Stranger Things is one of the biggest TV hits of the last decade. After arriving without much fanfare in the summer of 2016 it has gone on to become perhaps Netflix’s signature show.
The fifth and final season is set to be rolled out in three batches between Thanksgiving (late November) and the New Year. It means there will be brand new Stranger Things at Christmas time this year.
Since it first debuted more than nine years ago, a lot has changed. Not least including the age of the actors - who have grown from children to adults.
Ahead of the return of Stranger Things later in the year, we decided to take a look at a few of the things that didn’t exist when the show originally premiered on July 15, 2016. See how different life was back then.
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5. Ads on Netflix
Back when Stranger Things first landed on Netflix, you could still share your password with family and friends at no extra cost. The streaming service also didn’t include a lowest tier that is ad-supported - that wouldn’t arrive until November 2022, after the fourth season of Stranger Things had been released. | Brandon Bell/Getty Images Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
6. Donald Trump as US President
Life in 2016 was very different from our current world, not least of all when it came to world leaders. Donald Trump had yet to be elected as President of the United States (not once, but twice) back when Stranger Things season one was released. The American election would not take place until November of that year. | Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
7. ChatGPT
This one will come as less of a surprise as the AI boom is a very 2020s kind of vibe. ChatGPT has quickly rocketed to become one of the most popular apps around - and you may know people who use the chatbot regularly. It did not exist when Stranger Things first premiered back in 2016. | Vincent Feuray / Hans Lucas via AFP Photo: Vincent Feuray / Hans Lucas via AFP
8. GBBO on Channel 4
Back when Stranger Things first arrived on Netflix in July of 2016, The Great British Bake Off was still a BBC show. If you cast your mind back you may remember that in the early days - with Mel and Sue and Mary Berry - the iconic show was broadcast on the BBC. It moved to Channel 4 in 2017 and saw a major change to the presenters and judges. | Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images Photo: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images