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While Netflix is well known for its often confusing cancellations of shows, usually it\u2019s a debate over quality versus viewership. But when a series has both? A cancellation seems especially bizarre, which is what has happened with The Boroughs.<\/p>\n
The Boroughs, produced by Stranger Things\u2019 Duffer brothers, was canceled just weeks after it premiered with a 96% Rotten Tomatoes critic score, one of Netflix\u2019s highest of the year. It planted itself at #1 on Netflix\u2019s top 10 list, but now new data shows it was probably doing even more than that.<\/p>\n
Nielsen streaming numbers<\/a> are now in for The Boroughs, and while the show debuted at #2 on that list, which includes all streaming services, the following week it moved up to #1, ahead of Amazon\u2019s Spider-Noir and HBO Max\u2019s Euphoria. Netflix\u2019s The Four Seasons, which put up 782 viewing minutes to The Boroughs\u2019 1.74 billion, was just renewed for a third season.<\/p>\n The Boroughs has a veteran cast playing retirees trying to track down a monstrous secret within their community, and stars the likes of Alfred Molina, Geena Davis and Alfre Woodard. The series was meant to have a three-season arc, now cut short, despite a cliffhanger tease of what was to come at the end of season 1. Even its own cast has seemed confused by the decision. Here\u2019s Geena Davis speaking to THR:<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cFortunately, the creators, who became our dear, dear friends, were able to tell us before the news came out, and we\u2019re all terribly disappointed. Honestly, I don\u2019t know what happened. I think it\u2019s probably rare for a show to not get picked up and to have it announced that it\u2019s not being picked up while it\u2019s still in the top 10. We didn\u2019t expect that.\u201d<\/p>\n THR had a report<\/a> about a week ago saying that The Boroughs was expensive, reportedly around $10 million per episode, though they also claim that this was an anti-Duffer decision, as the two are on their way out, having chosen to leave for Paramount rather than stay with Netflix. A Netflix source, however, denied that claim.<\/p>\n Still, it\u2019s all very strange. Putting up this level of viewership with this level of positive reception with this cast and this long-term plan? Even with Netflix, this is not something we see every day. If it really was its high cost, that seems to be a message to bring those budgets down, as while there was certainly some amount of monster CGI here, I really cannot fathom why a show like this cost $80 million. But that\u2019s the entertainment business these days across movies, TV and video games, and it does not seem to be reversing any time soon.<\/p>\n Follow me on Twitter<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>,<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series<\/a> and The Earthborn Trilogy<\/a>.<\/p>\n