Stranger Things is ending, forcing streamers to rely on a shrinking roster of tentpole hits that drive subscribers, revenue and cultural relevance. Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The final season of Stranger Things is more than a television conclusion—it marks the end of Netflix’s first era of ascension. Since its debut in 2016 (when its cast of kids still looked like actual children), Stranger Things has been the most popular TV series behind only Game of Thrones. Its ability to drive subscription growth, generate addiction-level hours of viewing, and mint money cemented Netflix’s rise as a programming powerhouse. 

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Streaming is a hits-driven business, and every major player needs a tentpole series to anchor its results. As Stranger Things closes, let’s pinpoint the most important actively running flagship TV series of the streaming era. Using a mix of viewership, revenue, longevity and franchise potential, here are the shows doing their best Atlas impressions by holding up their respective streamers. 

Netflix: Stranger Things

In 2022, Stranger Things was the most-watched U.S. streaming original at 52 billion (!) minutes (No.2 was Ozark at 31.2 billion minutes), according to Nielsen. Even after three years without new episodes, it........

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