Everything you need to know about Stranger Things

Stranger Things follows the lives of a group of pre-teen friends in the 1980s as they navigate life, hormones and a world-ending threat.

Based in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, the series starts with the disappearance of 10-year-old Will Byers. With his frantic mother Joyce looking for answers, and alcoholic and skeptical detective Jim Hopper leading the case, it’s up to his three best friends – Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson and Lucas Sinclair – to find out what truly went wrong and bring him home.

But their investigation is derailed when, while searching the local woods, they discover a young girl named Eleven, who displays mystical powers, lost and alone. Befriending and keeping guard of her, soon the group find themselves facing a supernatural world they never knew existed.

Soon, they are fighting for the lives of not just themselves and their loved ones, but for the fate of the entire world as an alternative dimension known only as ‘The Upside Down’ threatens to rip through into their reality.

Through the course of the five seasons, new monsters are revealed, government cover-ups are exposed and lives are lost in the group’s fight for survival.

Launching in July 2016, Stranger Things became an international phenomenon, sparking a revival of 80s nostalgia as the show moved through the decade.

It is set to end in December 2025, with creators The Duffer Brothers confirming the news via an open letter to fans on social media in February 2022.

They wrote: “Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things. At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four but – as you’ll soon see for yourselves – we are now hurtling toward our finale. Season four will be the penultimate season; season five will be the last.

“There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things; new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes. But first we hope that you stay with us as we finish this tale of a powerful girl named Eleven and her brave friends, of a broken police chief and a ferocious mom, of a small town called Hawkins and an alternate dimension known only as the Upside Down.

“As always, we are grateful for your patience and support.”

**When is Stranger Things' final season released?**##

Stranger Things final season will be released in three parts – with some episodes expected to be feature-length.

The release schedule is:

November 26: Episodes 1-4
December 25 (Christmas Day): Episodes 5-7
December 31 (New Year’s Eve): Finale

**Who stars in Stranger Things?**

The main cast of Stranger Things consists of:

Millie Bobby Brown (Damsel, Enola Holmes) as Eleven ‘Elle’ Hopper
Finn Wolfhard (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, IT) as Mike Wheeler
Noah Schnapp (The Tutor, Hubie Halloween) as Will Byers
Gaten Matarazzo (Honor Society, Les Miserables on Broadway) as Dustin Henderson
Caleb McLaughlin (Ultra City Smiths, The Book of Clarence) as Lucas Sinclair
Sadie Sink (The Whale, Fear Street: Part 2) as Max Mayfield
David Harbour (Hellboy, Black Widow) as Jim Hopper
Winona Ryder (Edward Scissorhands, Girl: Interrupted) as Joyce Byers
Natalia Dyer (Yes God Yes, Based on a True Story) as Nancy Wheeler
Charlie Heaton (The New Mutants, The Souvenir Part II) as Jonathan Byers
Joe Keery (Free Guy, Spree) as Steve Harrington

Other prominent characters throughout the series include:

Cara Buono (The Sopranos, Mad Men) as Karen Wheeler
Priah Ferguson (Glitter Ain’t Gold, Atlanta) as Erica Sinclair
Maya Hawke (Do Revenge, Asteroid City) as Robin Buckley
Dacre Montgomery (Elvis, The Broken Hearts Gallery) as Billy Hargrove
Joseph Quinn (Dickensian, A Quiet Place: Day One) as Eddie Munson
Jamie Campbell-Bower (The Twilight Saga, The Mortal Instruments) as Henry Creel/One

The series is also known for their nods to the 80s via their guest stars, who shot to fame in films during the era that have since been declared classics. This has included:

Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street) as Victor Creel
Sean Astin (The Goonies) as Bob Newby
Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride) as Mayor Larry Kline

**What is the age rating of Stranger Things?**

The official rating of Stranger Things in the UK, as certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), is 15 for the overall series.

This means the series is not considered suitable for children, with young adult audiences and above considered appropriate.

Reasons for this rating include the show containing:

Depictions of dead bodies
Graphic creative kills (mostly caused by a monster) - including limbs snapping, strangulation, and melting
No nudity, but some scenes of undress
Implications of sexual activity
Extreme violence towards children and teenagers
Scenes featuring graphic blood and gore - at times extreme - often resulting in death
Graphic scenes of peril and dire situations used to suspenseful effect
Profane language including use of homophobic and racist words
Use of recreational drugs and implied use of harder drugs
Emotionally intense scenes
Deliberately frightening scenes including jump scares and terror
Scenes some may find distressing

**How to watch Stranger Things on Sky**

Stranger Things is a Netflix series – and luckily for Sky customers, access to Netflix shows come at no extra cost if you have a TV and Broadband package.

You can find out more about the packages – which start at just £26 – by clicking here.

If you’ve already got Netflix, you can connect your two accounts together to save yourself some money.

You can find out how to activate your Netflix account to your Sky Stream account here.