‘The Boroughs’ Canceled by Netflix, Fans Share Disappointment

Netflix has silently canceled one of its top-performing and critically acclaimed shows within a month after its debut. Produced by the Duffer brothers, the sci-fi drama ‘The Boroughs’ won't be returning for a second season, citing below-par viewership compared to high production costs, and Netflix has decided to cancel it. The finale left some doors open for continuation, and a writers' room for the second season was already set up, and the plan was to film the next two seasons back-to-back, so the cancellation is a bit of a shocker. However, if you have been following Netflix for the past few years, you can just share the disappointment and move on, as this is a regular thing the streamer does.

‘The Boroughs’ fans are sharing their disappointment as there was a lot left to explore in the Boroughs. But they understand the Netflix trends, so they are not very shocked. One of the users wrote, “Well gutted, Netflix only gone and cancelled The Boroughs! Was so good too!” Another wrote, “Can't believe The Boroughs was canceled already.” One user noted it “genuinely deserves the praise it’s getting” and suggested treating it as a limited series rather than mourning Season 2.

In the first week of its release, The Boroughs was  #1 on the English TV Top 10 with 9.5 million views after debuting with 5.6 million views in the first weekend. In the last week, it slipped to the #8 spot with a little over 2 million views. As per Netflix, it has accumulated 12.8 million viewing hours till the first week of this month. Critically, it was a strong success with 97% on Rotten Tomatoes (based on dozens of reviews) and a favorable Metacritic score (~71/100).

All 8 episodes of Season 1 remain available to stream on Netflix. No plans exist for a second season, and the Duffer Brothers are shifting focus to other projects. The quick cancellation surprised many fans given the critical acclaim and the Duffers’ track record, but it aligns with Netflix’s data-driven approach to renewals—especially for high-budget original series.

Starring Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Denis O’Hare, Clarke Peters and Bill Pullman, ‘The Boroughs’ follows a group of retirees in a seemingly idyllic retirement community in the New Mexico desert who band together to fight an otherworldly (eldritch/supernatural) threat that targets their remaining time. Read ‘The Boroughs’ Review.