Netflix has canceled The Boroughs after only one season. The show is the Duffer Brothers’ spiritual successor to their series-turned-cultural phenomenon Stranger Things. Taking the concept of kids dealing with the supernatural, and flipping it to focus on some seniors dealing with the unknown.
This decision comes despite a writers’ room being opened and rumblings that seasons 2 and 3 would be shot back-to-back. But it just wasn’t the juggernaut that Stranger Things was.
The show pulled in 5.6 million viewers on its opening weekend. That grew to 9.5 million by the end of the week, but then dipped back to 3.7 million views by the next week. Those kinds of numbers aren’t normally indicative of long-term growth for a series. While under normal circumstances this may have been enough to justify a second season, there were some factors working against The Boroughs.
The Boroughs Cancelation
Between the Stranger Things finale on New Year’s Eve, the limited series Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, and the animated spin-off Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 (which will get a second season), Duffer fatigue may be setting in. Four series on one streaming platform, either created or executive-produced by them, is a lot.
The all-star cast and heavy use of special effects also didn’t make this a cheap show to make. So while it was well reviewed, ratings vs cost will always be a factor in a project like this.
The elephant in the room is also the siblings’ recent deal with Paramount. This may explain why Netflix wants to sever all non-Stranger Things ties with the Duffers. It would be hard to believe that the company would let go of such a lucrative IP, no matter what other deals may be struck.
The Boroughs is created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews. It stars Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Denis O’Hare, Clarke Peters, and Bill Pullman. It is set in a seemingly picturesque retirement community where a group of seniors must band together to stop an otherworldly threat from stealing the one thing they don’t have: time.
The series is executive produced by The Duffer Brothers and Hilary Leavitt on behalf of Upside Down Pictures. Addiss, Matthews, and Ben Taylor, who directed the pilot and several episodes, also executive produce.
You can watch The Boroughs’ first and now only season exclusively on Netflix.
