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The wait is almost over for the first spin-off of one of Netflix's most popular programmes.

Limited series Stranger Things Tales from 85 is due to arrive on the platform this week.

It marks the first time viewers will revisit Hawkins and its residents since the grand finale of the main series, though matters will be notably different this time round.

For a start, the series is animated and there will also be an entirely new roster of stars assuming the roles of our beloved heroes.

It will not resolve any questions fans were left with at the conclusion of the series, however, as the action unfolds closer to the middle of Stranger Things' wider story arc , reports the Mirror.

But what is the spin-off series about? Who features in the cast, replacing the original actors? And when can you begin streaming episodes? Here is everything you need to know.

What is Stranger Things Tales From 85 about?

According to the programme's synopsis, fans are welcomed back to Hawkins for a thrilling new adventure. Set during the winter of 1985, snow covers the town and the terrors of the Upside Down are at last beginning to fade.

Our heroes Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max have returned to an ordinary life of DandD, snowball fights, and peaceful days. Yet beneath the ice, something sinister has stirred.

Could it originate from the Upside Down? From the depths of Hawkins Lab? Or from somewhere else entirely? Our heroes must race against time to unravel this mystery and rescue Hawkins in this new story set within the Stranger Things universe.

One aspect that continues to baffle some fans is where the spin-off sits in relation to the main series. The events depicted in Tales from 85 unfold across the same timeframe as Seasons 2 and 3.

Is the original cast returning for Tales From 85?

Unfortunately for long-standing viewers, the principal cast will not be reprising their roles. Netflix has confirmed a number of replacements.

Eleven is voiced by Brooklyn Davey Norstedt, Mike by Luca Diaz, Will by Benjamin Plessala, Dustin by Braxton Quinney, Lucas by Elisha "EJ" Williams, and Max by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport.

They are not the only changes, as Ilysia Reiner takes on the role of Karen Wheeler, Alessandra Antonelli plays Nancy Wheeler and Brett Gibson steps into the part of Hopper.

When and where can you watch Tales from 85?

A total of 10 episodes of Stranger Things Tales from 85 will be released. Unlike the concluding season of the main series, all episodes are expected to drop simultaneously rather than being made available in separate instalments.

Netflix did arrange exclusive limited screenings at cinemas for the first two episodes on April 18. For everyone else, the series will arrive on the streaming platform from April 23.

Stranger Things Tales from 85 is streaming on Netflix from April 23.