After what feels like a lifetime, Stranger Things season 4 has been and — for most of us — been binge watched already. It’s a long wait until season 5 airs, at just over two years, so that’s a large void to fill.
We’ve gathered some shows we think are similar in nature to Stranger Things that can fill the void until the show returns for season 5.
Paper Girls
Paper Girls is an upcoming mystery/sci-fi series set to release on Prime Video July 29, 2022. The series is an eight-episode release based on the comic book series of the same name by Brian K. Vaughan, and contains elements similar to that of Stranger Things.
An eerie and tantalising time-travel series, the plot follows the story of four paper girls, Erin (Riley Lai Nelet), Tiffany Quilkin (Camryn Jones), Mac Coyle (Sofia Rosinky), and KJ Brandman (Fina Strazza) as they become caught up in a time travel war whilst delivering papers — hence the title, Paper Girls. This finds them jumping between 1988 and and the then-future, 2019.
The full eight-episode series is due to release on Prime Video internationally on July 29, 2022, and we couldn’t be more excited. It’s sure to be something to sink your teeth into whilst waiting for the fifth season of Stranger Things.
Roswell
Roswell was a hit show for The WB when it aired during its original run, 1999 — 2002, and it is still a fan favourite today. Even more so, that the CW brought the show back with a fresh new cast and crazy new storylines for a modern day audience.
Nonetheless, the Original Roswell remains a fan favourite. The show follows the life of Max Evans, Michael Guerin, and Isabel Evans as they navigate the increasingly complexities of normal, everyday life. Things become more complicated for the trio when Max falls in love with Liz Parker, a human girl.
Whilst the original show eventually ended, the CW rebooted the show in 2019, titled Roswell, New Mexico. The reboot is eerily similar to the Original and still follows the lives of Max, Isabel, and Michael. There are, however, subtle changes and new evils the characters must fight if they wish to remain comfortable posing as humans.
Both shows are a great watch whilst waiting for the release of Stranger Things season 5. You certainly won’t be disappointed if you chose to watch either of these in the meantime; or both, they’re both great shows.
Shadow and Bone
Shadow and Bone is a relatively new Netflix adaptation based on the book series of the same name by Leigh Bardugo. The series follows the “Grisha”, humans who practice magic, and seek to live freely from harm or discrimination for their abilities.
The whole first season follows the discovery of a “Sun Summoner”, the only one prophecies with the ability to destroy the Shadow Fold — a region of engulfing darkness which splits the land of Ravka in half. The series has a pretty strong storyline from a pretty strong universe of books by Bardugo and received a score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.
It’s definitely something to put on your list, and the universe is pretty intricate but easily understood when you get into it.
Legacies
Legacies is the third instalment of The Vampire Diaries Universe, and has recently just been cancelled at The CW. Nonetheless, the show is a pretty good watch if you can ignore the potholes and the bloopers that occur every now and then.
For those that weren’t a fan of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, you might find yourself actually enjoying Legacies, which follows the lives of the supernatural creatures who live at the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted. Each episode features a new “monster of the week” and most introduce new magical creatures, so it’s a little different than the two parent shows that came before it.
The show recently finished airing so most of the recent episodes should still be online for those wishing to watch. It’s a good watch and offers a supernatural-fix until Stranger Things returns in two years.
The Magicians
Despite ending in 2020, The Magicians is still one of our favourite supernatural/magic shows and one of the best magical universes we know today.
The show follows Quentin Coldwater, who enrols at Brakebills University (very Hogwarts-esq), to be trained as a magician. What ensues is a battle for Quentin to realise his true potential and the discovery that his favourite book series, Fillory and Further, is actually based on real-life events.
Filled with new magical experiences and a plethora of lore, the show is a great choice for a binge-watching session, and clocks in at just five seasons. The show is also backed by a great cast who really do play their roles well.
There definitely doesn’t seem to be any excuse for why one of these shows can’t fill the void left by Stranger Things. Otherwise, we’re open to hearing any other suggestions that might be similar in nature to Stranger Things. Let us know over on Twitter, @atWhiki.
