Showtime is taking the drive to sign up more subscribers to Yahoo!

The premium cable channel is extending its upcoming free preview weekend, which is typically restricted to select cable operators, to the popular portal. Yahoo! users will be able to access a wide variety of Showtime original programs on demand between Friday and Oct. 13, including "Weeds," "Dexter," "Sleeper Cell" and "The L Word."

"Yahoo! TV's online experience and their audience are great subscriber acquisition and program sampling opportunities for Showtime," said Len Fogge, executive vp creative marketing, research and digital media. "Yahoo!'s visitors will be able to see for themselves what the critics and subscribers have been talking about."

Yahoo! visitors also will get a first look at Showtime's upcoming original series "The Tudors," currently in production in Ireland.