Netflix cancels 'The Boroughs' after 1 season
What's the story
Netflix has decided to cancel The Boroughs after one season, reported Deadline. The show, executive-produced by Stranger Things creators The Duffer Brothers, was launched last month and received positive reviews but reportedly failed to attract a large viewership. Despite initial high expectations, the series struggled to maintain viewer interest after its premiere.
Viewership decline
Viewership numbers of the show
The Boroughs, a sci-fi series starring Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Denis O'Hare, Clarke Peters, and Bill Pullman, recorded 5.6 million views in its opening weekend. However, the viewership dropped to 3.7 million in the second week of its release. The show was set in a seemingly perfect retirement community where unlikely heroes unite to thwart an otherworldly threat that seeks to steal their time.
Duffer Brothers's venture
About the series and its creators
The Boroughs was the second project from the Duffer Brothers after Stranger Things. The series, created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, was executive produced by the Duffers and Hilary Leavitt under their Upside Down Pictures banner. It had eight episodes, all of which were released on May 21. Netflix has not disclosed any reasons for the show's cancellation.
Actor's insight
Molina on singing Springsteen's song for 'The Boroughs'
Before the show's cancellation, Molina had shared his experience of performing Bruce Springsteen's 1975 song Thunder Road for the series. He told PEOPLE, "I wasn't able to get through the song without tearing up, and it became rather difficult to be able to get through the whole thing." "That's the power of music. Songs and lyrics can do that to you."
Upcoming ventures
What are the Duffers up to?
Meanwhile, the Duffer Brothers continue to work with Netflix on other projects. They are executive producers on Haley Z Boston's limited series Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, which was released in March and the animated Stranger Things: Tales from '85, which premiered in April. In August 2025, they signed a four-year deal with Paramount to produce new projects. Their first Paramount movie will premiere in November 2028, reported Variety.