Netflix cancels 'The Boroughs' in surprise move, 1 month after debut

KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY Thu, June 18, 2026 at 1:20 AM UTC

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Netflix has pulled the plug on "The Boroughs" after one season, USA TODAY can confirm.

The news comes less than a month after the sci-fi adventure, executive produced by the creators of "Stranger Things," debuted on the streamer May 21 with a heavy-hitting cast that included Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Bill Pullman, Denis O'Hare and Clarke Peters.

The show's first season, centered around retirement community residents who band together to discover a dark truth of their community following the sighting of a monstrous creature, was met with positive reviews and has been among the streamer's weekly Top 10 since its premiere.

Production costs were a factor in the decision, USA TODAY has learned.

Denis O’Hare as Wally, Alfred Molina as Sam, Alfre Woodard as Judy in Netflix's "The Boroughs."

Deadline was first to report the news.

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'Boroughs' creators left show open to Season 2 renewal

While speaking with USA TODAY, the series' co-creators Will Matthews and Jeffrey Addiss said they left the story open to a Season 2 renewal and shared advice they received from "Stranger Things'" co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer.

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"Tell a complete story. Crack the door on Season 2, but who knows?" Matthews shared. "So don't make it too much of a cliffhanger. Don't marry yourself to anything that you have to then do. Have the ending be an ending that is fulfilling, and so we did."

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"We know we didn't answer all the questions," Addiss acknowledged. "And we fought and talked hard and long about which questions to leave open and why. But I will tell you that we have a plan, and we do know how this ends."

"The Boroughs" cast lauded the show for its representation of older adults.

"It's fantastic that all of us get to be heroic," Davis, 70, told USA TODAY. "That's really unusual and great."

Woodard said, "We get to be the way mature people are in life. They're not lying around. They're active."

Contributing: Erin Jensen

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Netflix cancels 'The Boroughs' despite critical acclaim

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