The television industry has been in a weird state of flux over the last few years, thanks to media companies tightening their budgets and not giving shows a chance to breathe.
When Netflix swung the axe on The Boroughs this week, I couldn’t shake it for a couple of reasons.
The biggest is that the cancellation came just over three weeks after its May 21 premiere.
(Courtesy of Netflix)
The streaming platform has taken a lot of heat in recent months after a wave of high-profile shows were confirmed to be ending with their next seasons.
Emily in Paris, The Lincoln Lawyer, and The Night Agent are the most notable examples, with all three already renewed for final seasons.
They’ve all had years to build up audiences, but with their most recent seasons dropping double digits, it’s no surprise Netflix is giving them one last run to wrap things up.
Now that Sweet Magnolias Season 5 has premiered, all eyes are on it to see whether it becomes the next long-running show to get the pink slip.
(Courtesy of Netflix)
But those longer-running shows are at least getting a chance to say goodbye. The same cannot be said of newer offerings like The Boroughs.
The series was decent and very watchable, but it felt slightly out of place premiering in May.
The Boroughs Premiered Far Too Early in the Year
It probably would have had a better shot in October, leaning into the Halloween window.
Netflix has this never-ending well of content, so I don’t believe for one minute they couldn’t have shifted the release a few weeks and given it a different runway.
(Courtesy of Netflix)
A bigger issue with Netflix’s promotion in particular is that it can sometimes feel non-existent.
Shows just appear out of thin air and are expected to perform.
To their credit, the promotion for The Boroughs was actually fairly solid, but it’s still hard to believe Netflix truly gave it a fighting chance if the decision was going to be made after such a short window.
The trend may not have been on The Boroughs’ side, but the idea that dumping an entire season and canceling a show within weeks is a meaningful test of performance feels increasingly questionable.
(Courtesy of Netflix)
The only real silver lining is that The Boroughs told a relatively self-contained story, but it still feels like it could have grown into something much bigger had it been given the opportunity.
Given the current trajectory of Netflix‘s scripted originals, it would make far more sense to experiment with weekly rollouts again.
Their thinking with The Boroughs must have been that not enough people checked it out quickly enough, so it just came and went.
Had it actually been released weekly, it would have had a chance to build momentum over time.
(Courtesy of Netflix)
I don’t see how this model holds up in the long term if binge drops remain the default.
Surely Netflix executives are weighing this up now that every show is effectively on a stopwatch.
Ransom Canyon Season 2 is coming up, and given that the first season didn’t generate much buzz, I suspect it won’t be long before it’s on shaky ground too.
At this point, it feels less like shows are being evaluated on potential and more like they’re being judged on whether they catch fire instantly.
(Courtesy of Netflix)
What are your thoughts on The Boroughs getting canceled after just three weeks?
Do you think it was warranted, or are you side-eyeing the decisions to come from Netflix?
Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.
Say something in the comments, share if you’re moved to, and keep reading. Independent voices need readers like you.
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