Apple TV+ revealed an overview of the upcoming season of its alternate-history sci-if drama For All Mankind on Thursday. The show will relaunch in February with a focus on a struggle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over the moon.
Countdown to For All Mankind season 2
Season one depicted an alternate version of history in which the U.S.S.R. beat the U.S. to land on the Moon. The second season jumps forward to 1983, with tensions between America and its communist arch-rival at their height.
“Ronald Reagan is president and the greater ambitions of science and space exploration are at threat of being squandered, as the U.S. and Soviets go head-to-head to control sites rich in resources on the moon,” reads the official description of For All Mankind season two. “The Department of Defense has moved into Mission Control, and the militarization of NASA becomes central to several characters’ stories: Some fight it, some use it as an opportunity to advance their own interests and some find themselves at the height of a conflict that may lead to nuclear war.”
With a decade+ jump forward in time, there’s a new generation of astronauts, many the children of the first-season regulars. Joining the cast are Cynthy Wu (American Vandal and Holidate), Coral Peña (The Post and Chemical Hearts) and Casey W. Johnson (GLOW and Rise). And many actors from the initial season are returning, including Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Shantel VanSanten, Wrenn Schmidt, Jodi Balfour, Krys Marshall and Sonya Walger.
Launch of the new For All Mankind season is scheduled for Friday, February 19, 2021, with a first episode. The remaining nine will air one per week on subsequent Fridays. Apple TV+ subscribers can binge-watch season one now.
This sci-if show was moderately popular when it first appeared in November 2019, at the debut of Apple’s streaming video service. It drew an average of 19.3 times as much demand as a typical series in its first 60 days, according to Parrot Analytics.
Lots more Apple TV+ is on the way
Several other Apple TV+ shows are about to premier their second seasons in early 2021, including the psychological thriller Servant and the comedic Dickinson.
They’ll be part of nearly 50 series and movies already available or coming soon. The lineup includes dramas, documentaries, thrillers, sci-fi and comedies. Apple’s streaming service costs $4.99 a month, and a one-year free trial comes with many Apple devices. There are no commercials.
