10 Shows to Watch While You Wait for Stranger Things Season 5

Stranger Things stole the show in 2016, creating a brand new fandom and beginning a story that we’re still excited for. Since then, fans have gotten pretty used to the long wait between seasons, though concern about the delay, given the age of the character versus the cast, has been brewing. On the bright side, the long and dark wait is nearly over! Stranger Things Season 5, the final season of the series, is set to begin airing in November 2025. It’ll be released in three parts, finishing right before the year’s end, literally. With only a few months to go, here are a few similarly toned shows to help pass the time.

Stranger Things was a groundbreaking show for Netflix’s platform, telling a supernatural tale full of unique elements and themes. Set in the ’80s, the show follows one group of preteens are they navigate the growing horrors in what is otherwise a small and unremarkable town. It all begins when one of their friends goes missing, with the story quickly spiraling from there. Since then, the crew has only gotten larger, adding new characters for fans to fall in love with (and monsters to fear). While we’re all anxiously waiting to see how the final season will break our hearts, at least there’s plenty of other content to keep us busy in the meantime.

1) Supernatural

Supernatural is a fan-favorite series that held our attention for years. The name itself should give away its reason for being on this list, as it combines supernatural elements with adventure, drama, fantasy, and horror. At the center are two brothers, Sam Winchester and Dean Winchester, who infamously track down demons, ghosts, and monsters. Supernatural has more of a monster-of-the-week format than Stranger Things, but this allows it to touch upon multiple cryptids and mythos.

Supernatural stars Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, and many others. It ran for 15 seasons, totaling 327 episodes. That should be more than enough to keep any fan busy for a bit. Supernatural is available to stream on Netflix and Hulu.

2) Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is the only animated series on this list, but Stranger Things fans may still appreciate the story that unfolds here. The story follows the infamous Lara Croft in her early days. Right from the very beginning, Lara finds herself thrown into the deep end, tracking down artifacts, interacting with ancient entities, and thwarting the evil plans of her counterparts. Her adventure may not be one-to-one with Stranger Things, but fans will likely appreciate the immersive environments, multiple puzzles she must solve, and the emotional core of the story.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft stars Hayley Atwell, Allen Maldonado, and Earl Baylon. The series is also available to stream on Netflix.

3) Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Most supernatural fans will say that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a must-watch classic, and they’re right. Buffy the Vampire Slayer perfectly combines teen drama with the occult and supernatural, creating a compelling monster-of-the-week style series. Each adventure portrays Buffy and co. battling the supernatural, from vampires to demons, and pretty much everything in between. It has quippy dialogue and strong found-family dynamics, providing an emotional core that fans have locked onto and never let go of. Now is the perfect time for new fans to get into Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as a revival is on the way.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer has an expansive cast, including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, Anthony Stewart Head, David Boreanaz, Seth Green, James Marsters, Marc Blucas, Emma Caulfield, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Amber Benson. There are seven seasons total, plus a couple of spin-offs and a ton of graphic novels based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is available to stream on Tubi, Disney+, and Hulu.

4) The Midnight Club

The Midnight Club has many themes and elements in common with Stranger Things. It plays with both supernatural elements and horror, introducing a younger cast of characters to something larger than themselves. Unlike Stranger Things, The Midnight Club is more of an anthology format. The premise is about eight terminally ill young adults all gathered for what they have dubbed “the Midnight Club,” where they can tell spooky stories that become the meat of each episode.

The Midnight Club stars Iman Benson, Adia, Igby Rigney, Ruth Codd, Aya Furukawa, Annarah Shephard, William Chris Sumpter, and Sauriyan Sapkota. There’s only one season of The Midnight Club, totaling 10 episodes. Sadly, the show did get canceled, but the story itself is complete enough not to cause any problems for newer fans.

The Midnight Club is available to stream on Netflix.

5) Locke & Key

Locke & Key is another great series for Stranger Things fans. Both stories incorporate the supernatural, interdimensional monsters, and teens standing at the forefront of unmitigated horrors. Where Stranger Things has the Upside Down, Locke & Key has a series of magical keys that can unlock amazing wonders or untold horrors. Like Stranger Things, Locke & Key combines fantasy, horror, and coming-of-age into one compelling tale, letting the characters explore human issues while handling trauma, guilt, and the supernatural. The story itself follows a group of siblings after the loss of their father. They move into a new house, and that’s where the strangeness begins.

