When is Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 set in the series timeline and is it canon?

Stranger Things: Tales from '85 transports fans into an animated world version of Hawkins, Indiana.

The first on-screen expansion of the Stranger Things universe, while the characters may be recognisable, the new series has a completely different set of voice actors bringing the story to life, as well as new monsters for the gang to face.

We also get to meet some more residents of the small town – friends and enemies of the gang alike.

So how exactly does the new series fit into the world of the old show? Is it canon with what happens in the series?

Here's everything you need to know about where Tales from '85 sits, and how it impacts the main events of Stranger Things.

Where does Stranger Things: Tales from '85 fit into the show's timeline?

Stranger Things: Tales from '85 sits between the events of seasons 2 and 3 of the main show.

For those needing a refresher, season 2 of Stranger Things ended with Eleven, Dustin, Max, Mike, Will and Lucas attending their school's formal Snow Ball in the winter of 1984.

Steve was on hand to give Dustin pointers with the ladies, though he's ultimately rejected by his classmates and ends up getting a slow dance with Mike's big sister Nancy instead.

It's also where Max and Lucas have their first kiss, as do Eleven and Mike – establishing the two major couples in the gang.

Season 3 has a time jump – leaping to late-June 1985, in the run-up to Hawkins celebrating Independence Day (July 4th) with a carnival.

In that time, Dustin gets a girlfriend, and the gang have seemingly six to seven months of relative peace and quiet, undisturbed by the Upside Down and the Mind Flayers and Demogorgons occupying it.

But Stranger Things: Tales from '85 shows that not to be the case. While the gang do get to enjoy some games of D&D and some snowball fights, something terrifying is lurking beneath the ice of the town.

Soon, it's up to the gang once again to figure out where this creature has come from, and put a stop to it before it's too late.

Is Stranger Things: Tales from '85 canon to the main show?

While Stranger Things: Tales from '85 does fit within the timeline of the show, showrunner Eric Robles has confirmed that, no, it won't be a fully canon adventure.

Essentially, it won't effect the overall arc of the main series, but also wants to stand on its own, away from the Upside Down.

Speaking to Radio Times, he explained: "When the Duffer Brothers were creating Stranger Things, they had no idea that we were going to do an animated series. But at the same time, we respect the audience, we respect the fans.

"So even though we start at the end of season 2, and technically, the hopes are, if we continue with the series, we'll make sure that we tie it right back to the beginning of season 3.

"Those are the parameters of what we're trying to stay true to. Everything that happens in that space of what we're creating, is its own adventure."

"There's no way that we can create these exciting adventures with these creatures that would fit perfectly in the live action timeline," he added.

"So we have to make sure that we isolate this, and really make it feel like its own adventure, make sure that the audience really kind of just goes along for the ride and accepts that we're here to entertain and bring back these characters that we all love."

Stranger Things: Tales from '85 will air on Netflix on Thursday 23 April. All Stranger Things seasons are available to stream on Netflix now.

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