Syfy Cancels ‘Defiance’ After Three Seasons

Developed and green-lit under former EVP of Originals Mark Stern, Defiance was a big swing for the network, with an estimated price tag north of $100 million and was produced alongside a video game from Trion Worlds, with the series and the game feeding into each other.

Now, after three seasons and a slowly diminishing viewership, Syfy has called time on the series, The Hollywood Reporter has learned, officially cancelling the ambitious creative experiment.

Murphy reflected fondly on the three-season body of work.

The series starred Julie Benz and Grant Bowler and was set in a futuristic society when a fragile peace was been struck between humans and the aliens that invaded Earth decades earlier.

The news comes on the heels of the network also canceling Dominion after two seasons. Syfy are pulling the plug on the science fiction western after three seasons.

In a statement released by the network, executive producer Kevin Murphy said of the cancellation, “I got to collaborate with a group of stunning artists operating at the top of their game, and together we built a world”. While both The Expanse and Childhood’s End and The Magicians and Hunters have been pegged for a 2016 premiere, there’s still plenty to look forward to with 12 Monkeys, Killjoys and Dark Matter all returning for sophomore outings.

On the pilot/development side, the cabler has Incorporated, from Matt Damon and Ben Affleck; David Goyer’s Superman prequel Krypton, as well as Hyperion, fearless New World and 3001: The Final Odyssey.