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Apple TV is in its spinoffs era – an era that could change its hard-welded prestige dramas image for better or worse.
The streaming service has, of late, focused on capitalizing on its most popular shows through spinoffs, including For All Mankind, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and Severance.
The For All Mankind universe expands this May when Star City premieres.
The alt-history spinoff is arguably the streamer’s first attempt at properly building a television universe, and its success or failure could influence the fate of the other spinoffs.
Star City is a test of whether Apple can expand its series’ universe without diluting its image.
Star City, like any other spinoff, deserves to be viewed with a skeptical eye. Is it truly a great idea or a cash grab?
The show wants to keep the For All Mankind feel by ensuring that the creative team behind the streamer’s longest-running sci-fi series remains in control. Ben Nedivi, Matt Wolpert, and Ronald D. Moore are credited as the creators of the series premiering on May 29.
In For All Mankind, viewers witnessed the space race, in which America lost to the Soviets when the Soviets became the first to place a man on the moon. The race was as intense for the characters as it was for the viewers.
Star City asks: What about the soviets? How was their experience competing with America in a history-defining moment?
The series opens the Iron Curtain, revealing the soviet side of the story – how they did it, what the risks and sacrifices were.
It’s the Soviet Union, so there should be a lot of political interference. Expect a heavy dose of Soviet bureaucratic dread, where the risks of a rocket launch are often less dangerous than the mood of a mid-level Kremlin apparatchik.
If the For All Mankind team felt like they were having their testicles squeezed by the American government, the Kremlin’s hold on its team must feel like being crushed by a vice.
Apple TV has also released some images previewing the upcoming season. You’ve already seen some of them throughout this article.
They introduce the cast who will bring the various characters to life.
They include Rhys Ifans, Anna Maxwell Martin, Agnes O’Casey, Alice Englert, Solly McLeod, Adam Nagaitis, Ruby Ashbourne Serkis, Josef Davies, and Priya Kansara.
The vibe the images project is that of a cold, results-focused regime that will stop at nothing to beat the Americans. The climate is unforgiving, and the leadership makes the frozen ground look soft in comparison.
Based on the premise and imagery alone, Star City already feels charged with tension as dozens of people work toward a singular goal.
We see a control center akin to NASA’s, where the power of the human mind truly comes into focus.
The series is a risky undertaking. For All Mankind is America-centric, which makes it easier for American viewers to enjoy, but seeing the other side win might not carry the same weight.
Can viewers truly set aside their egos and a century-worth of tribal thinking to appreciate the story?
It’s not only a test of how good the show is, but also how human. Even when Ed and his team lost, we always returned for the next mission because we believed in them.
With shows like Hijack, it has become clear that Apple TV is not above negating its convictions in the face of success.
Star City could very well be a trainwreck, but we won’t know until we see it.
The show gets a typical Apple TV rollout: a two-episode premiere on May 29, crafted to hook viewers on the story, followed by a new episode weekly that gets to the substance and truly makes it clear whether the show is worth anyone’s time before the finale on July 10.
Over to you, For All Mankind fanatics. What do you think of this spinoff? What are your general thoughts about spinoffs?
Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.
Say something in the comments, share if you’re moved to, and keep reading. Independent voices need readers like you.
Also, don’t forget that For All Mankind Season 5 premieres on March 27.
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It’s here: the first For All Mankind spinoff. Titled Star City, the series takes us into the lives of the people who beat America in the space race. Check out the photos.
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