Even though Stranger Things season 5 came to an end earlier this year, the franchise is kept alive by a fierce fandom that believes the show isn't over. But even with so much support, the sci-fi series still hasn't managed to crack the top five shows of the 2020s.
As reported by Bloomberg in a study from Nielsen, the top ten most-watched TV shows on streaming since 2020 have been revealed. Amassing a whopping 246.55 million minutes watched on streaming is Grey's Anatomy, followed by NCIS, Bluey, Criminal Minds, and Cocomelon. Stranger Things sits in sixth place with 145.24 million minutes viewed. The list continues with Supernatural in seventh place, followed by SpongeBob SquarePants, Family Guy, and The Big Bang Theory.
The list is quite surprising not only because of how low Stranger Things is placed, but because huge shows from the past six years, including House of the Dragon, Wednesday, and so many more, are absent. However, this could just be down to the sheer size of the show in question. Grey's Anatomy has a whopping 23 seasons and 470 episodes, and NCIS has 24 seasons and 511 episodes. Now, that's a lot of minutes.
There is also the rewatchability factor. Medical and police dramas are very rewatchable. You can jump in at any time and can watch whilst folding laundry or starting dinner. The same goes for kids' shows like Bluey and Cocomelon. Stranger Things, on the other hand, requires a little more attention. The sci-fi show still holds popularity on Netflix, though, as seasons 4 and 5 sit in the streamer's top 10 English-language shows of all time, as per Tudum.
Although the main show is seemingly over and done with, Stranger Things lives on as Netflix has multiple spin-offs in the works. There's the second season of the animated show Stranger Things: Tales from '85, and the ' 50s-set prequel series Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure, which is due to hit Netflix in 2028.
Stranger Things is available to watch in its entirety on Netflix. For more, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows, and keep up with new shows on the way.
