The past decade has been crucial for the Duffer Brothers’ career, as they totally broke out with a massive hit and have since been involved in some new projects that continue to generate buzz. But after the eventual, widely anticipated end of Stranger Things, anything carrying the duo’s name automatically gets held to a very high standard of comparison. No one really knows what to expect: some people are setting their expectations high, while others aren’t. That’s why it’s worth looking at their journey so far and breaking down each series they’ve created or produced.
Here are all the TV shows with the Duffer Brothers’ signature touch, ranked from worst to best, based on narrative consistency, identity, and how well each one manages to give something beyond and different from the formula they helped popularize.
After the success of Stranger Things, the idea of expanding the universe through spin-offs was quickly put on the table. Not long after, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 arrived — an animated series designed to give fans more time with the characters who had been central to the show for almost 10 years. The story is set between Seasons 2 and 3, with the gang dealing with more incidents tied to the Upside Down in standalone-style adventures that often play out like “case-of-the-week” stories within the main continuity.
The concept leans on animation to push things further than the original show could in live-action (at least in theory). The Duffer Brothers weren’t really involved on a day-to-day basis, acting more as consultants while still being credited as creators and executive producers. The problem is that the spin-off lands well below the impact of Stranger Things, since it doesn’t really expand the universe or the character arcs in any meaningful way. It’s basically the same formula with a different visual layer. It’s not bad (it was even renewed for a second season), but it still ends up being the most skippable entry associated with the duo.
This one came with a certain level of expectation because it was the first different production tied to the Duffer Brothers after Stranger Things. Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen does raise the ambition slightly, but overall, it still doesn’t manage to actually stand out. The story follows a couple on the verge of getting married who start experiencing strange, increasingly unexplainable events. From there, the show basically shifts from a relationship drama into a psychological thriller with horror elements.
The setup is great because it taps into something very grounded: increasing paranoia inside a very ordinary, relatable environment. However, this tension isn’t sustained long enough to keep viewers invested across the season. It starts intriguing, builds expectation, but eventually loses pace as it goes, with ideas that don’t really land as effectively as they promise. In short, the concept works better than the execution. It’s not an irrelevant show, but it also doesn’t have a strong enough identity to compete with the other projects on the list.
The Boroughs is probably the most interesting show produced by the Duffer Brothers so far, because it completely shifts away from the kind of protagonists they’re best known for. The story follows a group of elderly residents in a suburban community who start experiencing supernatural events, forcing them to deal with a threat they can’t really understand and definitely can’t control. It’s not the kind of premise you see often on TV, and that already makes it stand out in their lineup.
What makes the series one of the biggest entries in their portfolio is less about execution and more about the attempt to rework their formula. There are still clear traces of Stranger Things in how the mystery is structured and how the supernatural elements are introduced, but the emotional impact shifts because the characters are dealing with a very different stage of life. It’s a solid show that keeps you curious about a potential second season, but at the same time, it never really breaks away from the Duffer template. So it ends up in that middle ground: more ambitious and thematically interesting, but still tied to familiar ground.
The ending may have split audiences, and the final season may have left a few plot holes, but it’s undeniable that Stranger Things is a landmark series that people will still be talking about when discussing the Duffer Brothers in the future. In the well-known story, we follow the disappearance of a young boy in a small ’80s town, which unravels into government experiments, a parallel dimension, and a group of kids who end up at the center of everything.
The series is amazing since it hits a strong balance between mystery, horror, drama, and nostalgia. And out of everything on this list, it’s also the only show that consistently delivers strong arcs, huge world-building, and real pop culture impact all at once. Besides, it doesn’t rely only on its concept or atmosphere, as there’s a clear narrative progression that keeps things engaging while also allowing the character arcs to evolve emotionally. It’s hard not to put it at the top of the ranking, because even with its issues, it’s still the most complete and fully realized project the Duffer Brothers have delivered so far.
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