Throwback Thursday: Strange series to watch after binge watching Stranger Things

Once you have finished watching the first season of _Stranger Things_ and are wondering what to do, Netflix has released the teaser trailer for the second season which will debut in 2017. Titled S_tranger Things 2_, the teaser has us eagerly waiting the 2017 release. To initiate the unknown, Stranger Things is Netflix’s new original series which is set in the early ’80s to thrill hipsters who love ’80s and ’90s nostalgia. The science-fiction thriller is centered on the disappearance of a young boy and the way his town starts to unravel in mysterious, supernatural ways after he goes missing. The ’80s setting allows it to have a great soundtrack and retro vibe which has enchanted many viewers. Stranger Things also carriers familiar themes of a small town with a strange underbelly and kids who get entangled in supernatural things. If this is your forte, here are a few more retro shows that will ease your pain of waiting for Stranger Things till 2017: Twin Peaks [caption id=“attachment_2986276” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons[/caption] David Lynch’s Twin Peaks became a cult classic even though it was just telecast for two seasons. Though the show is getting a revival in 2017, we urge you to tune into the late ’80s classic for the similarities between the plot of the series and Netflix’s Stranger Things. FBI Agent Dale Cooper investigates the murder of teenager Laura Palmer in the small town of Twin Peaks, Washington. As Cooper investigates the crime, he realises there is a supernatural and strange side to the picture perfect small town. Watch how the mysterious small town piqued the interest of an entire nation and became a cult classic with it’s understated mysterious quality. Eerie, Indiana [caption id=“attachment_2986294” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Image courtesy: Creative Commons[/caption] Marshall Teller’s family moves to the small country town of Eerie, Indiana. It’s the picture perfect small town, but Marshal thinks it is too perfect. Teenagers Marshall and his best friend Simon discover that Eerie, as he puts it, “is the center of weirdness for the universe”. Elvis lives there, so do a pair of twins who stay young by sleeping in Tupperware, and many other strange things. Each episode, Marshall and his friend Simon collect evidence about the creepy things that happen there. If you miss the small town creepiness of Stranger Things, watch Eerie, Indiana. Though it is a kids show, the show deals with lots of adult themes. Case in point: There’s an episode titled Foreverware that deals with the very adult theme of how humans are trying to pursue their dream of becoming immortal. The X-Files [caption id=“attachment_2986280” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Image courtesy: Creative Commons[/caption] With the tagline ‘The Truth Is Out There’ and ‘I Want to Believe’ the show set the benchmark for all the paranormal shows that followed. FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully investigate ’the x files’; unsolved cases with paranormal twists. While Mulder believes in aliens and the paranormal; medical doctor Scully plays the part of the skeptic, grounded in science. Watch the episode Arcadia in season 7, which is about a creepy monster haunting the picture perfect neighbourhood of Arcadia. The neighbours are wonderful, the lawn is always mowed, but there are prices to pay if you don’t follow the neighbourhood rule book. The episode reminds us of the small town theme of Stranger Things, and is a chilling look at a society’s attempt to keep it’s underbelly a secret. Les Revenants (or The Returned) [caption id=“attachment_2986284” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Image courtesy: Creative Commons[/caption] A french TV series took the whole world by storm because of its underplay of mystery and drama. A sleepy, small town in France has all the dead people reappear without an explanation.  A teenage who was killed in a bus crash, a small boy who was murdered and a serial killer all return and try to resume their lives while those around them attempt to make sense of this seemingly impossible event. This series too carries Stranger Things’ penchant of ‘strange on goings in a small town’ pretty well. Freaks and Geeks [caption id=“attachment_2986306” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Image courtesy: Creative Commons[/caption] A cult classic that just ran for one season, Freaks and Geeks brings back the charm of the early ’80s. The Weir siblings navigate the ups and downs of high school in the early eighties. The comedy drama is very accurate in its portrayal of kids, just like Stranger Things. The series was also the starting point of John Francis Daley, James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel. Buffy the Vampire Slayer [caption id=“attachment_2986278” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Image courtesy: Creative Commons[/caption] Buffy and the Scooby Gang (thats a series in-joke) save the cursed small town of Sunnydale from vampires and witches. Buffy is a vampire slayer (which you can guess from the title) and with her best friend Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan or Lily from How I Met Your Mother) save the day by kicking ass. If you want to see an early 90s show about female empowerment, binge-watching this show is your calling. Watch the first episode as strange things start to happen in the ironically named town of ‘Sunnydale’ and Buffy saves the say.