A closer look
Creators Matt and Ross Duffer were rejected by over fifteen different television networks when they initially pitched the concept for Stranger Things, with executives claiming that a show centered around children would never appeal to adult audiences. Netflix finally took a gamble on it, and it instantly became a monolithic pop culture event that basically kept the streaming platform afloat for years. It is incredibly satisfying to imagine all those snobby studio executives furiously kicking their luxury office desks after realizing they passed on the most profitable nostalgia trap of the modern era. They completely underestimated the undeniable power of hitting aging millennials with neon lighting, synth music, and the terrifying realization that their 1980s childhood is now considered a vintage piece
