The Boroughs cracks Netflix top 40 after cancellation
Netflix’s canceled supernatural drama drew 23.1 million views and ranked No. 35 in the streamer’s latest What We Watched report.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
The Boroughs has already been canceled by Netflix, but the supernatural drama still landed inside the streamer’s top 40 for the first half of 2026.
Netflix’s latest What We Watched report, released Thursday and covering January through June, lists the series at No. 35 with 23.1 million views. The tally runs from its May 27 premiere through June 30, giving the show just over a month of viewing in the reporting window.
Deadline reported that The Boroughs was the most recent ongoing scripted series release to appear in the top 40. Other renewable shows above it had arrived earlier, which gave them more time to build their totals.
There were exceptions among limited series. Netflix’s report showed I Will Find You at No. 3 and The Witness at No. 22 despite June premiere dates, according to Deadline.
A strong number, but not enough
The Boroughs came from executive producers Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of Stranger Things. Its cast included Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Denis O’Hare, Clarke Peters and Bill Pullman.
Deadline reported that the drama carried a high cost because of its well-known ensemble and special effects. That raised the audience mark it needed to reach for a renewal, according to the outlet’s reporting.
The comparison with Netflix’s renewed comedies is where the math gets sharper. Season 2 of The Four Seasons, released May 28, ranked No. 62 with 15.8 million views through the end of June. Season 2 of Running Point, which premiered April 23, ranked No. 44 with 21.1 million views.
Both The Four Seasons and Running Point have been renewed for third seasons, Deadline reported. The outlet noted that comedies generally cost less than dramas, which can give them more room in renewal decisions.
Netflix says the call had many pieces
Netflix’s head of UCAN scripted series, Jinny Howe, addressed the cancellation in an interview with Deadline last week. Howe said Netflix weighs “so many factors” when deciding a show will not return.
Howe told Deadline that the company was “really, really proud” of The Boroughs and said the team delivered “a very entertaining cinematic experience” for viewers who enjoyed it.
Deadline also reported that The Boroughs received strong reviews, a factor that can help a show, though not enough in this case to overcome the broader renewal calculation.
The result leaves The Boroughs in an odd Netflix position: canceled, but still prominent enough to sit in the streamer’s top 40 for the first half of the year.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.