‘Stranger Things Was Filmed Where I Grew Up,’ Says Durham Academic

For fans around the world, Stranger Things transports viewers to the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, where a group of teenagers confront supernatural threats from another dimension. For one academic now living in County Durham, however, the hit series feels strikingly familiar. Dr Adam Powell, an assistant professor of medical humanities at Durham University, says much of the show was filmed in his hometown of Atlanta, where he grew up.

Recognising Home on Screen

Although set in Indiana, Stranger Things was largely filmed in and around Atlanta and its surrounding suburbs. Dr Powell said he recognised several locations as soon as he watched the first season.

“I felt these immediate nostalgia pangs,” he said. “It was fantastic storytelling, but it was also set in places I knew intimately. I fell in love with it straight away.”

Now based in Bishop Auckland, Dr Powell said he never anticipated the scale of the show’s success.

“I knew it was special,” he said. “But I couldn’t have predicted that it would become a worldwide cultural phenomenon.”

Familiar Streets and Iconic Settings

Set in the 1980s, the series recreates the era through arcades, shopping malls and large school buildings. Many of those settings mirrored Dr Powell’s own teenage experiences. He instantly recognised the arcade featured in the second season and the sheriff’s office seen in season one.

“I passed both of those buildings frequently,” he said. “The arcade was across the street from my first job when I was 17. I saw it every time I left work.”

Season three’s Starcourt Mall also felt especially familiar.

“It looked just like the malls I remember growing up,” he said, pointing to Cumberland Mall near Atlanta and Arbor Place Mall in his hometown as real-life equivalents.

A Surprising Link to the Cast

Dr Powell also has a personal connection to the show’s cast. His niece attended the same high school as Shannon Purser, who played the fan-favourite character Barb in the first season.

“That made the show feel even closer to home,” he said.

His students at Durham University are often surprised by his connection to the series.

“They think it’s cool,” he said. “My teenage son has just started watching it too and enjoys that I know the filming locations so well.”

Exploring Deeper Themes

Dr Powell has co-authored a book analysing the themes of Stranger Things, focusing on religion, ethics, trauma and hope. He said the show resonates because it tackles universal human experiences.

“Death, grief, fear and evil are all explored,” he said. “The characters use Dungeons & Dragons as a framework to understand what they’re facing, much like people use stories and myths to make sense of real life.”

Seeing Home One Last Time

As Stranger Things approaches its fifth and final season, Dr Powell says watching the show remains deeply personal.

“For me, it’s more than entertainment,” he said. “I’m quite literally seeing home on screen.”