LOS ANGELES (Reuters) — Netflix’s hit sci-fi series “Stranger Things” is about to ride to its conclusion with a marketing and merchandising blitz befitting a blockbuster movie.

Ahead of the fifth and final season’s debut on Wednesday, thousands turned out in Los Angeles at a cycling event dubbed “One Last Ride,” a nod to the show’s bike-riding teenagers in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. 

Retailers are offering everything from Demogorgon Crunch cereal to Hellfire Club backpacks for what is Netflix’s largest consumer products program to date, said Netflix Chief Marketing Officer Marian Lee.

Target stores are selling more than 150 “Stranger Things” products. 

Many brands are leaning in to 1980s nostalgia. Gatorade brought back an ’80s Citrus Cooler flavor, and Walmart is selling a “Stranger Things” collection of Care Bears, one of the hot-selling toys of that era.

The promotional push extends around the world. 

“This is a show that really resonates globally,” Lee said. 

In Paris, visitors can browse a Hawkins Christmas market at the Galeries Lafayette department store. A “Stranger Things” experience featuring the Hawkins Lab has stopped in San Francisco, New York, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney. New Netflix Houses inside malls feature “Stranger Things” areas.

Instead of releasing all episodes at once, Netflix will stagger the final season’s episodes around major holidays. Four episodes debut on Wednesday, the day before the U.S. Thanksgiving Day holiday, three on Christmas Day in December and the final episode on New Year’s Eve.  

“Stranger Things” – whose stars include Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard and Noah Schnapp – will be hard to miss throughout the holiday season. A “Stranger Things” float featuring 1970s and ’80s rock band Foreigner will appear in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. More products will arrive to tempt holiday shoppers.

The all-in approach is similar to what movie studios employ for big-budget films such as “Barbie” or “Wicked,” said Amanda Cioletti, an expert on licensing trends and vice president of content and strategy at research firm Informa Markets Global Licensing Group. TV shows rarely receive such treatment. 

“We see ‘Stranger Things’ everywhere,” said Cioletti. “When you are on social media you see it, and you see it in all the storefronts. You see it in every other placement that makes sense.”

Fans at the Los Angeles bike ride voiced anticipation for the final season of a series that began nine years ago.

“The (show) started when I was in about sixth grade, so I was the same age as the characters when it started,” said 21-year-old Chloe Allen. “It’s definitely been a huge part of my life.”

Netflix hopes to keep fans interested in the “Stranger Things” world for years. A play called “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” is running on Broadway and London’s West End, and an animated series is set for next year.

A live-action spinoff also is planned. “It’s not a continuation of the story of Hawkins, of these characters, but it’s still in the universe of ‘Stranger Things,’” Co-Creator Ross Duffer said.

Executive producer Shawn Levy revealed few details but said he and the Duffers would offer fans something new.

“We are never going to repeat ourselves,” Levy said.

(Reporting Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Dawn Chmielewski, Danielle Broadway and Rollo Ross in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Reed Bailey scored 21 points and No. 25 Indiana limited the nation’s leading scorer, P.J. Haggerty, to 12 below his average in an 86-69 home win over Kansas State on Tuesday night.

The senior Bailey did most of his work at the line, where he hit 13 of 15 free throws. Haggerty, who averaged 28 per game, finished 7 of 17 from the field for 16 points and had six turnovers.

Tayton Conerway added 19 for the Hoosiers (6-0). Lamar Wilkerson scored 14 and Trent Sisley had 12 points.

Indiana jumped out to a 20-4 lead with five different shooters hitting 3s. Despite 13 first-half turnovers, Kansas State rallied to a 26-24 deficit. That’s as close as the visitors would come. Indiana responded with a 13-3 spurt to take a 39-27 halftime lead, then continued the momentum after the break with a 10-2 run for a 49-29 lead.

The Wildcats (5-2) had averaged 92.8 points in their previous six games. C.J. Jones had 15 points and Nate Johnson 13 for Kansas State.

The Hoosiers’ usual leading scorer had a rough night. Senior forward Tucker DeVries, who averages 19.2 points, scored just nine.

Up next

The Wildcats host Bowling Green on Monday.

The Hoosiers host Bethune-Cookman on Saturday.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Transportation Security Administration officials said Tuesday a little preparation can make a big difference when it comes to getting through security quickly during the busy holiday travel season.

Holiday travel is officially taking off, and TSA officials say between 30,000 to 40,000 people will pass through Indianapolis International Airport each day this week.

“And then immediately following Thanksgiving, that Friday, Saturday and Sunday and Monday morning are going to be extremely busy. Sunday will be the busiest day here in Indianapolis,” said Aaron Batt, a security officer with TSA Indianapolis.

