It’s taken Stranger Things nine years to get to its upcoming finale at the end of its fifth and final season, and several incredible science-fiction and fantasy shows have come and gone during its lengthy run. Since its premiere on Netflix on July 15, 2016, Stranger Things has become one of the most popular, revolutionary, and influential sci-fi shows ever, as well as being lauded as one of the greatest TV series in history. The Duffer brothers’ series has, surprisingly, taken nine years to produce five seasons, with its finale scheduled for December 31, 2025.
Thankfully, we haven’t been starved for quality science-fiction TV during Stranger Things’ near-decade-long run. Many TV shows have premiered and concluded during the nine years that Stranger Things has been releasing, highlighting just how long the series has taken to produce. Major shows such as Westworld, The Good Place, Superman & Lois, The Handmaid’s Tale, What We Do in the Shadows, and many more have all released in their entirety during Stranger Things’ run, and these 10 other sci-fi and fantasy shows are among them.
Despite receiving critical acclaim in its second season, Raised by Wolves was still cancelled in the midst of the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc. in 2022. Raised by Wolves followed two androids, Mother (Amanda Collin) and Father (Abubakar Salim), who are tasked with raising human children on Kepler-22b after the Earth’s destruction. The series was praised for its imagination, otherworldly imagery, and exploration of the balance between artificial intelligence, religion, and humanity, so it’s a shame we only got two seasons of Raised by Wolves.
Based on the trilogy of novels by Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials followed Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen) in a world governed by the Magisterium. She embarks on an adventure with her soul companion, Pan (Kit Connor), to find a missing friend and uncover a mystery concerning the mystical cosmic substance, Dust. His Dark Materials received praise for the cast’s performances, its visually-spectacular cinematography, high production value, and epic musical score, and the series came to a natural close after three seasons – each adapting one novel in Pullman’s trilogy.
The first TV series in the Star Trek franchise since Star Trek: Enterprise ended in 2005, Star Trek: Discovery marked a revitalization and expansion of the iconic sci-fi series. Discovery put Sonequa Martin-Green front-and-center as Michael Burnham, a science specialist on the titular vessel who eventually rises through the ranks to become captain. Star Trek: Discovery boasts five acclaimed seasons comprising 65 episodes, all of which released in the time Stranger Things has been releasing on Netflix, and several other Star Trek projects stemming from Discovery have also been given this honor.
While the popularity of The Umbrella Academy waned by its fourth and final season, the Netflix series received critical acclaim in its early run. The series brought together Tom Hopper, Elliot Page, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, and Justin H. Min as the superpowered adoptive children of the enigmatic Reginald Hargreeves, who band together in a series of time travel and alternate universe mysteries. Adapted from the comic book series of the same name, The Umbrella Academy is an entertaining and thrilling watch, and one of Netflix’s strongest sci-fi shows alongside Stranger Things.
Part of the Star Wars franchise and a spinoff from the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars series, Star Wars: The Bad Batch follows a squad of clone troopers who resist Order 66 and escape following the founding of the Galactic Empire. The animated series’ three seasons received positive reviews across the board, with its animation style, deep dive into Star Wars lore, and voice performances from the likes of Dee Bradley Baker, Michelle Ang, and more. The series even tried to explain Emperor Palpatine’s confusing return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, earning praise from die-hard fans.
This South Korean dystopian thriller series has taken the world by storm. Squid Game hit Netflix in 2021 and saw 456 down-and-out individuals brought to a mysterious island to embark in a series of life-or-death games in hopes of winning a total of ₩45.6 billion. Lee Jung-jae stars as Seong Gi-hun, a simple player in season 1 who returns to take on the game’s creators in season 2 and 3, which concluded on June 27, 2025. Squid Game debuted as Netflix’s most-watched series, even beating Stranger Things itself, and has even led to the development of an English-language version.
Every single TV series developed by Marvel Studios for Disney+ so far has begun and ended during Stranger Things’ run, and the Loki series is one of Marvel’s most popular. Led by Tom Hiddleston, Loki followed the variant of the God of Mischief who escaped during Avengers: Endgame’s Time Heist as he embarked on a mission to restructure the Time Variance Authority and save the entire multiverse from collapse. Loki only released for two seasons – the first live-action MCU series to have multiple instalments – which perfectly set up Hiddleston’s return as Loki in Avengers: Doomsday.
Every other MCU TV show has also released during Stranger Things’ run. This includes WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Hawkeye in 2021, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law in 2022, Secret Invasion in 2023, Echo and Agatha All Along in 2024, and Ironheart, Eyes of Wakanda, and Marvel Zombies in 2025. The animated What If…? series also came to an end in 2024, while the likes of Daredevil: Born Again, X-Men ’97, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will continue after Stranger Things’ finale at the end of 2025.
Despite only comprising two seasons, Netflix’s animated Arcane series has become one of the most culturally significant and critically acclaimed show on the streaming service. Set in Riot Games’ League of Legends universe, Arcane follows sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell) as they become involved in a conflict between their hometown of Zaun and the city of Piltover. The animation, writing, worldbuilding, character development, soundtrack, and voice acting of Arcane received huge praise, earning both seasons approval ratings of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of Netflix’s masterpiece shows.
Acting as a prequel to the prequel Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Andor explored Cassian Andor’s (Diego Luna) radicalization against the Galactic Empire in the five years prior to Rogue One. Ever wanted a Star Wars series that doesn’t feel like a typical Star Wars story? Andor is for you. Both seasons received widespread critical acclaim for their grounded tone, mature themes, and high production value, with many celebrating the series as Star Wars‘ strongest instalment. Andor is the prime example of the direction franchises such as Star Wars, Star Trek, the MCU, or the DCU should be taking.
Netflix’s first German-language original series, Dark explores a time-twisted conspiracy that unravels with four estranged families at the center, kick-started when a child vanishes from the fictional town of Winden. Spanning several generations and exploring a number of different time periods, Dark is one of Netflix’s most ambitious shows, but this didn’t stop it receiving widespread critical acclaim throughout. It has been celebrated as one of the greatest TV shows ever, with particular praise aimed at the series’ acting, writing, complexity, visuals, score, attention to detail, and more. Dark is a masterpiece of TV if there ever was one.
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