Apple TV's Hit Sci-Fi Series From Battlestar Galactica Showrunner Was The First Of Its Kind

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Published Jun 27, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT

Zach Moser has been writing for ScreenRant since 2022, covering movies, classic TV, and streaming TV. His areas of expertise cover a wide range of genres with a particular interest in horror and drama, and the conversations around the TV and film industry. When he's not covering the latest film releases or chronicling the latest season of a new show, he's writing humor pieces for McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Slackjaw, and Points In Case or working on short stories and his second novel.

One of Apple TV's hit sci-fi TV shows is the brainchild of Ronald D. Moore, the creator behind Battlestar Galactica, and it has heralded a new wave of science fiction on the streaming platform. Battlestar Galactica ranks high among the greatest sci-fi shows of all time, and that is in big part thanks to Moore.

Ronald D. Moore is a screenwriter and showrunner whose work is almost exclusively within the science fiction genre. He's worked as a writer, producer, or showrunner on titles like Star Trek TNG, DS9, and Voyager; Outlander; Carnivàle; and he's heading the upcoming God of War show for Prime Video.

He's also responsible for For All Mankind, the six-season Apple TV show that premiered in 2019 and is set to air its sixth and final season sometime in 2027. The series is set in an alternate history where the Soviets beat the United States to the moon. Their victory inspired a never-ending space race between Earth's major powers.

Shows Developed by Ronald D. Moore

Year	Show
2003	Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries
2004-2009	Battlestar Galactica
2009-2010	Caprica
2014-2026	Outlander
2017-2018	Electric Dreams
2019-Present	For All Mankind
2026	Star City
TBA	God of War

Instead of fracturing the world, this race leads to a blossoming and acceleration of scientific study and global cooperation to the point that humans are walking on Mars by the end of the 20th century. Every season of the show jumps a decade, with characters aging, some dying, and new ones arriving.

A lot of science fiction shows begin centuries or millennia after the events we see in a show like For All Mankind, but the Apple series digs into the politics, breakthroughs, tiny victories, and terrible losses that it would take for somewhere like Earth to come together and move on from our blue planet and into the stars.

For All Mankind Triggered A Procession Of Brilliant Sci-Fi Shows On Apple TV

For All Mankind had a quiet start in 2019, in part because it premiered on Apple TV, one of the younger streamers, which was also struggling to make a statement with its original TV shows. That first season only earned a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it would be two years before the second season premiered.

In that period, and soon after, Apple TV's library of original science fiction shows exploded in size and quality, including For All Mankind season 2, which jumped to a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Foundation, Invasion, and Severance were the next shows to premiere, which ranged from good to exceptional.

Later, Apple TV debuted Silo, Dark Matter, Pluribus, and Murderbot, all of which continue to air. For All Mankind is one of only two original Apple TV shows still airing seasons, the other being The Morning Show, that led the first round of Apple TV originals, and its success must have given producers and creatives the confidence to choose Apple to help tell their stories.

For All Mankind Is Still Breaking New Ground Today

Alice Englert's Anastasia looking worried while seated in a ship in Star City

For All Mankind continues to be a major piece of the Apple TV lineup, with nearly every season being better than the last. The final seasons of the show will be one of the major events of the streamer's history. A long-lived show with a proper ending is a major accomplishment for any platform.

Moore isn't done with his universe either, it seems. In May 2026, a spin-off series, Star City, premiered, telling the story of For All Mankind season 1 from the point of view of the Soviets. It already has strong reviews, and we could see the beginning of the dawn of a new show in the franchise as the original one sets.

Release Date 2019 - 2027-00-00

Network Apple TV

Showrunner Ronald D. Moore

Directors Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Andrew Stanton, Meera Menon, Dan Liu, Allen Coulter, Craig Zisk, Dennie Gordon, John Dahl, Lukas Ettlin, Wendey Stanzler, Seth Gordon, Sylvain White, Michael Morris, Maja Vrvilo, Sarah Boyd

Writers Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, Ben Nedivi, Bradley Thompson, David Weddle, Nichole Beattie, Joe Menosky