TV Corner: 'Incorporated' on Syfy

Science-fiction would probably not be a genre if the future held promise for a world in which everything is beautiful, people are friendly, freedom reigns, and cats and dog live together in peaceful co-existence.

The Syfy cable channel’s “Incorporated” sticks to the formula of a dystopian future in the year 2074 where the land has been ravaged, coastal cities have vanished and multinational corporations have replaced the government.

What might attract an audience for this show is the highly publicized involvement of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as the producers. And maybe you will fall for the thriller elements, even though we’ve seen many of them before.

Seemingly taking a page from “Blade Runner,” the future is bleak in an America where the remaining population is located in heart of the Midwest and is divided between haves and have-nots.

If you are not working for the big corporate power Spiga in the safe, secure Green Zone, you would be relegated to a harsh and brutal life in the lawless Red Zone, where junior executives go slumming on a Friday night to score drugs and watch brutal cage fights.

All nations are under the control of large corporations, and there is a nicely humorous TV news bulletin about Canada building a wall to keep out more Americans from joining the 12 million already illegally residing in the Great White North.

The central character is Ben Larson (Sean Teale), an ambitious young man moving up the corporate ladder by devious means. He’s also married to Laura (Allison Miller), the daughter of the cagey, controlling Spiga CEO (Julia Ormond).

Competing with other junior executives all dressed in dark suits without ties, Ben’s true background is unknown not only to his superiors, but also to his wife. His primary mission, other than climbing the ladder at work, is to find a long-lost love left behind in the Red Zone.

To be sure, Ben won’t want to get on the wrong side of Spiga, because those who fail the company are sent to the “Quiet Room,” a chamber of horrors where Spiga enforcer Julian (Dennis Haysbert) proves to be sadistically frightening.

Spiga’s control even extends to family planning. Ben’s wife Laura may harbor her own secrets, but she surprises her husband with the news that the couple has been granted a “permit” to have a child.

When one of the executives is caught trying to leave for home with contraband electronic files, he’s dealt with harshly. Operating like the Stasi or KGB, Spiga tolerates no deviation from the corporate culture.

In a chilling talk with employees, the CEO intones that “Spiga is a generous mother” and that it “only asks for hard work and loyalty.” The alternative is for a fate that should be evident.

“Incorporated” has some interesting elements about the fate of humanity. When the CEO says that promotions require a vetting process, it’s clear that Ben may have something to fear because he has plenty to hide.

The question now is whether the Orwellian science-fiction thriller of “Incorporated” will deliver the promise of providing satisfying answers.

TV Corner: 'Hairspray Live!' on NBC network

The NBC network had such great success with a live theatrical performance for the Broadway musical “The Wiz” that the decision to do the same for the long-running musical “Hairspray” seemed like a wise programming move.

Since the film “Hairspray Live!” will be delivered as the title implies in a live telecast, there’s not much to go on for a review in advance other than a few clips made available and knowledge of the Broadway show.

To be more accurate, “Hairspray Live!” is also advertised as being based on the theatrical version, though I am not sure if it would be the 1988 film written and directed by John Waters or the 2007 edition that starred John Travolta as the iconic Edna Turnblad.

In all likelihood, “Hairspray Live!,” given the constraints of staging a live performance, should be much more similar to the Broadway production that starred Harvey Fierstein as Edna Turnblad, mother to a dance show hopeful.

NBC made the smart choice of bringing Fierstein into the program to reprise his Broadway role. He’s the perfect fit to encourage his chubby, sweet-natured daughter Tracy (Maddie Baillio) as the dance-loving teen who auditions for and wins a spot on “The Corny Collins Show.”

The setting is 1962 Baltimore where racial integration has yet to penetrate all segments of society. On the all-white TV show, Tracy becomes an overnight sensation and her newfound status as a celebrity brings societal changes in the vanguard of the civil rights era.

In the midst of charming the public with her winning persona, Tracy’s dream to dance results in her meeting a colorful array of characters including the resident dreamboat Link Larkin (Garrett Clayton) and the requisite mean girl Amber Von Tussle (Dove Cameron).

Another key character is Motormouth Maybelle, a role portrayed by Jennifer Hudson, the Grammy Award-winning recording artist who may be best known for her part as a member of a trio of soul singers in “Dreamgirls.”

If by chance you miss the telecast of “Hairspray Live!,” there is an unconfirmed report that the TV film will be released on DVD in time for the holidays.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.