Sci-Fi Storm

Syfy has canceled the Matt Damon/Ben Affleck produced Incorporated after just a single season. The hyped-up show failed to get hyped up ratings, averaging well below Syfy’s other flagship shows. Syfy is lining up pilots with four given green lights so far along with Superstition, which was given a straight-to-series order.

On the opposite side, CBS’ Les Moonves is very confident that the twice delayed Star Trek: Discovery will be ready to debut in early Fall and perhaps late Summer – and he understands the importance of the show to the network.Star Trek is the family jewels,” Moonves says. “We’re not going to rush it in. There’s a lot of post production. But I’m very confident based on what I’ve seen so far.”

Star Trek: Discovery was most recently delayed from a May release last month, given they hadn’t actually started filming yet. Filming started shortly after that announcement, so a Fall debut seems more realistic.

Tonight is the premiere of Syfy’s Incorporated (10/9c), an ambitious drama from creators David and Alex Pastor (Carriers) and produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, and starring Sean Teale, Julia Ormand, Dennis Haysbert, Allison Miller and Eddie Ramos.

The setting is cut from the same cloth as it seems all futuristic shows and movies these days – a near-future dystopian world. In this case global warming has caused the oceans to rise significantly, with both coasts of the US now under water, and governments were unprepared. Corporations now control the world as they now control the food. And the remaining land is divided into “Green Zones” and “Red Zones”.

Green Zones are where the corporations are, and the people who work for them. Lush, clean, green, almost utopian but in a 1984-ish way. Corporate employees live in the Green Zone, and regularly line up in long security lines to get into work. They do their work and they leave, while trying to edge up the corporate ladder. Everyone else lives in the Red Zone – the slums – where they scratch out an existence while just out of sight of those in the Green Zone – well hidden by walls and holograms, so the Green Zone inhabitants can be blissfully unaware of what lurks outside.

Ben Larson (Teale) came from the Red Zone, but he has managed to work his way up at Spiga Corporation. He’s married the Laura, the daughter of Spiga’s head of US operations (Elziabeth Krauss, played by Julia Ormond) who has grown up with privilege, and they are looking to have a child naturally, which is very unusual when you can pick the genetic makeup of a child like choosing the options of a car. He has another purpose though – he’s looking for his former girl from the Red Zone who may be part of the corporate machine now. In the meantime head of Spiga security and former military officer Julian Morse (Dennis Haysbert) is trying to track down a mole at Spiga.

Nothing so far seems very original, and has been done a number of times before. But they do have a decent framework that should allow the characters, story and intrigue to develop. The potential is all there. Visually it is there. It will take some time to develop, but hopefully they get there quickly enough. Stick it out and see if this escapes the dystopian hole.

What’s going on at Sigma Biotech? Catch this sneak peek at Syfy’s new series Incorporated, executive produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Premieres November 30th at 10/9c.

Syfy has announced the fall premiere dates for scripted shows…in all one returning and 4 new programs.

Z Nation – Special 2-hour premiere 8/7c Friday, September 16th, will air regularly at 9/8c the following Friday.

Van Helsing – NEW – Friday, September 23th, 10/9c – Van Helsing reimagines the timeless Dracula brand with the resurrection of Vanessa Helsing, a descendent of the Van Helsing lineage of warriors who now must lead mankind against a world controlled by vampires in the post-Rising landscape. Starring Kelly Overton (True Blood), Jonathan Scarfe (Hell on Wheels), Christopher Heyerdahl (Sanctuary, True Blood), Paul Johansson (One Tree Hill), David Cubbit (Medium), Vincent Gale (Bates Motel) and Tim Guinee (Homeland)

Channel Zero: Candle Cove – NEW – Tuesday, September 27th, 9/8c – Channel Zero is an anthology series where each set of episodes relates to to a single story. The first six-episode run, called Candle Cove, is based on the “creepypasta” (a viral story copy and pasted around the net) story of the same name written by Kris Staub that takes the form of a forum discussion about remembering a short-lived children’s TV show.

Aftermath – NEW – Tuesday, September 27th, 10/9c – The show centers on couple Karen and Joshua Copeland, and their children Dana, Brianna and Matt, who must battle for survival after civilization comes to an apocalyptic end, triggered by massive storms, meteor strikes, earthquakes and plague – and the rise of supernatural creatures. Anne Heche and James Tupper play the parents and Julie Sarah Stone (The Killing) and Levi Meaden (The Killing, Olympus), and Taylor Hickson (Deadpool) play the three Copeland children.

Incorporated – NEW – Wednesday November 30th, 10/9c – Set in a near future where corporations have unlimited power, Incorporated centers around Ben Larson (Sean Teale, Reign), a young executive who conceals his true identity to infiltrate a very dangerous corporate world to save the woman he loves. But he’ll soon learn that he’s not the only one whose secrets may have deadly consequences. From Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s Pearl Street Films, it also stars Eddie Ramos (Teen Wolf), Golden Globe nominee Dennis Haysbert (24), and Emmy Award winner Julia Ormond (Mad Men). In addition, Denyse Tontz (The Fosters) was recently announced for the regular role of Elena, the love of Ben’s life, who is forced to sell herself into servitude to pay off her family’s debts.

Syfy announced today it has greenlit to series Incorporated, a futuristic thriller from Matt Damon, Ben Affleck & Jennifer Todd’s Pearl Street Films, CBS Television Studios and Universal Cable Productions. The 13-episode first season of the new drama series is expected to premiere on Syfy in Fall 2016.