Batt said arriving early is key as well is binging a Real ID or acceptable form of identification such as a passport. From “5 a.m. to 7 a.m. is our busiest time in the morning. 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. every afternoon is our busiest time so if you’re arriving or departing during those times, I say give yourself two hours.”

Hannah Blackburn on Tuesday morning was trying to travel to Manchester, England. She said she has already experienced some of the holiday travel blues. “My Chicago plane was an emergency landing because they wanted to check the plane. I had a nice night in Indiana. I’m going on ahead this morning, so I’m really excited to go home. I spent time with family in Florida.”

Blackburn said she hopes there aren’t many more flights changes on her journey home.

Airport officials say they’re prepared to keep operations going smoothly during any type of weather event. Megan Carrico, senior director of public affairs at the Indianapolis International Airport, said, “They’ve been practicing, they have all the plans in place, and for you as a passenger, the best thing to do is check with your airline as well so you can download the airlines mobile app, or just understand if there’s any disruptions in your flight schedule before you come to the airport.”

Batt said a general rule for people getting through TSA is that if you can spray it, pour it or spread it, it has to go in your checked baggage.

Passengers are allowed to bring pies, cookies, other baked goods and other solid foods through security checkpoints. “If you have that favorite dessert that you like and you’re not sure about it, I recommend to people that you do to #asktsa. Text and you’ll get a response right away. There’s people who man that during normal hours, and then there’s an automated response 24/7.”

TSA also recommends getting TSA PreCheck, which allows most passengers who have it a wait time of 10 minutes or less.

In a news release issued Tuesday, the airport said, “October was a big banner month for the Indianapolis International Airport (IND) as it set three new records for busiest month, busiest day and the first million-passenger month in the airport’s history.”

ROCHESTER, Ind. (WISH) — A Rochester man has been arrested following a burglary investigation at a home builder’s facility, where thousands of dollars’ worth of power tools were stolen over the weekend, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said in a Tuesday news release.

Modular home builder Rochester Homes on Monday reported a burglary at its manufacturing plant, 1345 N. Lucas St. That’s off East Fourth Street west of State Road 25 in the city of 6,100 residents.

Senior Deputy Mitch Scott led the investigation, which resulted in the execution of search warrants in Rochester and the recovery of numerous stolen power tools.

Gregory A. Smith, 36, was arrested and preliminarily charged with burglary and theft. The sheriff’s office’s app showed Smith remained in jail on Tuesday night. Online court records on Tuesday night did not show a case yet filed against Smith.

Additional arrests were expected.

Sheriff Travis W. Heishman praised Scott’s efforts in a statement in the release: “This case is an excellent example of solid investigative work and strong cooperation among agencies.”

The Rochester Police Department and the Indiana State Police assisted the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation.

This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — We are in for a bigger flip to much colder and windy conditions Wednesday. This will lead way to a very cold Thanksgiving Day.

Tuesday night: Spotty showers into tonight before a strong cold front moves through and drops temperatures rapidly after midnight.

Wednesday: Temperatures will fall into the mid 30s for Wednesday with strong westerly winds setting up. Wind advisories will be in place from 7 AM to 7 PM due to gusts that will be up to 40-50 MPH. Some flurries are possible as well.

Thanksgiving Day: Prepare for a very cold day with breezy winds. Highs will struggle to get into the low to mid 30s. Wind chill values will range from the teens to 20s.

7-Day Forecast: We’ll stay very cold through Black Friday with highs in the low to mid 30s and bitter wind chills. Then, we’ll track another system this weekend with both snow and rain possible. At this time, there could be some snow accumulation near/north of I-70 with the best chance for higher totals north of I-70. We cannot give out exact numbers due to model uncertainty, but we at least want to show the general snowfall potential footprint to give you an early idea of what’s possible.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Colts placed wide receiver Ashton Dulin (hamstring) on injured reserve (IR). In corresponding moves, the Colts signed safety George Odum from the practice squad and signed cornerback Cameron Mitchell to the practice squad.

Dulin has played in 10 games this season. He has five catches for 106 yards.

Dulin had a 48 yard catch against the Chiefs on Sunday and led the team in receiving yards in the game.

He is also a key contributor for the Colts on special teams. Dulin has returned 11 kicks, averaging 29.8 yards per return. He has also made eight tackles.

The Colts (8-3) take on an AFC South foe, the Houston Texans, on Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium.

More Colts coverage

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Colts fall to the Chiefs in overtime

Dallas Clark dives into Tyler Warren’s rookie year success

GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — A couple have each been accused of boarding a Greenwood Community Schools bus without permission and criminally hitting kids, authorities say.

