diff --git a/visidata/basesheet.py b/visidata/basesheet.py
index e3502986b..1b309ed1b 100644
--- a/visidata/basesheet.py
+++ b/visidata/basesheet.py
@@ -107,12 +107,12 @@ def _class_options(cls):
 
     class_options = options = _dualproperty(_obj_options, _class_options)
 
-    def __init__(self, *names, **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, *names, rows=UNLOADED, **kwargs):
         self._name = None   # initial cache value necessary for self.options
         self.names = list(names)
         self.name = self.options.name_joiner.join(str(x) for x in self.names if x)
         self.source = None
-        self.rows = UNLOADED      # list of opaque objects
+        self.rows = rows      # list of opaque objects
         self._scr = None
         self.hasBeenModified = False
 
@@ -151,6 +151,14 @@ def __len__(self):
     def __str__(self):
         return self.name
 
+    @property
+    def rows(self):
+        return self._rows
+
+    @rows.setter
+    def rows(self, rows):
+        self._rows = rows
+
     @property
     def nRows(self):
         'Number of rows on this sheet.  Override in subclass.'
diff --git a/visidata/freqtbl.py b/visidata/freqtbl.py
index 992376b23..584321322 100644
--- a/visidata/freqtbl.py
+++ b/visidata/freqtbl.py
@@ -126,6 +126,15 @@ def makeFreqTableSheetSummary(sheet, *groupByCols):
                           source=sheet)
 
 
+@VisiData.api
+class FreqTablePreviewSheet(Sheet):
+    @property
+    def rows(self):
+        return self.source.cursorRow.sourcerows
+
+
+FreqTableSheet.addCommand('', 'open-preview', 'vd.push(FreqTablePreviewSheet(sheet.name, "preview", source=sheet, columns=source.columns), pane=2); vd.options.disp_splitwin_pct=50', 'open split preview of source rows at cursor')
+
 Sheet.addCommand('F', 'freq-col', 'vd.push(makeFreqTable(sheet, cursorCol))', 'open Frequency Table grouped on current column, with aggregations of other columns')
 Sheet.addCommand('gF', 'freq-keys', 'vd.push(makeFreqTable(sheet, *keyCols))', 'open Frequency Table grouped by all key columns on source sheet, with aggregations of other columns')
 Sheet.addCommand('zF', 'freq-summary', 'vd.push(makeFreqTableSheetSummary(sheet, Column("Total", sheet=sheet, getter=lambda col, row: "Total")))', 'open one-line summary for all rows and selected rows')
diff --git a/visidata/sheets.py b/visidata/sheets.py
index c17261a44..4609e0117 100644
--- a/visidata/sheets.py
+++ b/visidata/sheets.py
@@ -124,9 +124,8 @@ class TableSheet(BaseSheet):
     ]
     nKeys = 0  # columns[:nKeys] are key columns
 
-    def __init__(self, *names, **kwargs):
-        super().__init__(*names, **kwargs)
-        self.rows = UNLOADED      # list of opaque row objects (UNLOADED before first reload)
+    def __init__(self, *names, rows=UNLOADED, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(*names, rows=rows, **kwargs)
         self.cursorRowIndex = 0  # absolute index of cursor into self.rows
         self.cursorVisibleColIndex = 0  # index of cursor into self.visibleCols