It’s hard to remember a time when Netflix original shows weren’t really considered “real TV,” but they have only been making original content for less than a decade, beginning with House Of Cards in 2013. So when Stranger Things debuted in 2016, the cast wasn’t exactly sure what they had on their hands, including David Harbour, who was relevantly unknown at this point.
In a new interview with BBC’s The One Show, Harbour confirmed he wasn’t confident that the show would be a hit. “I remember when we were shooting the first season. We were down in Atlanta, Netflix had given us a budget of about $20,” Harbour said. “Halfway through I remember my hair person coming up to me, like about episode four we were shooting, and she was like, ‘I don’t think it’s gonna work.’” He was really wrong!
The show became an instant hit, bringing Winona Ryder back into the spotlight, and creating a mini army of teenage superstars. But at the time, Harbour didn’t think it would last. “By the time we finished, we wrapped, I thought we wouldn’t get a second season, we’d be the first Netflix show kind of ever to never get a second season,” Harbour added. “We thought no one would watch it, it was going to be a disaster.” Again, he was really wrong.
Stranger Things quickly became not only a Netflix hit, but also revived the ’80s nostalgia moment that has been going on for the past few years. With another season and potential spinoffs on the way, the Stranger Things moment is here to stay…despite what David Harbour originally thought.