'Stranger Things' Creeps Back Into Nielsen's Top 10 - And You Can Feel the Hype Machine Warming Up
You know the feeling when a show starts humming again. The memes pop back up, the press drops a tease, and suddenly it's on the charts. That's where Stranger Things is right now.
In the week of Oct. 13-19, the series re-entered Nielsen's streaming rankings, landing eighth among original streaming shows with 393 million minutes watched across its four seasons. It wasn't random. The final season's first-episode runtimes surfaced, a glossy Time cover story hit, and the fan chatter followed. The show hadn't appeared on the charts since late June, right after Netflix announced the season five release plan.
The leaders this week
Monster: The Ed Gein (movies and tv series) Story held the No. 1 overall slot for a third straight week with 979 million minutes. Big number, but a steep 58% dip from the prior week - the classic post-premiere slide.
Poldark, newly added to Netflix's library the week before, jumped in at No. 2 overall with 954 million minutes. That's the halo you get when a polished import finds a fresh home. Aidan Turner (movies and tv series)'s face didn't hurt either; he pops up in season three of The Diplomat, which premiered Oct. 16 and landed fourth with 911 million minutes.
Netflix's coming-of-age drama Boots grew fast in week two - up 84% to 798 million minutes. And true-crime stayed sticky: The Perfect Neighbor also posted 798 million minutes, topping the movie chart and nudging KPop Demon Hunters out of the lead spot (at least for now).
What this could mean
This is what a coordinated warm-up looks like. A runtimes reveal here, a cover story there, and Stranger Things is back in people's queues even before a trailer lands. Expect another bump when Netflix drops a full look at the final season - and a bigger one once dates are firm.
Catalog strategy is doing work too. Poldark's surge shows how a well-known series can find new life with a fresh placement and a little talent cross-pollination. Boots looks like a word-of-mouth grower. And The Perfect Neighbor suggests there's still plenty of appetite for quick-hit, conversation-starting docs.
The fine print
Nielsen's streaming ratings measure viewing on TV sets only - no phones, no laptops - and U.S. audiences only. So the total minutes for these titles are likely higher than what's reported. If you track these swings for coverage or programming calls, keep that in mind and watch for multi-week trends, not just one-week pops. More on methodology from Nielsen.
Quick recap: Oct. 13-19, 2025
- Monster: The Ed Gein Story - 979M minutes (No. 1 overall, down 58% week to week)
- Poldark - 954M minutes (No. 2 overall after Netflix catalog debut)
- The Diplomat (season three) - 911M minutes (No. 4 overall after Oct. 16 premiere)
- Boots - 798M minutes (up 84% week over week)
- The Perfect Neighbor - 798M minutes (led movies; displaced KPop Demon Hunters)
- Stranger Things - 393M minutes (No. 8 among originals; re-enters on pre-season buzz)
What to watch next
Stranger Things should keep inching up as the press cycle builds - watch for spikes tied to trailers, premiere-date reveals, and cast interviews. Library lifts like Poldark tend to hold for a couple of weeks, especially with actor visibility elsewhere. And if Boots keeps rising at this clip, it's headed for a true breakout slot.
Bottom line: the stories aren't just on screen - they're in the timing. And this week, timing pushed a few familiar titles back into the conversation.
