What if, instead of it being teens who deal with horrors beyond human comprehension in "Stranger Things," it's senior citizens in a retirement community instead? That's essentially the premise behind the Duffer Brothers' recent Netflix show, "The Boroughs." The show was about Sam Cooper (Alfred Molina) resentfully moving into a retirement home where he has to figure out how to spend the rest of his life. This quickly changes when Sam sees things he shouldn't see, eventually realizing that there are horrors lurking in the shadows that he and some like-minded misfits need to unravel.
"The Boroughs" had an incredibly positive reception from both the general audience and critics alike. It has constantly topped Netflix charts since its first episode aired — it was the second most-streamed show on Netflix in its debut week and took the top spot the week that followed. The series dropped in ratings after that but stayed within the top 10 up until its cancellation on June 17, less than a month after its initial release on May 21.
The show was clearly gaining traction, and it was highly praised as well. It scored a highly impressive 97% average viewer rating among critics and a respectable 79% among the general audience on Rotten Tomatoes. Even the casting benefited the show, featuring stars like Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Bill Pullman, and more. A second season should've been guaranteed, but Netflix pulled the plug without warning or explanation before the first month mark. With only one season, "The Boroughs" remains a great show that you can binge in one day, so long as you're aware that there won't be a continuation.
Why was The Boroughs canceled so soon?
Some sources told the Hollywood Reporter that funding was a leading factor in the show's cancellation. Each episode of "The Boroughs" took upwards of $10 million to produce, making it extremely expensive. The show did perform remarkably well, but not enough to justify this much money being spent on each episode.
Perhaps the bigger factor was the Duffer Brothers' — Matt and Ross Duffer's — ditching Netflix in favor of Paramount. The contract between Netflix and the Duffer Brothers ended in April, and the "Stranger Things" creators have now signed an exclusive four-year deal with Paramount to produce films and TV shows alike. Some other recent changes to Netflix are also at play here, such as former Netflix executives Peter Friedlander and Blaire Fetter — the two who originally greenlit "The Boroughs" for serialization — leaving the company to team up with Amazon MGM.
The Hollywood Reporter sources said this likely spelled the end for "The Boroughs," as Netflix wasn't happy with the Duffers going to Paramount, causing a "tough" relationship between the streamer and filmmakers. Sadly, Netflix is the sole owner of the show and is unlikely to sell its rights to a rival platform, especially Paramount. Others said the relationship between Netflix and the Duffer Brothers is solid and they'll continue working on other projects there, including "Stranger Things: Tales From '85."