Netflix has canceled The Boroughs after just one season, even though the sci-fi series is still appearing on the streamer’s top-watched charts.
The show, which was executive produced by Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer, premiered May 21 and quickly found an audience. According to Netflix’s own Top 10 data, The Boroughs debuted at No. 2 on the English-language TV chart with 5.6 million views in its first four days, then climbed to No. 1 the following week with 9.5 million views.
Why The Boroughs was canceled
The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that cost was a major factor behind the cancellation decision. One source told the outlet the show cost about $10 million per episode, while another said the actual number was “materially higher.”
THR also reported that there may have been additional tension behind the scenes after the Duffer Brothers signed a four-year deal with Paramount, with one source claiming the move “embarrassed” Netflix and that the relationship had been “tough” since then. However, a source close to Netflix denied that rumor and said the cancellation was just a business decision.
Could The Boroughs be saved or revived by another streamer?
Notably, June 15 was the deadline for Netflix to extend the cast options and the streamer chose not to, hence the end of the show. Since Netflix is both the studio and platform behind The Boroughs and owns the series outright, a revival elsewhere is considered unlikely, sources tell THR.
Geena Davis, one of the stars of the show, has since spoken out about the cancellation, saying the cast was not expecting the news.
“Honestly, I don’t know what happened,” she told THR. “I think it’s probably rare for a show to not get picked up and to have it announced that it’s not being picked up while it’s still in the top 10.”
She added, “Fortunately, the creators [Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews], who became our dear, dear friends, were able to tell us before the news came out, and we’re all terribly disappointed.”
Find out what other shows Netflix has canceled and renewed in 2026 so far.
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