What if the Soviets had put a man on the moon first? That’s the premise of For All Mankind, an Apple TV+ series that imagines what would have happened if the United States had lost the space race in the 60s. The show focuses on a group of Right Stuff–style astronauts and their spouses, and also steps back to look at how pivotal events could have ended differently, and not just in the Cold War—Teddy Kennedy’s presidential ambitions, the Equal Rights Amendment, and Watergate are all turned upside down. You don’t have to be a NASA fan to enjoy the series, but it is best suited to viewers who like their dramas dark: For All Mankind has comic moments, but it doesn’t paint a cheery picture of what could have been. —Alessandra Stanley

For All Mankind
Streaming on Apple TV
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Film & TV
Sarah Jones in “For All Mankind,” Season 2 © Apple TV+ / Everett Collection.
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