Deadline is reporting that dystopian thriller Incorporated has been cancelled after one season by Syfy. The show’s two-episode now-series finale aired Wednesday, January 25th.
The cancellation doesn’t come as a complete surprise, given that series star Dennis Haysbert recently signed on to NBC virtual reality pilot Reverie. However, it’s still a deep disappointment nonetheless, not only for the show’s immense creative potential and increased sense of weight given the current political climate, but because of the way it was scheduled by Syfy. Incorporated premiered the last day of November 2016 and aired both through the holidays and into 2017 completely unsupported; shows with large enough established audiences can weather that type of scheduling (see: season 4B of Vikings) and shows released through streaming platforms can build momentum during a time when TV goes into hybernation mode (see: Making a Murderer), but putting a freshman show that airs on TV through that isn’t the best recipe for long-term success.
From Alex and David Pastor (Self/less), and executive produced by Oscar winners Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, Incorporated took place in the year 2074, a time when corporations function like de facto governments in the wake of global crises and climate change. The series followed young executive Ben (Sean Teale) as he attempted to work his way up the corporate ladder in order to get enough clearance to rescue childhood love Elena from a life of sexual servitude. All the while Ben pulled strings at SPIGA, the largest corporation in the world that was ran by mother-in-law Elizabeth, he had to cover his tracks and hope that the truth about his troubled past stayed buried.
In addition to Teale, Incorporated starred Allison Miller (Terra Nova), Julia Ormond (Witches of East End), Dennis Haysbert (24), and Eddie Ramos (Teen Wolf).
Syfy’s current homegrown drama slate now includes The Magicians, The Expanse, 12 Monkeys, Z Nation, and Channel Zero, with the latter having been renewed for two additional seasons recently.
Will you miss Incorporated? Do you think Syfy hamstrung the show by the way it was rolled out? What type of drama would you like to see the network go after next?
