A new record
Stranger Things returns for a 4th season and has already broken a new Netflix record within 3 days of its release. Created by the Duffer Brothers, the American sci-fi drama series follows a group of friends in the fictional sleepy town of Hawkins, Indiana, as they witness weird supernatural forces and secret government experiments. Season 1 was released back in July of 2016 and centres around the disappearance of 12 year old Will Byers (played by Noah Schnapp). Featuring Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown (along with other great actors), the series has gained a huge fan base worldwide since its debut.
Fast forward to 2022, the hit series is now on Season 4 and has beaten a Netflix record previously set by Season 2 of Bridgerton. According to streaming figures, viewers watched the new episodes of Stranger Things for a staggering 287 million hours in just the first few days, making it the ‘biggest-ever premiere weekend for an English-language series on Netflix‘. That beats Bridgerton, which racked up 193 million viewing hours during its debut weekend in March.
Impressive figures
The series is currently number 1 on Netflix’s Top 10 category in 83 of the 93 countries that the streaming service tracks viewership. Additionally, the previous seasons of the show have also gained popularity as viewers caught up on the storyline in time for Season 4. Recent data from Netflix also shows that Seasons 1,2 and 3 have also landed on their Top 10 list: Season 1 gained 38.05 million hours viewed, Season 2 had 22.21 million whilst Season 3 pulled in 24.29 million hours viewed.
7 Episodes make up Volume 1 of Stranger Things Season 4. Volume 2 will feature the last 2 episodes of the season and is due to premiere in July. In an interview with NME, Matt Duffer says that episodes “Four and five are really [connected] together. [With five], there’ll be no wind-up time – like even this season, you get to experience the kids and what they’re going through in high school before things start to escalate. Then it gets crazier and crazier and crazier – that’s typically the trajectory.”
‘Strange’ marketing
Ahead of the show’s premiere on the 27th May, Netflix upped their marketing game to level 11 (get it?). Their ‘The World Turns Upside Down’ campaign brought the series to life around the world, projecting scenes onto global landmarks and popping up immersive displays in cities worldwide. “The Upside Down will take over 14 countries through 15 landmarks including the Empire State Building in New York City; Bondi Beach in Australia; Duomo Square in Milan; Malecon Barranquilla in Colombia; the Gateway of India in Mumbai” and even in Shoreditch, London. This campaign was a great success and attracted huge crowds of fans and curious bystanders. You can view a compilation of these real life ‘rifts’ in the video below:
A nod to the 80s
Set in the 1980s, Stranger Things embraces the era’s iconic style, from its fashion and visuals to its music. The Duffer Brothers have packed the series with nostalgic nods (32 in total) which you can check out here. Season 4 took this nostalgia to another level with Kate Bush‘s 1985 hit ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’, from her Hounds of Love album. The track perfectly captured the mood of the season while giving fans another brilliant throwback to the decade.
Since the song’s feature, it has entered the UK Top 10 charts at No 8 and is currently ranked number 1 on iTunes. In a recent statement, Kate Bush said:” It features the song, Running Up That Hill which is being given a whole new lease of life by the young fans who love the show. I love it too! It’s all really exciting! Thanks very much to everyone who has supported the song. I wait with bated breath for the rest of the series in July.”
To the upside down!
It’s no doubt that Stranger Things has gained so much attention from viewers and fans across the globe. The well written coming of age drama/ sci-fi thriller series appeals to a wide range of audiences. The gripping storylines of each episode always leaves us wanting more… Here at DreamingFish, some of us are big ST nerds and are eagerly awaiting Volume 2.
