Summary

Season 4 of Stranger Things broke viewing records, becoming one of Netflix's most popular original shows with 7.2 billion minutes streamed.
Adolescence, a new British series, dethroned Stranger Things Season 4, accumulating 141.2 million views and trending on Netflix.

Stranger Things season 5 couldn't come soon enough for its impatient and loyal fanbase, but it feels that, for most viewers, the wait for the show's return has been much longer than initially expected. Unfortunately, due to the writer's strike that hit Hollywood in 2023, season 5 of Stranger Things has taken a little longer to get to the small screen, and there's also the fact that the Duffer brothers have produced a much larger scale of the series for its return too, so the pressure is firmly on the supernatural show.

However, regardless of how season 5 turns out for its final outing, one thing's for sure, and that's how successful season 4 was. When the series premiered in 2016, it was clear that viewers were being treated to something very special and, as it turns out, season 4 showcased just what that was, as the fourth installment of Stranger Things became Netflix's most critically acclaimed and popular original shows, reaching an all-time high, which set a major viewership record on the website and becoming the second most-watched English-language series in the platform’s history. In 2022, Stranger Things accumulated 7.2 billion minutes of streaming viewership in the U.S. From May 30 to June 5, after the fourth season premiered on May 27. In spite of that huge achievement, Stranger Things' luck had to run out sooner or later.

Stranger Things season 5 Max and Lucas image

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By Matthew Wilkinson

Adolescence Knocks Stranger Things Season 4 Netflix Record From the Top

According to Netflix's Tudum, the psychological crime drama series Adolescence has kicked Stranger Things season 4 off the top spot on the charts, taking it from its number one spot to number two, leaving Wednesday still guarding Netflix's top position. Premiering via the streaming platform on March 13, 2025, the British series became a huge phenomenon that no one saw coming, accumulating 141.2 million views, with 541.4 million hours viewed, and episode one alone was watched by 6.45 million people in its first week.

Created by Jack Thorne, best known for His Dark Materials and the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and starring Liverpudlian heavyweight Stephen Graham, Adolescence revolves around the murder of high school student Katie (Emilia Holliday), who is brutally killed by a 13-year-old schoolboy named Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper). After his arrest, Jamie retains his innocence, even convincing his father (Stephen Graham), until video evidence is revealed that turns his story completely on its head.

As for a second season of the hard-hitting drama, Brad Pitt's production company, Plan-B, is apparently in talks to develop the show further. In April, Plan B's co-presidents, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, were reportedly talking to Philip Barantini, the director of Adolescence, to see if season 2 could be possible. Although there is nothing officially announced as yet, or if it will ever be, some of its narrative, if it were to return, could follow Jamie's trial or the impact Katie's murder has had on her mother.

Stranger Things Seasons 1 to 4 are available to stream on Netflix, with the final Season 5 set to premiere in three parts between November 26th and December 25th, with the finale releasing on December 31st. Adolescence is also available to stream on Netflix right now.