In the past year or so, Syfy has been putting together a seemingly endless stream of original programming, recalling the network’s earlier glory days. And one of its newest projects, the futuristic thriller pilot Incorporated, has brought in several big names – some of which will be quite familiar to longtime Syfy viewers – as Dennis Haysbert, David Hewlett and Ian Tracey have joined the cast.
Incorporated takes place in a world where corporations have unbounded power – so it’s not too futuristic, in that sense – and centers on the company SPIGA. Executive Ben Larson (Reign’s Sean Teale) gets involved with SPIGA after changing his identity, in a plan to infiltrate the corporate world so that he can save the woman he loves, though it obviously won’t be easy, and the consequences can be quite deadly.
Dennis Haysbert will take on the role of Julian, and as SPIGA’s head of security, he’s one of the most feared and dangerous people in the company. The press release calls him “part detective and part grand inquisitor,” and says that he’s second to none in discovering traitors and other threats within the company’s walls. Haysbert is probably best known for playing President Palmer in 24, and has also been seen on TV in recent years in The Unit and Backstrom.
David Hewlett will play Chad, a high-level SPIGA exec who attained his lofty position by brownnosing the bosses and unfairly passing off his underlings’ achievements as his own. Can’t imagine that guy will be portrayed as heroic here. Hewlett is a vet of the Stargate universe, having starred as Dr. Rodney McKay in Stargate: SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis. He could also be heard as the narrator in Urban Legends, and showed up quite recently on Syfy in the space thriller Dark Matter.
Ian Tracey has the smallest role of the three, and he’ll be playing Terrence, a corrupt businessman that could pose a major threat to Ben’s plans to take down SPIGA. He also becomes a benefactor to the character Theo, played by Parenthood’s Eddie Ramos. A lead actor in series such as Da Vinci’s Inquest and Intelligence, Tracey has been seen in all kinds of series in recent years, from Hell on Wheels to Rogue to Bates Motel. Syfy viewers will recognize him from Continuum and a recent episode of Killjoys.
Also starring Once Upon a Time’s Georgina Haig and Mad Men’s Julia Ormond, Incorporated was created by David and Alex Pastor (Carriers, Self/Less), who wrote the pilot and will be directing. The pilot also boasts as executive producers Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and The Good Wife’s Ted Humphrey, who will serve as showrunner. Here’s hoping Syfy gives this one the greenlight at some point soon.
