Why the 'Stranger Things' Creators' Follow-Up 'The Boroughs' Was Canceled

Netflix has canceled The Boroughs after one eight-episode season. The series, created by Will Matthews and Jeffrey Addiss and executive-produced by Ross and Matt Duffer, followed Sam Cooper (Alfred Molina) as he settles into a retirement community, discovers a terrifying secret beneath its desert setting and teams up with underestimated neighbors to investigate.

Viewership fell sharply after its debut. The Boroughs opened at number one on Netflix’s Global Top 10 for May 25–31 with 9.5 million views (59.4 million hours), then slid to 3.7 million views (23 million hours) the week of June 1 and 2 million views (12.8 million hours) the week of June 8.

Those totals sat well below Netflix’s biggest series—Wednesday (252.1 million), Stranger Things (133.8 million) and His & Hers (98.2 million)—and trailed several 2026 releases, including The Madison (8 million in 10 days), The Pitt Season 2 (15.4 million per episode on average), Bridgerton (130.8 million) and Off Campus (36 million in 12 days).

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