Hidden gem sci-fi series hailed ‘one of the best ever’ drops brand new season
Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if the Soviet Union had won the space race?
That’s the counterfactual that For All Mankind first used as a launchpad to present an entire TV show of alternate history.
Now in its fifth season, the Apple TV sci-fi show’s new 20th-century timeline has resulted in a human colony on Mars.
The show’s view of human life up at the Happy Valley outpost (no, nothing to do with the BBC show) has simmered over the seasons into an earnest, occasionally heartbreaking, portrait.
As we return to For All Mankind in the latest premiere episode of season five, viewers are treated to the show’s customary recap of the revisionist world events in the time since we last saw the cast.
We’re talking a series of headlines like, ‘John Lennon and Jay-Z perform at the Grammys, where their Grey Album wins Album of the Year’. What a world.
But things for the NASA astronauts up on Happy Valley with their families are less rosy, with the leaders of Earth threatening to withhold all help from Mars unless the outpost’s loyalty is established.
It raises an existential question for those on the Red Planet, who at this point have been there for some time: where do they really belong?
The series from Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi has become a beloved fixture of the TV schedule, with fans often praising it as the most slept-on show on the air at the moment.
The thrilling ‘what if’ currently holds a near-perfect score of 92% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, as well as 8.1 out of 10 on IMDb.
What other shows can you watch this weekend?
- Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen. Technically, more than one bad thing happens to engaged couple Nicky and Rachel.
- Babies. The six-part BBC drama follows a married couple in their thirties, desperate to start a family.
- Bait. Riz Ahmed plays fictional British Pakistani Muslim actor Shah Latif, who auditions for the man of the hour, James Bond.
There, one fan described For All Mankind as one of their favourite sci-fi shows ever, adding: ‘That’s not hyperbole.’
‘It may start off a little slow for some but after a few episodes you’ll be hooked.’
The consensus is that the show is far better than you would expect, particularly given how little fanfare it has received more broadly from TV viewers.
‘If you’re a sci-fi fan and have been putting it off like me…stop! Go watch this as soon as possible because I promise you won’t be disappointed,’ wrote another viewer.
Will you give For All Mankind a try?
For All Mankind season 5 launches on Apple TV from March 27.
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