Locke & Key stars Darby Stanchfield, Connor Jessup, Emilia Jones, Jackson Robert Scott, Laysla De Oliveira, Petrice Jones, and Griffin Gluck. It is complete at three seasons, totaling 28 episodes. Additionally, Locke & Key is based on a graphic novel series, so invested readers can always dive right into those stories.

Locke & Key is available to stream on Netflix.

6) Lockwood and Co.

In a world plagued by ghosts, it’s only natural that several companies would rise up to handle the situation. That’s the world Lockwood and Co. portrays, as one trio of teens comes together to detect and fight the supernatural. Notably, in this world, only teens and children can see the ghosts, posing a unique ethical quandary. Stranger Things fans will appreciate the teenage cast, especially as they directly handle threats and fight the supernatural. There’s likewise a strong sense of found family vibes, providing a heartwarming undertone to the otherwise dark adventure.

Lockwood and Co. stars Ruby Stokes, Cameron Chapman, and Ali Hadji-Heshmati. There’s only one season of Lockwood and Co., totaling eight episodes. Lockwood and Co. is available to stream on Netflix.

7) Archive 81

Archive 81 may follow an older set of characters, but the tone is perfect for Stranger Things fans. The story follows Dan Turner, a conservator who specializes in restoring damaged videotapes. This opens the door for a mystery he never could have anticipated, as he begins going through a series of tapes portraying a missing director and, even more concerningly, a demonic cult. They say that what has been seen cannot be unseen, and Dan is about to learn that the hard way, as the more he learns, the more danger he finds himself in. This slow-burn mystery is on par with the mystery of Hawkins’ lab or the truth behind Vecna’s origin.

Archive 81 stars Mamoudou Athir, Dina Shihabi, Evan Jonigkeit, Julia Chan, Ariana Neal, Matt McGorry, and Martin Donovan. There’s only one season of Archive 81 available, totaling eight episodes. Archive 81 is based on a podcast of the same name, so invested fans can continue the story there. Archive 81 is available to stream on Netflix.

8) Fringe

Stranger Things fans who are fascinated by the Upside Down and want to dive into a world of alternate dimensions and time travel should consider checking out Fringe. Fringe may not follow a group of teens, but it does have compelling characters, lots of nerdy details, and fascinating adventures. It combines a police procedural with sci-fi elements, including teleportation, telepathy, and parallel universes. Likewise, both Fringe and Stranger Things tackle government conspiracies, hinting at secret experiments and cover-ups. Thus, fans who enjoyed Eleven’s side of the story should feel at home with this series.

Fringe stars Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole, Mark Valley, and Seth Gabel. It has five seasons, totaling 100 episodes, which should be enough to keep the average viewer occupied for quite some time.

Fringe is available to stream on HBO Max.

9) From

Stranger Things fans who want to embrace the horror and aren’t afraid of tales that get a little bit darker should consider watching From. Much like Stranger Things, the core of From is based in one small town, which is being overrun by monsters and other supernatural creatures. The characters may have come from all walks of life, hailing from different parts of the country, but they have all found themselves trapped in the same place. From offers a creepy tone and lots of mysterious promises. Viewers will find themselves asking all sorts of questions about the town, the creatures, and the characters.

From has a massive cast of characters, including Harold Perrineau, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Eion Bailey, David Alpay, Elizabeth Saunders, Scott McCord, and Ricky He. Currently, there are three seasons of From available, though a fourth one is in production.

From is available to stream on MGM+.

10) Yellowjackets

The foundation of Yellowjackets may feel more akin to Lost, but Stranger Things fans should make note. The story begins with a plane crash, notably, it had a high school girls’ soccer team onboard, leaving the survivors stranded in the wilderness. From there, the story splits into two distinct parts: the flashbacks into their desperate moves for survival in the 1990s, and their current lives in the present day. Yellowjackets is a combination of Lord of the Flies and Lost, telling a haunting and supernatural adventure with surprising twists. The teen drama and suspenseful storytelling elements are perfect for Stranger Things fans, though definitely more mature.

Yellowjackets has an ensemble cast, including Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, Samantha Hanratty, Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Juliette Lewis, and Christina Ricci. There are three seasons of Yellowjackets, totaling 29 episodes, with a fourth season on the way.

Yellowjackets is available to stream on Paramount+ and Netflix.

Stranger Things Drops First Details For New Animated Series