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There’s just no faking it.
When The Boroughs showrunner Jeffrey Addiss set out to film the Netflix sci-fi series set in New Mexico, he knew it had to be done on location.
“We fought to shoot in New Mexico,” says Addiss. “We wanted those big open skies. We wanted that sense of beauty and openness.”
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And they got it. The Boroughs is set in a picturesque New Mexico retirement community of the same name (very much like the real-life The Villages in Florida). “When a terrifying nighttime encounter reveals that something monstrous is stalking the manicured cul-de-sacs, a grieving newcomer (Sam, played by Alfred Molina) is inspired to join a misfit crew of unlikely heroes who uncover a dark secret that proves their ‘golden years’ are more dangerous, and they are more formidable, than anyone expects,” the logline reads.
You can watch the trailer here:
While The Boroughs itself is a fictional development, the set was built at the Netflix Studios Albuquerque backlot. Sam’s cul-de-sac and the village’s downtown shops were all built for the production.
“You could go into those shops and turn on those coffee machines and they would work,” Addiss adds. “What this production did and what our production designer did is a feat.”
Beyond that, the show filmed in existing New Mexico locales.
The defunct Traditions Mall was turned into a vibrant town square, according to director of photography Matthew Jensen.
“It really was like bringing back a dead mall,” he says. “In the end, it was really beautiful and felt alive and felt like a real place.”
Production filmed at 20 other locations across the state, including Albuquerque Convention Center, First Plaza Galleria, the Expo New Mexico Fine Arts Gallery, the Old Ramada Inn, Twin Warriors Golf Club and Montessa Park.
During the 100-day shoot, the show hired more than 350 cast and crew and worked with more than 300 local vendors as well, making it an even more local production.
Since it debuted on May 21, The Boroughs hit #2 on the Global Top 10 English TV List with 5.6 million views in its first four days. One thing is clear: this is one beautiful mystery you won't want to put off.