Published Feb 10, 2026, 3:15 PM EST
Zach Moser is a Philadelphia native who loves films, television, books, and any and all media he can get his hands on. Zach has had articles published on satirical sites such as Points In Case, Slackjaw, and McSweeney's.
Apple TV's For All Mankind is coming back to Apple TV, so there's never been a better time to check out the excellent sci-fi drama series starring Joel Kinnaman. Apple TV has been hitting it out of the park with its sci-fi TV series for the last couple of years, cementing itself as the place to go for prestige sci-fi.
While it's really only been the last couple of years that Apple TV's original shows have climbed to dominance, it did dabble in sci-fi early in its lifecycle as well. For All Mankind was one of the first original series produced for the streamer, and it has only gotten better as the years have gone on.
Sci-Fi Fans Shouldn't Miss Apple TV's For All Mankind
For All Mankind is a sci-fi drama starring Joel Kinnaman as Edward "Ed" Baldwin, one of NASA's top astronauts. The series is set in an alternate timeline where the Soviets landed on the moon first. In this timeline, the USA was spurred on by this loss to do even greater things in the space race.
This causes a domino effect of advancements in technology and a universal acknowledgment that science and collaboration are for the benefit of all. Season 1 takes place in the 1970s, and each successive season takes place in the following decade, usually with major changes in the cast.
Joel Kinnaman's Character Is A Key To For All Mankind's Success
One of the few characters who appears in every season of For All Mankind is Joel Kinnaman's Ed Baldwin, originally based on the real-life Apollo 10 commander Thomas P. Stafford. Over four seasons of the show, which is the equivalent of four decades, Ed shows time and time again why he's trusted with NASA's most difficult missions.
As one of only a handful of characters who appear in every season of this decades-spanning show, Ed is crucial to For All Mankind's success. The series is not an anthology, so it is up to Ed to bridge the years and characters, and he does so while remaining a fascinating character and not just an exposition machine.
For All Mankind Returns For Season 5 In March 2026 (& A Spinoff Is On The Way)
For All Mankind season 4 ended on January 12, 2024, and a few months later, it was announced that season 5 was in the works. The next season of For All Mankind is set to debut on March 27, 2026, with a new episode in the 10-episode season dropping on the streamer every Friday.
Along with For All Mankind season 5, a spinoff series is also in development (via Variety). The spinoff will jump back to the '70s and see what was happening with the Soviets. Star City, as it's called, does not have a release date, but at least For All Mankind season 5 will be here to tide fans over.
Release Date November 1, 2019
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
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Michael Dorman
Gordon 'Gordo' Stevens
English (US) ·