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It’s hard to believe that “Stranger Things,” one of Netflix’s most iconic series, first graced our screens in 2016. Fast forward to 2025—almost 2026—and this supernatural saga set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, continues to captivate audiences. During this near-decade stretch, countless shows have come and gone, marking their start and end while “Stranger Things” remains an ongoing phenomenon. A new video from Looper delves into which specific series have begun and concluded their narratives in this time frame.
The extended production timelines for “Stranger Things” can be attributed to its complex, supernatural elements. From Demogorgons to formidable foes like Vecna—portrayed by Jamie Campbell Bower through intricate prosthetics—this series offers a rich tapestry of special effects, not least the eerie “Upside Down” realm. Despite these production demands, other major television hits have managed to not only debut but also wrap up their stories in this period.
Consider some of Netflix’s Marvel series, including “Luke Cage,” which started and ended during this time. Meanwhile, HBO’s critically acclaimed “Succession” premiered in 2018 and concluded in 2023, collecting numerous Emmy awards along the way. NBC’s “The Good Place” launched alongside “Stranger Things” and wrapped up after four seasons by 2020. Similarly, Donald Glover’s groundbreaking FX comedy “Atlanta” concluded its run in 2022. From 2016 to 2022, we also saw the emotional rollercoaster “This is Us” on NBC and the ambitious “Westworld” on HBO. “The Crown,” Netflix’s detailed exploration of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, also started in 2016 and continued until 2023.
Other notable series include the teen drama “13 Reasons Why,” which aired from 2017 to 2020, and the FX crime saga “Snowfall,” led by Idris Elba, which ran from 2017 to 2023. The quirky “Riverdale” on CW and Amazon Prime Video’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” shared a simultaneous run from 2017 to 2023. Remarkably, even spin-offs like “Young Sheldon” and adaptations such as “The Handmaid’s Tale” completed their arcs in less time. “Young Sheldon” aired until 2024, while “The Handmaid’s Tale” will conclude in 2025.
Succession, The Good Place, and The Crown all began and wrapped up their runs before Stranger Things
David Russell/HBO
All these series, highlighted in the Looper video, found their conclusion while “Stranger Things” continued its journey. As the series prepares to end on December 31, 2025, it leaves behind a legacy of storytelling that has outlasted many of its contemporaries.
Then there’s the teen drama “13 Reasons Why,” which ran on Netflix from 2017 to 2020, and the FX crime drama “Snowfall,” which was led by Idris Elba and aired from 2017 to 2023. “Riverdale” (the absolutely bonkers CW series based very loosely on Archie Comics) and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amy Sherman-Palladino’s Amazon Prime Video series about a stand-up comedian played by Rachel Brosnahan) don’t have much in common on the surface, but they both ran from 2017 to 2023. Even huge spin-offs like “Young Sheldon” and major adaptations like “The Handmaid’s Tale” managed to tell their stories in less time than it took for “Stranger Things” to conclude; the former aired from 2017 to 2024, and the latter from 2017 to 2025.
These shows and more, which you can see in the video, started and ended while “Stranger Things” was still running; the series wraps up on December 31, 2025.
