Syfy has expanded viewers' sampling options of the new spaceship drama The Expanse. Following Tuesday night's airing of the series' second episode, Syfy has made episodes 1-4 available on Syfy.com and on-demand cable, satellite and telco-TV platforms. The move makes the third and fourth episodes available in advance of their Syfy linear premieres on Dec. 22 and 29. The 10-part series (reviewed by MCNhere) airs on Syfy on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Syfy said the pre-linear debut of The Expanse's first episode was sampled 4.4 million times (as of this morning) during its Nov. 23-Dec. 14 run on Syfy.com and other outlets.

Sara Moscowitz, senior vice president, brand and strategic marketing, at Syfy said in a release: “By giving viewers the opportunity to watch Episodes 3 and 4 early, we’re not only providing a little holiday gift for the series’ existing fans, but we’re also allowing new viewers who’ve heard about The Expanse to catch up on the series. With the potential to hook a broad audience over the holidays, we hope to debut Episode 5 to a committed, passionate fan base on Jan. 5.”

Set 200 years in the future, The Expanse follows the case of a missing young woman that brings a hardened detective (Thomas Jane, Hung) and a rogue ship’s captain (Steven Strait, Magic City) together in a race across the solar system that will expose the greatest conspiracy in human history. The series is based on the book series collectively known as "The Expanse," written by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (under the pen name James S. A. Corey).