Go behind the scenes of Dean Devlin's new SYFY series 'The Ark' with extended first look preview

This week, a new TV space voyage will begin with The Ark, a SYFY original series created by Dean Devlin (Independence Day) and Jonathan Glassner (Stargate SG-1) which explores what happens when humanity's best hope for survival is put to the test. Now, before the series premiere arrives Wednesday night, we have an extended behind-the-scenes look at the show (watch it above!) and what you can expect from its ensemble cast, its lavish sets, and its thrilling story. 

RELATED: How to watch Dean Devlin's new SYFY series, 'The Ark'

Set on board the title ship, dubbed Ark-1 by its creators, The Ark follows a group of young crew members as they're forced to navigate an unprecedented crisis while en route to a planet that could serve as humanity's new colonized space home. Everyone's meant to be in cryogenic sleep for most of the voyage, but a disaster on board the ship makes that impossible, killing all of the senior officers and leaving the younger members of the mission to pick up the pieces. Faced with a newly dangerous ship, a mission they still have to finish, and maybe even a murderer on board, the crew must keep the Ark running while figuring out how to navigate this new normal. 

Check out the first 5 minutes of the series premiere below:

"It's a fast-paced adventure where we have romance and action and connection," Christie Burke, who plays Lt. Sharon Garent, said in the official aftershow preview, After the Ark. "I feel like it's packed with everything you would ever want in a space show." 

In the extended pre-show, you'll get a closer not just at the catalyst which sets up the show's adventure, but at each member of the cast as they introduce their characters, the show's larger narrative arc, and of course, the sets that make up The Ark itself. You'll also, courtesy of Devlin and Glassner, get a behind-the-scenes peek at how the storytelling came together, and how The Ark's creators are trying to build a microcosm of human society on the ship, while also delivering the sci-fi fun fans tune in to see.

"It's a lot of fun watching how one person will deal with a crisis versus another person, and how they use their particular bias or their particular worldview to interpret what's going on in front of them," Devlin said. "And I think that's going to be part of the fun of the show."

The Ark premieres Wednesday at 10 pm Eastern on SYFY. New episodes air every Wednesday, and will stream next-day on Peacock.