10 Shows Like ‘For All Mankind’ You Should Watch Next

Science fiction series on Apple TV For all humanity begins with a tantalizing alternative history premise: What if Soviet space pioneer Sergei Korolev had not died prematurely in 1966, but had instead helped to flourish his country’s space program, prolonging the space race indefinitely?

If America and the world had been forced to continue the space program, our past (and present) would have been very different — at least according to this show, which crosses decades to imagine how it might have played out in an alternate past. (By the current fifth season, set in alt-2012, some humans live off-planet in a Martian habitat.)

For all humanity is both a great, generally hopeful alternate history story and a solid, compelling sci-fi show. As the penultimate season draws to a close on Apple TV, here are 10 other ambitious shows that follow equally winding paths.

The Man in the High Castle (2015-2019)

Based on the novel by Philip K. Dick (whose work served as the basis for Blade Runner, Total recall, Minority report, A dark scanner, among many others), The Man in the High Castle is a political thriller set (mostly) in the alternate 1960s in which the Axis powers won World War II and the United States is split in two, with Japan governing the west and Germany overseeing the east. “The Man in the High Castle” of the title is a propaganda film (or is it?) that offers an alternative vision that more closely resembles our history books. As the series progresses over its four seasons, the parallels with our increasingly fascism-friendly world only grow. Flow The Man in the High Castle on Prime Video And Netflix.

The good things (2020)

The second attempt at adapting Tom Wolfe’s 1979 book, this series isn’t exactly about space exploration, but about the strange and winding road it took to get there. The show begins in 1959 with the selection of the seven pilots best suited for America’s new space program, individuals who brought excellent qualifications as well as the butch, photogenic vibe needed to sell a multibillion-dollar program to 1960s Americans. With impeccable period style, it’s at least as much about mythology building as it is about the space race itself. Buy The good things from Prime Video.

From the Earth to the Moon (1998)

Call it the alternate history of the alternate history of For all humanity (OK, that’s just “the story”). This prestige miniseries dramatizes real-life events in the space program, beginning roughly with the Freedom 7 Mercury flight in 1961 and going all the way back to humanity’s most recent moon landing with Apollo 17, just over a decade later. Largely an anthology, this docu-drama intersperses personal stories (the penultimate episode follows the wives and families of several astronauts) with more traditional mission drama. Executive producer Tom Hanks presents most episodes, leading an all-star cast from the 1990s. Flow From the Earth to the Moon on HBO Max.

Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009)

It’s not a perfect match for For all humanity Whether in the atmosphere or in the setting, there is nevertheless an intellectual and philosophical depth between this series and this one (note that both share a creator in the person of Ronald D. Moore). The Cylons, intelligent machines who rebelled against their human masters, are inspired by their growing religious convictions to violently free themselves from their creators. Humanity is reduced to a population of a few tens of thousands, and while the series delves into existential questions with surprising depth, we must never forget that we see humanity more than decimated, surviving on a handful of rickety spaceships in search of a legendary world called “Earth.” The oppressed become the oppressors, and even though we mostly follow the human characters, the series never takes a strong stance on the moral superiority of either side. Buy Battlestar Galactica from Prime Video or stream it on Pluto TV and Paramount+ starting May 1.

1983 (2018)

Of course, we’ve all wondered what would have happened if we hadn’t moved slowly through the space program after the moon landing, but the real question of alternative history is: what if the communist Polish People’s Republic had never fallen? This political thriller is largely set in 2003, twenty years after a series of bombings ended hopes of ending the Cold War, which still continues behind the Iron Curtain. In this vision of Poland, digital surveillance is omnipresent; art is censored; and personal behavior and sexual morality are restricted both by law and through a subjugated population (the similarities with our supposedly more enlightened post-communist times are not coincidental; that’s the point). Law student Kajetan (Maciej Musiał) and national police investigator Anatol (Robert Więckiewicz) become embroiled in a conspiracy that could well lead to revolution. Flow 1983 on Netflix.

The extent (2015 – 2022)

Set in the somewhat near future, The extent (based on the book series by James SA Corey) imagines a colonized solar system into which we have carried all our old familiar problems, and more: Earth is at the historical and cultural center of things, while the colonists of Mars, by virtue of having to survive in a harsh environment, have developed technological and military superiority, and the people living in “the Belt” have had to fight to survive. Greed, fear, and short-sightedness make conflict almost inevitable, even if the series isn’t as cynical as it first appears. The extent share with For all humanity a practical vision of human progress that never entirely gives in to cynicism; they also share a creative voice in executive producer (and frequent Ronald D. Moore collaborator) Naren Shankar. Flow The extent on Prime Video.

The Plot Against America (2020)

Another dark turn on an alternate path in American history, The Plot Against America wonders whether Charles Lindbergh had succeeded in his quest for political power in the 1930s, capitalizing on his vision of an America that followed in the footsteps of Nazi Germany by putting an end to the “infiltration of the inferior blood” (by which he meant primarily the Jewish people). Adapted from the book by Philip Roth, the series skirts history, depicting Lindbergh’s successful campaign for the American presidency against Franklin D. Roosevelt, which ultimately allowed the United States to stay out of World War II, resulting in things at home becoming increasingly dangerous for the Jewish family at the center of the series. Morgan Spector, Zoe Kazan, Winona Ryder and John Turturro star. Flow The Plot Against America on HBO Max.

Manhattan (2014-2015)

A loose, but still compelling, exploration of the Manhattan Project, this mostly true story nevertheless seems part of a play with For all humanity in its look at a critical moment in human history, as well as for its impeccable period ambiance. John Benjamin Hickey plays scientist Dr. Frank Winter, a composite of several real-life characters, with Olivia Williams as botanist (and Frank’s wife), Liza. J. Robert Oppenheimer (played here by Daniel London) lurks in the background, with the series focusing primarily on the relentless drive of the scientists who developed technology that, for better or worse, would prove fundamental to the space program. Flow Manhattan on Prime Video.

Guardians (2019)

This may seem like overkill, but for my money, Guardians stands with For all humanity as an all-time great alternate history, although this one is a bit more fantastical, imagining the impacts of Jim Crow-era racial violence on a world that saw the rise of fascist superheroes in the 1980s. A standalone sequel to the groundbreaking graphic novel by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and John Higgins, this series begins in an alternate city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in a world where super-powered vigilantes exist but have been outlawed. Regina King plays Angela Abar, a modern-day cop whose grandparents were killed in the real-life Tulsa Race Massacre, an event that resonates throughout the series: It’s a dystopia that doesn’t seem so different from our own, with masked police officers operating outside the law and openly racist organizations wielding growing political influence. Flow Guardians on HBO Max.

The first (2018)

Set in 2031, The first follows a hypothetical first crewed mission to Mars following a disaster that nearly ends the entire effort. Strongly inspired by the real story which serves as a starting point for For all humanityThis show follows the astronauts, their families, the ground crew, and even the tech CEOs who set us on the rocky road to the red planet. Given that reaching 2031 seems a bit optimistic right now, it might end up looking like alternate history in just a few years. Flow The first on Hulu.