For All Mankind (TV series)

• 1. The Moon That Never Was

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  In 1969, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov steps onto the lunar surface before any American astronaut. This single event shatters the morale of NASA and forces a desperate American response. The United States must now match pace with a rival that emphasizes equality by including women in subsequent landings. Civil rights movements accelerate as the nation is forced to train ethnic minorities who were historically excluded from early space exploration. The timeline diverges when Sergei Korolev survives his operation in Moscow in 1966 instead of dying. His survival allows the Soviet Moon program to pull together and succeed where history had it fail. Sustained investments in technology create a global technological race with dramatic civilian effects. Electric vehicles appear decades earlier than in our reality. Controlled CO2 production prevents a climate crisis entirely. Each season takes place about a decade later, moving from the late 1960s into the 1980s, then the 1990s, and finally the 2000s.

• 2. Lives In Orbit And On Earth

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  Edward Baldwin stands as one of NASA's top astronauts while his best friend Gordon Stevens serves as his lunar module pilot. Their friendship drives much of the narrative across multiple decades of the story. Tracy Stevens begins as Gordo's wife but eventually becomes an astronaut herself among Nixon's Women. Karen Baldwin owns the Outpost Tavern before becoming head of Helios Aerospace. Ellen Wilson evolves from an astronaut to Administrator of NASA, then to United States senator, and finally President following the 1992 election. Margo Madison works as a NASA engineer mentored by Wernher von Braun. Molly Cobb joins the ranks of Nixon's Women alongside Danielle Poole. Kelly Baldwin grows up as a scientist and adopted daughter to Ed and Karen. Danny Stevens pursues a new job opportunity on Mars after working on offshore oil platforms. Aleida Rosales starts as an illegal immigrant fascinated by space before receiving mentorship from Margo. Dev Ayesa founds Helios Aerospace with the goal to reach Mars before NASA or the Soviet Union. Miles Dale transitions from offshore oil platform worker to space worker on the Mars colony. Irina Morozova rises as a high-ranking Soviet official in the later years of the timeline.

• 3. A Lunch That Changed History

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  Ronald D. Moore conceived the idea for the show during lunch with former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman. They discussed the possibility of an alternate history where Soviets reached the Moon before Americans. Apple gave the production a one-season series order in December 2017. The series was created by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi. Maril Davis serves as executive producer alongside Moore, Wolpert, and Nedivi. Production companies involved include Sony Pictures Television and Tall Ship Productions. October 2018 marked when the series received its official title For All Mankind. The show premiered on the 1st of November 2019, consisting of 10 episodes released weekly until the 20th of December 2019. Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Shantel VanSanten, and Wrenn Schmidt were cast in main roles in August 2018. Jodi Balfour joined the cast in October 2018. Cynthy Wu, Coral Peña, and Casey W. Johnson became main cast members for season two in November 2020. Edi Gathegi joined the season three cast as a series regular in June 2021. Daniel Stern, Toby Kebbell, Tyner Rushing, and Svetlana Efremova were cast as series regulars for season four.

• 4. Shooting Across Decades

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  Principal photography commenced in August 2018 in Los Angeles, California. The New York Times reported that filming had concluded by March 2019. Filming for the second season began in December 2019. Production resumed in August 2020 after the COVID-19 halt to complete the final two episodes. Filming for the third season started in February 2021 and concluded mid-September 2021. Season four filming began in August 2022 and wrapped by January 2023. Filming for the fifth season began in July 2024. All tracks written by Jeff Russo with Paul Doucette co-writing third and fourth-season tracks. Apple released an augmented reality iOS application called For All Mankind: Time Capsule on the 11th of February 2021. The podcast titled For All Mankind: The Official Podcast launched every two weeks starting the 19th of February 2021. A companion video series named The Science behind For All Mankind appeared for season three episodes. The show received a 75% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 56 reviews for its first season.

• 5. Awards And Critical Acclaim

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  The second season achieved a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 27 reviews. Critics described it as compelling character work with a renewed sense of wonder making for thrilling viewing. Metacritic assigned a weighted score of 75 out of 100 based on 7 reviews indicating generally favorable reception. The third season earned a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 36 reviews. Reviewers noted the series goes as far as Mars while maintaining focus on its original ensemble. Universal acclaim appeared on Metacritic with a weighted score of 84 out of 100 from 15 critics. Season four reached another 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 28 reviews. Critics stated Houston has no problem here as the fourth season hones in on what works best. The Time Capsule application won Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Programming at the 73rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The series received nominations for Best Fantasy Television Series at Saturn Awards and Outstanding Achievement in Drama at TCA Awards. Matt Wolpert, Ben Nedivi, and Sergio Mimica-Gezzan won Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation Short Form.

• 6. Expanding The Universe

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  Apple released an augmented reality iOS application called For All Mankind: Time Capsule to walk users through the decade-long gap between seasons one and two. The application shows the relationship between astronauts Gordo and Tracy Stevens and their son Danny Stevens. A podcast titled For All Mankind: The Official Podcast launched every two weeks starting the 19th of February 2021. Krys Marshall hosts the podcast featuring behind-the-scenes looks and interviews with scientists, former astronauts, and cast members. The Science behind For All Mankind companion video series explains scientific topics shown on corresponding episodes from season three. Wrenn Schmidt hosts this breakdown of scientific concepts appearing in the show. Apple TV+ renewed the series for a fifth season in April 2024. Star City, a spinoff focusing on the Soviet space program, entered development alongside the main series renewal. Writers stated their goal was about seven seasons spanning at least 70 years from the beginning. The fifth season is scheduled to premiere the 27th of March 2026, consisting of 10 episodes releasing weekly until the 29th of May 2026.