By Hoai-Tran Bui/May 26, 2018 11:30 am EST
Our original story from May 22, 2018 follows below.
The Expanse debuted to critical acclaim in 2015 and, over the course of its three seasons, accumulated an ardent and loyal fanbase who extolled the virtues of the series, which is set in a future where humanity has colonized the solar system. The series is based on James S. A. Corey’s best-selling book series and stars Steven Strait, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Dominique Tipper.
“The Expanse transported us across the solar system for three brilliant seasons of television. Everyone at Syfy is a massive fan of the series, and this was an incredibly difficult decision,” said Chris McCumber, president of entertainment networks at NBCU Cable Entertainment. “We want to sincerely thank The Expanse’s amazing cast, crew and all the dedicated creatives who helped bring James S. A. Corey’s story to life. And to the series’ loyal fans, we thank you most of all.”
But the series was a pricey investment for Syfy. Syfy had only first-run linear rights in the U.S. to The Expanse and not SVOD or international rights. Not to mention the middling ratings that The Expanse pulled in — matching the returns of Syfy’s inexpensive co-productions like Dark Matter and Killjoys versus the cabler’s original scripted series like The Magicians and Happy.
Ultimately, Syfy decided to axe The Expanse and lean back on its otherwise packed roster, which includes the upcoming George R.R. Martin drama Nightflyers, The Purge, Deadly Class, Krypton, The Magicians, Channel Zero, Van Helsing, Wynonna Earp and Killjoys, with the latter set to wrap in 2019.
Here is the official synopsis for The Expanse:
Hundreds of years in the future, things are different than what we are used to after humans have colonized the solar system and Mars has become an independent military power. Rising tensions between Earth and Mars have put them on the brink of war. Against this backdrop, a hardened detective and a rogue ship’s captain come together to investigate the case of a missing young woman. The investigation leads them on a race across the solar system that could expose the greatest conspiracy in human history.
