**Spoilers ahead**
Before “Stranger Things” was a pop culture phenomenon, it was literally a show that nobody wanted. Upwards of twenty networks turned the series down, before Netflix jumped on board. And credit to the streaming service — they said they wanted a bonafide series, instead of the Duffers’ original vision of a limited or anthology series. The rest, as they say, is history. However, had the Duffers been given the chance to make a limited-run version of “Stranger Things,” they would’ve killed off what has become the most popular character on the show.
Eleven is the heart and soul of “Stranger Things,” yet the Duffers, who are more than happy to kill off characters (we’re still weeping over Bob) had initially planned to give Millie Bobby Brown‘s role the axe.
“Maybe I shouldn’t say this because I like to pretend that it was all planned out, but it was originally pitched as a limited series,” Ross Duffer during a recent Q&A. “So, Eleven was gonna sacrifice herself and save the world, and then that was going to be it, because there was a moment where limited series were a big deal.”
Well, that obviously didn’t happen. So, how did the duo land on an idea for stretching the story into a series? Thinking on their feet while in a meeting with Netflix. “….you’re just sort of riffing in the moment and we were like, ‘Well, Will’s back from this other dimension and he’s not doing very well.’ And they were like ‘great!’ ”
From that, one of the biggest shows on television was born. [CBR]