Beyond Hawkins: Shows to Fill the ‘Stranger Things’ Void
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Following the conclusion of it’s acclaimed run, the cultural phenomenon Stranger Things has left a void for fans craving stories steeped in small-town mysteries, scientific intrigue, and the enduring power of youthful bonds. The show, which debuted in 2016, masterfully blended nostalgia with suspense, creating a world where the ordinary masked the remarkable. Fortunately, several series capture similar thematic elements, offering viewers a compelling continuation of that captivating atmosphere. Thes shows share core pillars: portals that rearrange identity, institutions concealing unsettling truths, children vanishing into myth, and narratives shaped by profound consequence.
Delving into the Multiverse: ‘Dark’
Netflix’s dark stands as one of the streaming giant’s most intricately plotted science-fiction mysteries. Created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, the German series, which ran from 2017 to 2020, unravels a complex web of time travel, familial secrets, and existential dread in the small town of Winden. The disappearance of two children triggers a cascade of revelations, exposing the interconnectedness of four families and a hidden network of caves concealing a time-bending anomaly.
Dark distinguishes itself thru its cyclical narrative structure, where characters grapple with predetermined fates and the illusion of free will. Unlike the linear progression of stranger Things, Dark embraces a non-chronological storytelling approach, demanding close attention and rewarding repeat viewings.All three seasons are currently streaming on Netflix, with Arabic subtitles available across the region and dubbing in multiple languages.
The Psychological Threshold: ‘The OA’
Also premiering on Netflix in 2016, The OA, created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, ran for two seasons before its cancellation in 2019.The story begins with prairie Johnson’s return after seven years missing, her sight restored and her identity fundamentally rewritten by captivity and experimentation. A secretive scientist, Dr. “Hap” Percy,studies individuals with near-death experiences,attempting to determine if consciousness can traverse dimensions,blurring the line between science and violation.
Unlike the overt portals of Stranger Things, The OA presents alternate worlds as psychological thresholds, interpreted rather than physically fought. Despite its cancellation, the show has cultivated a dedicated cult following, praised for its speculative storytelling, sincerity, and willingness to take narrative risks. Both seasons are available for streaming on Netflix throughout the Middle East, with Arabic subtitles supported.
Fringe Science and Parallel realities: ‘Fringe’
Long before Hawkins’ secret laboratories became iconic, Fringe had already established a complex multiverse. Created by JJ Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci, this American sci-fi series premiered on Fox in 2008 and ran for five seasons until 2013. The show follows FBI agent olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), eccentric scientist Walter Bishop (John Noble), and his son Peter (Joshua Jackson) as they investigate dimensional ruptures, fringe bioengineering, speculative neuroscience, and conspiracies that feel uncovered rather than explained.
At its core, Fringe treats dimensional rupture as a consequence, not merely a theoretical possibility. Bishop’s experiments warp parallel universes, driven by emotional desperation and burdened by guilt. Dunham embodies the show’s central thesis: mirrored worlds interrogate identity rather than simply reflecting it. The fraught relationship between Walter and Peter grounds the mythology in a story of rebuilt family and inherited fallout. Fringe is available for purchase and streaming in the Middle East through Apple TV.
A Town consumed by Dread: ‘It: Welcome to Derry’
HBO’s prequel to the It films, Welcome to Derry, premiered in October and deepens the mythology of Derry, Maine, setting the stage in the 1960s. Like Hawkins, the horror begins with disappearances, but here, the dread is older, predatory, cyclical, and deeply ingrained in the town’s infrastructure, shaping the identity of Derry itself.
The series shares foundational elements with Stranger Things: missing children, failing institutions, and a town haunted by recurring, predatory terror. Welcome to Derry expands upon Pennywise’s mythology, portraying the town as infected by a cyclic horror where adults are powerless and consequence is inherited. It shifts the tone from Stranger Things’ adventure-horror blend to a more unfiltered, franchise-driven cosmic horror rooted in place, memory, and repeating dread. The first season is available for streaming on OSN+ with Arabic subtitles.
