Alex Mallari, Marc Bendavid, Roger Cross and Anthony Lemke as seen in "Dark Matter"

Stories set in space have long fascinated TV and movie fans, and the genre is experiencing another heyday as of late. Heroes may be saving the galaxy on the big screen, but sci-fi fans can once again enjoy space adventures from the comfort of their own homes when another epic story returns to prime time.

The ragtag crew of the Raza -- or at least part of it -- is back in the season premiere of "Dark Matter," airing Friday, June 9, on Syfy. In the shocking season 2 cliffhanger, it appeared that some of the crew members were still onboard when an explosion rocked the EOS-7 space station, which the crew was trying to protect in the hopes of preventing a corporate war. Those who survive the blast continue to fight for their lives while searching for their missing allies in the 13-episode third season.

Prodigy Pictures began production on season 3 of the Canadian-made science fiction series in November, and wrapped up in April, leaving fans around the world waiting with bated breath to find out what happens next.

"The complex cast of characters continue to fascinate audiences globally," said Prodigy Pictures executive Jay Firestone when principal photography on season 3 was announced. Firestone knows a thing or two about producing quality sci-fi series. Since leaving behind a career in accounting, he's had a hand in such TV hits as "Lost Girl," "Relic Hunter" and "Andromeda."

His latest hit has earned an international following, airing on Syfy in the U.S., Space in Canada, Syfy Australia Down Under and Syfy UK across the pond, thanks to two strong seasons. For those who haven't seen it yet, or those who just want a refresher on what's happened so far, season 2 is available on Netflix. In fact, "Dark Matter" has landed on more than one critic's top 10 sci-fi series on Netflix list, making it a must-see for fans of the genre.

When the show premiered in June 2015, six people with no memory of who they were or where they came from were forced to work together when they awoke on a derelict spacecraft. They named themselves "One" through "Six" in the order in which they woke up, and began the arduous task of stabilizing their ship and figuring out how they got there. As their stories unfolded over the course of the first two seasons, the strangers were shocked by revelations about their pasts as criminals and their current mission.

The original cast included Marc Bendavid ("Summer in the City," 2016) as One, Melissa O'Neil ("Canadian Idol") as Two, Anthony Lemke ("The Listener") as Three, Alex Mallari Jr. ("The Strain") as Four, Jodelle Ferland ("Kingdom Hospital") as Five and Roger Cross ("24") as Six. Zoie Palmer ("Lost Girl") portrays The Android, another key character. As the mystery began to unravel, the crew members became entangled in an intergalactic conspiracy as they searched for a device that could turn the tide in a looming corporate war.

Melissa O'Neil stars in "Dark Matter"

This season, Ayisha Issa ("12 Monkeys") joins the cast as Solara Shockley, Mishka Thébaud ("Bitten") as Adrian Maro and Andrew Moodie ("Hell on Wheels") as Teku Feonsei.

The three rookie cast members aren't the only thing new in season 3. "Dark Matter" has proved so popular, it's earned its own dedicated aftershow. Dubbed "After Dark," the program brings together the show's stars, crew members, fans and experts to discuss the episodes, go behind the scenes and talk about what might be next for the protagonists. Series star Palmer hosts the series, while O'Neil, Lemke, Mallari, Ferland and Cross are all expected to appear in "After Dark" throughout the season. Creator and showrunner Joe Mallozi ("Stargate SG-1") is also on deck for the aftershow, which will be available online after each week's new episode.

Mallozi and co-creator Paul Mullie ("Stargate Atlantis") reportedly intended for "Dark Matter" to be a TV series first, but the story actually originated in a graphic novel featuring art by Garry Brown that was published by Dark Horse Comics. Comic books have long provided fodder for TV shows and movies, but lately, comic characters have leapt from page to screen -- big and small -- in record numbers. The popularity of the comic series, which was published as a monthly between January and April 2012, led to a TV deal for Mallozi and Mullie.

Dark Matter fits in perfectly with Syfy's renewed focus on appealing to fans of science fiction and fantasy, prompted by the recent boom in the popularity of those genres. Other series in the same vein include "Killjoys," which returns later in June, and "The Expanse," which isn't set to return until 2018. Until then, sci-fi fans can get their space fix by tuning in to the third season of "Dark Matter," premiering Friday, June 9, on Syfy.