When Ronald D. Moore redefined science fiction television with Battlestar Galactica, he set a high bar for the genre. Now, he's done it again with For All Mankind on Apple TV+. This alternate-history space saga has earned a stellar 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and is widely considered the spiritual successor to the beloved series.
What starts as a simple twist of history—the Soviet Union beats the U.S. to the moon in 1969—spirals into a decades-long space race that reshapes our world. Each season jumps roughly ten years forward, allowing viewers to watch history diverge further from our own. NASA never loses momentum, lunar bases become permanent communities, and private space companies arrive decades early. By season five, Mars is home to a generation that has never known life anywhere else.
From Alternate History to Epic Space Opera
Like Battlestar Galactica, For All Mankind uses its sci-fi setting to explore deeply human themes. The Cylon invasion allowed Moore's earlier show to examine governance, loss, fear, and moral decay. Here, the advancement of space history exposes new human problems: pilots become politicians, engineers become unwilling leaders, and families endure years-long separations for the sake of progress.
The show's ambition to reflect social realities is comparable to that of Battlestar Galactica. Neither series uses its futuristic setting for mere spectacle; both shed light on power, identity, self-sacrifice, and humanity's future. For All Mankind tackles automation, immigration, economic inequality, corporate influence, environmental questions, nationalism, and the struggle between governments and private industry—all while humanity establishes thriving settlements beyond Earth.
A Hopeful Yet Grounded Vision
What sets For All Mankind apart from many recent sci-fi shows is its refusal to present space as either a utopia or a dystopia. Instead, it offers something far more complex: another place where people carry their ambitions, flaws, and hopes. The series feels hopeful without being naive, acknowledging that even as we reach for the stars, our familiar problems refuse to disappear—they're simply carried into space.
For viewers still searching for a character-driven space epic after Battlestar Galactica, few modern shows come closer to capturing that same sense of scale, intelligence, and emotional payoff. If you're looking for more great sci-fi on Apple TV+, check out our list of the best sci-fi of 2026.
With five seasons of rich storytelling, For All Mankind proves that the best sci-fi is about the people left behind to deal with the consequences of impossible decisions. It's a worthy successor to Battlestar Galactica and a must-watch for any fan of the genre.
