New Issue: Stranger Things (GB)

Happy New Year everyone! The first Royal Mail issue of 2026 has been announced and it will be issued next Tuesday (13th January) but don't get too excited, it's about another American TV series.

Most of us will have heard about Stranger Things. It's been a big thing on Netflix. It's all people are yapping about at my school this week because the finale was apparently really good. I haven't actually watched any of it so I can't judge how good it is but should even an absolutely brilliant series be on a GB stamp especially if it's just a modern show rather than something classic?

Stranger Things has been running since 2016 and finally ended on 1st January - just a few days ago. Royal mail have clearly been quite clever (or rather cynical, according to my dad) to time this issue with the final episode. The series was about a group of children who have to struggle against supernatural forces that threaten their world.

Director of external affairs and policy at Royal Mail, David Gold, said: "We’re thrilled to celebrate Stranger Things with this striking stamp collection. Each design captures the essence of the series – from its unforgettable characters to the eerie imagery that has gripped audiences worldwide – making this a true tribute to one of modern television’s most popular shows."

"Tribute" is an interesting word. Doesn't he mean "marketing opportunity"? I can't comment on how well the stamps capture the character of the series as I haven't seen it, but I have discovered that the blue and the red represent two different words - the "real" world and the "Upside Down", which is some kind of parallel dimension.

There are fourteen stamps in total. Ten stamps in the standard set show the main characters, while a miniature sheet shows four characters (Lucas, Will, Mike, and Dustin) on bikes.

I'm not a big fan of so many stamp issues being focused on popular TV shows or music bands. Classic, legendary shows like Monty Python and Porridge I can understand, but this just seems like an attempt to make money from Stranger Things fans by creating a bit of hype and excitement. It feels less about celebrating something important in history and more about cashing in while the show is popular. I get that Stranger Things is cool and lots of people love it, but stamps are supposed to be special and meaningful and not just another piece of merch you’d find in a gift shop.

Here's my view of these stamps: Design Quality - Nothing very inspiring here. The stamps have been crowded with characters and what I think must be references to the TV show. As a result there is a lot going on in them, maybe too much. There is nothing that's very striking about the design, not even the shapes of the minisheet stamps as this has been done many times before. Overall, it's OK - just not very exciting. 5/10

Theme and Subject Choice - It was a popular show and a lot of people have been talking about it since the final episode a few days ago. But is that a good enough reason to create 14 stamps for it? 2/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance - There is no historical relevance at all. Culturally, I suppose there might be as it's been quite big here in the UK, but how well-known is Stranger Things by people who aren't fans? Does it have any significant relevance to our country apart from being on Netflix? 1/10

Innovation and Creativity - How much creativity does it take to show characters from a popular TV show? 2/10

Collectability - Stranger Things fans will like them. No-one else will care very much. 3/10

Personal appeal - I'm not really interested in Stranger Things so I can't give a high score for this. Do the stamps make the subject any more appealing? A little bit, yes - enough that I wouldn't mind having them in my collection but not enough that I want to pay £23.80 for the full set. 5/10

Overall score - 18/60

I can definitely say that these are the best stamps of the year so far! I look forward to what Royal Mail will be issuing later in the year.