nostalgic 80s-set hit. Fortunately, comparisons between Dark and Stranger Things soon ensured that this cult series gained a major audience and attracted awards attention, making Dark an influential hit in its own right. 7 I Am Not Okay With This Adapted from the graphic novel of the same name by Charles Forsman, I Am Not Okay With This is a blackly comedic coming-of-age dramedy that follows Sydney, played by Sophia Lillis. A teenager struggling with her temper and her emerging sexuality, Sydney finds that her life is endlessly complicated when she develops psychokinetic powers fueled by her emotions. Anchored by a superb central turn from Lillis, I Am Not Okay With This also benefited from strong supporting work by Lillis’s It costar Wyatt Oleff and Sofia Bryant’s Dina. Although the show was canceled after only one season due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on production, I Am Not Okay With This remains an under-seen hidden gem. 6 Locke and Key Based on the graphic novel series of the same name by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, Locke and Key follows a trio of kids who discover a series of magical keys in their new haunted home. What follows is a blend of fantasy, horror, and coming-of-age dramedy as the siblings evade a demonic villain while following the keys through numerous magical portals. Although Locke and Key was well-received, it was one Netflix show that likely struggled thanks to its comparisons with Stranger Things. Reviewers complained that the show played up the coming-of-age elements of the source material and played down its horror, meaning the tone of the show skewed closer to the divisive, then-recent Stranger Things season 3 than the original, darker books. 5 The Institute Released in 2025, The Institute is a supernatural horror series based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. The connections between The Institute and Stranger Things are particularly interesting, since King’s novel came out in 2019, long after Stranger Things season 1 was first released. As such, it seems fair to suggest Stranger Things was a big influence on the story of The Institute, which follows a teenager who is imprisoned in a government facility for kids with supernatural abilities. However, this plot was explored by King way back in the 1980s, in Firestarter, which was a major influence on Stranger Things in the first place. It is tough to tell who copied whom first in this instance, but The Institute’s TV adaptation certainly takes a few cues from Stranger Things season 1. Fortunately, this means the show is as dark and intense as that early outing, but still has enough originality to feel engaging and unpredictable in its own right. 4 One Piece Regardless of how viewers feel about Netflix’s adaptation of One Piece, there is one thing that can be said for the series. Compared to The Institute or Dark, it is nothing like Stranger Things. Indeed, the big similarity between this adaptation of the iconic manga and Stranger Things is that both shows were pushed as potential blockbuster mainstream franchises by Netflix. Following the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates and their search for the titular treasure, One Piece blends swashbuckling action set-pieces with character comedy and a touch of fantasy, sci-fi, and even occasional horror. While not as big a success as Stranger Things, One Piece is proof that Netflix can branch out and diversify its offerings. 3 Paper Girls 2022’s Paper Girls only lasted one season, despite offering viewers a blend of coming-of-age comedy drama, ‘80s nostalgia, and sci-fi tropes that truly did recapture the feel of Stranger Things. The show follows a quartet of girls whose Halloween 1988 paper route turns dramatic when they inadvertently end up caught in a battle between time travelers. Soon, the girls are meeting their future selves in a chaotic, trippy story that is as fun as it is fast-paced. Paper Girls was a rare Stranger Things imitator that could hold a candle to the original show, thanks to the strength of the 2015-2019 comic book series on which the show was based. Sadly, that couldn’t save the series from early cancellation. 2 Wednesday Many of the shows listed here were moderate successes, while some were cut short in their prime. However, of all the titles on this list, only one has managed to outdo Stranger Things in terms of popularity. In terms of sheer minutes streamed, Tim Burton’s Addams Family spinoff Wednesday beats Stranger Things and almost every other Netflix TV show ever made. This is largely thanks to a star-making central turn from Jenna Ortega in the title role. However, although the shows are very different, Wednesday also borrowed enough from Stranger Things to ensure its success. Both shows rely on a young ensemble cast and a dark mystery that unfurls throughout their first season. Both shows also blended coming-of-age comedy with supernatural elements, although Wednesday’s story focuses on fantasy, whereas Stranger Things prioritizes sci-fi tropes. Finally, both shows have a little horror in their DNA, but never enough to preclude family viewing entirely. 1 Goosebumps (2023) While Stranger Things isn’t entirely a horror show, the series does borrow a lot from the nostalgic scary movies of the ‘80s. As such, it should come as no surprise that 2023’s Goosebumps reboot owed less to the original RL Stine novels and more to Netflix’s hugely popular teen series.
