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Stranger Things became a big hit almost as soon as it hit Netflix all the way back in 2016, but its creators Matt and Ross Duffer were not prepared for what a huge global sensation it would quickly become. They didn't even recognize how fervent the response to the show had become until other filmmakers such as Deadpool and Wolverine director Shawn Levy, who has also helmed multiple Stranger Things episodes over the years, clued them into how massive the reception of the show actually was.

"It was all so strange. We weren't on social media, and also we had never made anything that anyone watched before," Ross Duffer admitted on podcast Happy Sad Confused. "It was a very surreal experience, and Shawn Levy just kept telling me, 'This is not normal, this is not normal.' So some of it was hearing from people being like 'Trust me, this is something different.' And the 'Justice for Barb' thing for sure. I remember there was a mural in Australia that popped up. And when that happened, it was pretty surreal."

Ross' brother and co-creator Matt says he had his own moment of realization that Stranger Things was taking off in a major way - when it was parodied on an episode of Saturday Night Live, a reaction to being lampooned that is as pragmatic as it is jovial.

"When SNL made fun of us," Matt Duffer said, identifying when the show felt big for him. "I felt like they wouldn't do that for something that wasn't somewhat culturally relevant, so I was like, 'OK, this is kind of interesting. So it felt really good. The most exciting thing about it for us is that we got to keep telling the story. We didn't have much time to soak it in. I think a lot of that was happening as we were already working on the season 2 script. So it's like, it's fun, but you're just stressed about trying to figure out what the hell to do."

Stranger Things would go on to remain a global sensation throughout its five-season, nine-year run, with the final episode even receiving a theatrical release. And just like for its creators, it's become impossible to ignore how hugely popular the show still is, with a spin-off that brings in all new characters for an all new story already in the works.

All five seasons of Stranger Things are now streaming on Netflix, along with season one of the animated series Stranger Things: Tales From '85.

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