In a seemingly picturesque retirement community, a group of unlikely heroes band together to expose a monstrous truth.

If The Goonies begat Stranger Things, then without doubt Stranger Things begat The Boroughs, not least because it is exec produced by the Duffer Brothers. Indeed, it wears its heritage proudly, with the gang of quirky kids replaced by a plucky gaggle of feisty seniors fighting an otherworldly conspiracy, along with an opening titles sequence that nods to both The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits.

The story isn’t going to challenge anyone’s narrative synapses – spooky underground monsters in hock to human baddies bent on stopping our heroes from exposing their dastardly plans etc. What makes The Boroughs such fun to watch is the quality of the ensemble acting. Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Clarke Peters and Alfre Woodard are exactly as engaging as you might expect, although the series is somewhat stolen from under their noses by the wonderful Denis O’Hare as Wally, a gay, retired doctor and survivor of the 1980s AIDS epidemic, but now enduring stage four prostate cancer, who not only brings a joyous light-touch camp to the comedy (his double act with Geena Davis’s Renee is delicious), but is able to give voice to real emotional weight when it comes to the show’s more serious discussions of sickness and mortality.

There is, however, a slight hitch in the concept. Although most of the cast are well into their seventies, some of them have had so much work done they struggle to look their age – in a plastic touch-me-and-I-might-shatter kind of way – and at least one of them can barely speak, their skin has been stretched so tight.

Verdict: The Boroughs doesn’t warrant a great deal of analysis, but it passes the time nicely without outstaying its welcome. While it hasn’t officially been recommissioned for second season, it’s hard to believe that they won’t keep coming, and I’ll happily keep watching – waiting for the shocking moment when one of them develops a wrinkle or two. Oh! The Horror! The Horror!  7/10

Martin Jameson

www.ninjamarmoset.com