Patrolman Aiden Pryor said in court documents that Donquarious Ridley, 27, and Raven Barner, 25, boarded a bus Oct. 31 at Dover Drive and Scarborough Lane. That’s at the Westminster Apartments just southeast of the intersection of U.S. 31 and County Line Road.

Ridley and Barner, who live in an Indianapolis apartment off East Stop 11 Road between U.S. 31 and Madison Avenue, each face two battery charges against minors in the case, court documents show.

Ridley and Barner had boarded the bus and began yelling at multiple students for bullying their child and struck at least two students, a juvenile on the bus told the patrolman.

A camera on the bus showed Ridley and Barner board the bus without permission, and “striking” students, Pryor wrote in the court documents. Police got the video from the director of operations for the school district.

The couple was arrested shortly after officers reviewed the camera footage.

Barner and Ridley have an initial hearing set for 9 a.m. Dec. 1 in Johnson Circuit Court in Franklin, online records show. The Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday shared redacted copies of court documents with News 8.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It’s officially state championship week in high school football.

Six schools will be crowned state champions between Friday and Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

6A: Westfield vs. Brownsburg; 7 p.m. on Saturday

It’s a rematch of last year’s 6A state championship game. Westfield (11-2) and Brownsburg (13-0) have played each other three times in the last two seasons, with Brownsburg winning all three matchups. However, all of them have been decided by five points or less. Brownsburg is looking for back-to-back state championships, while Westfield is looking for its first state title since 2016.

5A: Merrillville vs. New Palestine; 7 p.m. on Friday

New Palestine (13-0) has won 27 straight games. The Dragons shut out Bloomington South to make it to state for the second straight year. New Palestine is looking for back-to-back state titles and its fifth state championship in school history. Merrillville (11-2) has won 10 straight games. The Pirates are looking for their first state championship since 1976.

4A: Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger vs. Roncalli; 3:00 p.m. on Saturday

The season is ending with the same opponent it started with for both schools. Roncalli beat Bishop Dwenger, 3-0, in Week 1. Roncalli (11-3) took down Heritage Hills to make it to state. The Royals are looking for their 11th state championship, and first since 2020. Bishop Dwenger (12-2) is looking to win its sixth state championship and first since 2018.

3A: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers vs. Cascade; 3 p.m. on Friday

Cascade (14-0) is averaging 54.6 points per game this season and has scored at least 37 points in every game. This is the Cadets’ first ever state championship appearance. Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (9-5) was just 4-5 in the regular season, but rattled off five straight wins to make it to state. The Knights shut out Knox win semi-state and make it to its third straight state championship game. Fort Wayne Bishop Luers is looking for its 13th state championship.

2A: Andrean vs. Brownstown Central; 11 a.m. on Friday

Andrean (12-1) has won 12 straight games. Its only loss this year is to 5A Merrillville, who is also playing for a state title. Andrean is looking for its third state championship and first since 2021. Brownstown Central (14-0) took down then-undefeated Lapel to make it to state for the first time in school history. The Braves are averaging 54.8 points per game this season.

1A: Pioneer vs. South Putnam; 11 a.m. on Friday

Pioneer (13-1) has won 12 straight games. This is its first appearance in a state championship game since 2018, and Pioneer is looking for its fourth state title in school history. South Putnam (12-2) made it to state for the first time since 2002. The Eagles are looking for their first state title since 1986, and second in school history.

BAKERS CORNER, Ind. (WISH) — U.S. 31 southbound is closed at the 236th Street interchange in Hamilton County due to a criminal investigation, the sheriff’s office said.

Police were surrounding a house west of the road as part of the investigation, but details of the investigation were not immediately shared publicly. It was not immediately known if anyone has been injured.

It is not immediately known when the road will reopen.

The interchange is about a 10-minute drive north of downtown Westfield.

BRAZIL, Ind. (WISH) — A 15-year-old boy died in an off-road vehicle crash near the Clay-Putnam county line on Sunday evening, Indiana Department of Natural Resources said on Tuesday afternoon.

A news release from the department did not identify the boy.

The crash happened when the vehicle left the road and struck a tree near Clay County Road 800 North and Clay Country Road 500 East/Putnam County Road 900 West. That’s in a rural area with some homes and a rural Reelsville church, about a 15-minute drive southeast of the city of Brazil.

The release said Indiana conservation officers had not yet completed their investigation, but that the teen was wearing a helmet.

The crash was reported to Clay County Sheriff’s Dispatch at 3:51 p.m. Sunday.

Anyone with information can contact Conservation Officer Luke Tincher at 765-276-0196 or ltincher@dnr.in.gov.