The Boroughs reported to have been cancelled due to financial reasons as Stranger Things creators move away from Netflix

The cancellation of The Boroughs has caused shock among fans of Netflix’s recent sci-fi drama as well as the wider entertainment industry, with a new report citing possible reasons for its early axing.

Executive produced by Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer (aka the Duffer Brothers), The Boroughs presents another fantastical story filled with monsters, mystery and peril.

The big difference between the projects is that, while Stranger Things took the perspective of high school children, The Boroughs chooses older residents of a retirement community as its central characters.

Among them were such acting heavyweights as Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), Geena Davis (Thelma & Louise), Alfre Woodard (Luke Cage), Clarke Peters (The Wire) and Bill Pullman (The Sinner).

All things considered, hopes were high that The Boroughs would live to see multiple seasons, but Netflix announced its cancellation this week after only a month of streaming availability.

The show had also performed reasonably well; taking the top spot in its second week, and still hanging on in its fourth (albeit, down at number eight). In its weekly ratings report, Netflix lists it as racking up 2 million views in the week before the news of its cancellation was reported.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, this performance might have been sufficient for a cheaper show, but The Boroughs came with an expensive price tag, reported to be upwards of $80 million.

The Hollywood Reporter also quotes a source who claims that the Duffer Brothers’ recent move from Netflix, where they made their name, to rival studio Paramount may have been another influencing factor. Radio Times has reached out to representatives for Netflix and the Duffer Brothers for comment.

An additional variable not addressed in THR’s report, and thus a rather large elephant in the room, is the poor critical reception to Stranger Things 5, online backlash to its behind-the-scenes doc One Last Adventure, and a shrug of indifference to Tales from ’85.

It would be fair to say that the Duffers haven’t had the strongest year, which could easily have deflated the confidence of Netflix viewers and executives alike, leading to the soft performance (and eventual scrapping) of The Boroughs.

Having assured fans that they were actively working to avoid the dud finales that haunt shows like Game of Thrones, Stranger Things 5 proved so disappointing that it even inspired a controversial viral conspiracy theory known as Conformity Gate.

In the wake of The Boroughs’ cancellation, The Duffers may need to take some time to find their own redemptive project, as 3 Body Problem has proven to be for ex-Game of Thrones bosses David Benioff and DB Weiss.

That could come in the form of a theatrically released feature film project, as yet untitled, which has been scheduled by Paramount for release on 3 November 2028. Details are yet to be disclosed on the plot.

The Boroughs is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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