Syfy will screen the first episode of its upcoming space horror show Nightflyers later today at New York Comic Con. Ahead of the premiere, it announced that the 10-episode series will series will debut on December 2nd; the first five episodes will air between Sunday and Thursday starting December 2nd, while the second half of the series will air the week starting on December 9th. Each episode will be available online as soon as it premieres on television through on demand and via the network’s website and app. The online episodes also won’t be locked to subscribers; anyone can watch them.
Based on a novella by George R.R. Martin (of Game of Thrones fame), Nightflyers is set on a spaceship, as its crew sets off on a mission to search for extraterrestrial life. When they reach the edge of the solar system, they encounter an unspeakable horror that’s already onboard their ship. Martin described the story as “Psycho in space,” and it’s a show that Syfy has high hopes for. The Hollywood Reporter says that it’s the most expensive show that the channel has put together, and it comes after recent cancellations of space-oriented shows like The Expanse and Dark Matter.
The full online release of the series also suggests Syfy is finally catching up on the binging model. While it broadcast the final season of 12 Monkeys earlier this summer in a four-week sprint, releasing all the episodes at once online addresses complaints fans of The Expanse leveled against the channel: it was difficult to watch the show online. Syfy only had the rights to broadcast the show (in the US), and while cable subscribers could catch up, those who cut the cord couldn’t stream it anywhere. Given that Syfy is producing Nightflyers, it has a bit more freedom to release the show on more than one platform, which may bring in new viewers.
Update October 5th 2018, 4:25 PM ET: Each episode of Nightflyers will be available online immediately after it airs on television. An earlier version of this story stated that all the episodes would be available online after the debut.
