The Expanse canceled at Syfy; season 4 to be shopped around

After just three seasons, it seems like The Expanse is going to have to venture out to new horizons.

According to Deadline, Syfy has decided to cancel the series after three years on the air and we’re still slightly confused about why this is happening. Is it true that Syfy is a network that has a real knack for canceling shows after just a few years on the air? Sure — just look at Dark Matter. Yet, what is so weird about The Expanse is that its ratings were almost equal in season 3 (at least so far) to what they were at in season 2. The biggest reason for this move seems to be one tied mostly to ownership. Alcon Television Group is really responsible for The Expanse and since Syfy doesn’t have a huge commercial stake in it, they didn’t feel enough incentive to bring it back for another run.

In a statement, Chris McCumber, President, Entertainment Networks for NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, had the following to say:

“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. 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.”

Meanwhile, Alcon Entertainment co-founders / co-CEOs Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson gave their own point of view:

“We are very disappointed the show will not be returning to Syfy … We respect Syfy’s decision to end this partnership but given the commercial and critical success of the show, we fully plan to pursue other opportunities for this terrific and original IP.”

The challenge for The Expanse in their search for a new home is going to be finding a provider who has an interest in a show without that much of a stake in it. For all of the talk about streaming providers reviving canceled shows, be aware that it rarely happens — Netflix and Hulu in particular haven’t “saved” a show canceled elsewhere in years and creatively, Syfy was the perfect fit for the series.

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