Set in a near future where corporations have unlimited power, Incorporated centers around Ben Larson (Sean Teale, Reign), a young executive who conceals his true identity to infiltrate a very dangerous corporate world to save the woman he loves. But he’ll soon learn that he’s not the only one whose secrets may have deadly consequences.

In addition to Teale, the series will star Eddie Ramos (Teen Wolf), Golden Globe nominee Dennis Haysbert (24), and Emmy Award winner Julia Ormond (Mad Men).

Incorporated is created by David & Alex Pastor (Selfless, The Last Days), who wrote and directed the pilot. Ted Humphrey (The Good Wife) will serve as executive producer/showrunner, with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Todd also executive producing. Pearl Street Films’ Margaret Chernin will serve as co-producer.

“The most powerful science fiction holds up a mirror to our world,” said Dave Howe, President, Syfy & Chiller. “Incorporated is exactly that type of smart, provocative series, delivering a fresh, edge of your seat thriller that challenges notions of the world we live in today. We look forward to working with the stellar teams at Pearl Street Films, CBS Television Studios and Universal Cable Productions to bring it to life for Syfy viewers this year.”

Syfy today announced that Golden Globe nominee Dennis Haysbert (24), David Hewlett (Stargate Atlantis) and Ian Tracey (Wayward Pines) have joined the cast of the channel’s new futuristic espionage thriller pilot Incorporated from Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s Pearl Street Films, CBS Television Studios and Universal Cable Productions.

Set in a world where companies have unlimited power, executive Ben Larson (Sean Teale, Reign) is forced to change his identity in order to infiltrate a cut-throat corporate world at SPIGA and save the woman he loves. In the process, he will take on the entire system — with deadly consequences.

Dennis Haysbert plays series regular Julian, Head of Security and probably the most feared person at SPIGA headquarters. Part detective and part grand inquisitor, Julian is a tenacious investigator with an uncanny ability to sniff out moles and traitors in the company. Haysbert’s numerous credits include Major League, The Unit, Absolute Power, Jarhead and Ted 2.

David Hewlett has joined the cast of the pilot as Chad, a high-level executive at SPIGA, the all-powerful company in Incorporated, who has reached his position by appeasing his superiors and taking credit for the achievements of his subordinates. Hewlett has appeared in SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe, Dark Matter and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Ian Tracey has joined the cast of the pilot as Terrence, a corrupt businessman who quickly becomes a benefactor to Theo (Eddie Ramos, Parenthood), but could also become a threat to Ben’s plans for SPIGA. Tracey has starred in Intelligence, Rogue and Bates Motel.

The pilot will also star Georgina Haig (Once Upon a Time), Eddie Ramos (Teen Wolf) and Julia Ormond (Mad Men).

Incorporated is created by David and Alex Pastor (Selfless, The Last Days), who wrote and will direct the pilot. Ted Humphrey (The Good Wife) will serve as executive producer/showrunner, with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Todd also executive producing. Pearl Street Film’s Margaret Chernin will serve as associate producer.

Syfy’s pilot Incorporated has found it’s lead.

The pilot, a join effort from Pearl Street Productions (the studio run by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon), CBS Television Studios and Universal Cable Productions, is an espionage thriller that takes place in a dystopian future set in 2062, “where climate change has ravaged the planet, ethical boundaries have been redrawn and American cities have become a tantalizing and terrifying mix of the luxurious and the medieval.” The duo of David and Alex Pastor created and wrote the pilot, and will direct.

Deadline reports that Sean Teale (Reign) will star as Ben Larson, a rising star in a mega-corporation called Chrysalis who is determined to climb the rickety, bloodstained ladder of success in order to find and rescue the woman he loves — and will tromp on anyone who gets in his way.

Syfy announced today it has greenlit to pilot Incorporated, a futuristic espionage thriller from Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s Pearl Street Productions, CBS Television Studios and Universal Cable Productions. Set in a future where companies have unlimited power, Incorporated tells the story of executive Ben Larson, forced to change his identity in order to infiltrate a cut-throat corporate world, to save the woman he loves. In the process, he will take on the entire system – with deadly consequences.

Created by David and Alex Pastor (Selfless, The Last Days), who wrote and will direct the pilot, the dystopian future of the show reflects contemporary trends: the growing influence of corporations and private interests in Washington, the slow but steady dismantling of the public sector, and the increase of an amazing amount of wealth by an ever shrinking minority. Incorporated will explore these issues via suspense, action, complex characters and a dark sense of humor, plunging viewers into a future world where the ethical boundaries that we know have been completely redrawn.

Ted Humphrey (The Good Wife) will serve as executive producer/showrunner, with Damon, Affleck and Jennifer Todd also executive producing. Pearl Street Film’s Margaret Chernin will serve as associate producer.

“Syfy is working with the best talent in the business to develop the most provocative and smart science fiction programming, and we are delighted to be partnering with Matt, Ben and Jennifer, along with the creative minds of the Pastor brothers and Ted on this pilot,” said Dave Howe, President, Syfy. “Incorporated is an electrifying example of what science fiction does best: holding a mirror to present realities and projecting forward to a recognizable future in which we face the impact and consequences of our actions.”

Said Damon and Affleck: “Incorporated provides us distinct insight into a world dictated by our decisions today. Viewers will delve into the intricacies of our future, one that we are constantly warned of, but as a society have not yet explored. We believe this is an important and timely story to tell and can think of no one better to guide us into this than David, Alex and Ted.”