Why Apple TV Is Ending Its Most-Acclaimed Sci-Fi Series Right As It Launches Franchise Spinoffs

March 29, 2026

42

One of Apple TV’s most well-regarded series is preparing for landing soon.

Of the many now-acclaimed series on the streaming platform, For All Mankind is among the best-liked. First launching in 2019, the sci-fi alternate history narrative imagines a world where the Soviet Union was the first to get to the moon. The series boasts strong viewership and a 92% overall Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes.

In an interview with Collider, For All Mankind creators Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert explained why the show is ending after six seasons. Nedivi explained that the show never had a “seven season” plan, specifically. Rather, the creators always wanted to “end the show in the present day.” Check out Nedivi’s quote below:

“To correct the record, it was never seven seasons. We’d always said it’d be ‘like six or seven.’ Honestly, the goal was always, from the beginning, getting us to the present. As we’ve told you many times, we love the idea of starting from this point of divergence and ending the show in the present day to show how different the world could have been. We realized as we’ve been working on the show and getting closer and closer to that point in terms of the time jumps, in terms of where we find ourselves in Season 5 in the end, it felt like we only needed one more season to complete that story and to complete the roadmap that Ron [Moore], Matt, and I had created in the very beginning.”

That is, they were not trying to hit a specific season count, but figured out where “time jumps” would make sense in the story, and how that would get them closer to their intended narrative. After they hit season 5, they “felt like [they] only needed one more season to complete the story.”

Wolpert confirmed this fact, noting that the early conversations about For All Mankind season 6 included the team ideating “a great concept to bring the whole series to a close.” He also paid credit to Sony and Apple for being “great partners throughout,” and thoroughly supporting the creators’ choices:

“Basically. That was almost verbatim our email. No, it was a little more involved than that. But yes, it was basically like we talked about. After we had finished shooting Season 5 and were editing, and seeing that story play out, we started talking about what a Season 6 might be, and we felt like we came up with a great concept to bring the whole series to a close.

Apple was nothing but supportive, as well as Sony. They’ve just been great partners throughout this whole show, honestly. The fact that such a unique show as this has been supported by them in the way it has is just a testament to them as creative partners.”

Ultimately, the series will see its final takeoff in 2027. For All Mankind season 5 kicked off on Friday, March 27, and will continue weekly episodes on Fridays until May 29. This will be followed by its final season next year.

The series closure comes at a particularly interesting time due to the production of a For All Mankind spinoff. Said series, titled Star City, was officially announced back in April 2024, when For All Mankind‘s final season plans were less clear. In fact, its announcement was on the heels of For All Mankind season 5’s confirmation.

Since this announcement, more details have crystallized about Star City. This includes the casting of House of the Dragon star Rhys Ifans in the lead role, playing the Soviety Union Space Program’s Chief Designer. Others cast include Anna Maxwell Martin, Adam Nagatis, Josef Davies, and Ruby Ashbourne Serkis.

So, as one era for For All Mankind ends, another will begin. Though the season 6 conclusion may disappoint some fans of the original series, it sounds like the show’s creators have a very intentional vision in mind. Hopefully, they can live up to their promises and deliver a satisfying ending to the sci-fi series.