(CNN) As far as executive producer Shawn Levy is concerned, the strangest thing about "Stranger Things" has nothing to do with the mysteries that lurk in the Upside Down or the monsters that terrify townsfolk. It's that a series about all of those things has been embraced and celebrated.

"I have to tell you, we had a sense that the show was unique and that it was cool. We had no idea whether people would watch, whether it would be embraced by the fancies, if you will," Levy told CNN at a recent event at Netflix's FYSee space, where it highlights its Emmy contenders.

To date, "Stranger Things" has walked away with honors from the Producers Guild Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Now it has the Emmys in its sights. Levy called the possibility of Emmy honors "the top of the mountain top."

"It's not what's on our mind when we're making the show, but it sure would thrill us for sure," he said.

Levy thinks the secret to the show's success has been honoring "character first."

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