For All Mankind
According to Ronald D. Moore, the idea of the show came about during lunch with former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman, when they discussed the possibility of an alternate history in which the Russians reached the moon before the Americans.,The gravity inside the Jamestown lunar base appears to be normal in that the characters are able to work around and handle objects in the same way they would on Earth, even though the force of gravity on the surface of the Moon lower than it is on the surface of the Earth. However, lunar gravity kicks in when the characters are outside the lunar base.,Featured in The Science of Science Fiction: Could the Moon Ever Crash into the Earth like in Moonfall? (2022),There's so much that is top notch about For All Mankind, but let's start with the cinematography and filming. As visual effects go, it is one of the few productions in either film or streaming that has so effectively conveyed what it must feel like to stand on our nearest celestial body, the Moon. The creators have managed to produce stunning visual effects which are so perfect as to feel utterly convincing. They have succeeded in so many ways, from sets and costumes spanning decades starting in the late 1950's, stepping assuredly through the different eras, to architecture and technology that is so on point that if you think about even the smallest of details, you'll realise the sheer dedication, love and professionalism that went into making this gem of a series. Much of it feels like a nod to Kubrick, especially the Moon and modernist 50's/60's sets and aerospace technology.

Stepping away from the serenity of the Moon and it's dusty skittish regolith brings us to Mars in the third series and that is very well done also, really convincing.

And the visuals aren't even the best of it; for the story, although fictional, deftly merges fact and fiction utilising vintage footage and merging it with CGI to really convey the story in an integrated way. The acting of the main cast is outstanding and some of the actors deserve awards, mainly those who at first appeared to have secondary storylines, such as Margo Madison, Molly Cobb, Danielle Poole, Sergei Orestovich and many more. In fact, the only critique I have is of the main character: Ed Baldwin played by Joel, Kinneman, whom I do like as an actor. However, by the latter half of the second series he becomes very wooden and unconvincing for some reason and maybe it's due to breaks in filming, it's hard to tell. It's a minor criticism though as he delivers a good performance overall, just not outstanding like many of the others.

After failing to get into it at first, I came back to try again after the third series arrived and, to my surprise, found that the story is captivating and has pace so is engaging and bingeable. In fact, I binge watched the entire three series. Need I say any more?

Outstandingly out of this world.,