Parents' Guide to

For All Mankind

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Intriguing historical fiction space drama has cursing, sex.

TV Apple TV+ Science Fiction 2019
For All Mankind Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 5 parent reviews

BlitzGuy20
BlitzGuy20 Parent of 7-year-old
August 29, 2020
age 12+

Fun but flawed show has cursing

Episode 1: VIOLENCE: None, several people are thought to be killed and reckless behavior is shown throughout such as scenes where drunken men throw glass bottles at walls, race fast through the road. LANGAUGE: "F*ck" is used 2 times, "Shit" is used infrequently also along with "goddamn", "hell". Language is never used frequently. ALCHOHAL/DRUG/TABACCO USE: Men get drunk, act reckless. Drinking and getting drunk are a big part of the episode. SEXUAL CONTENT/NUDITY: A woman is shown getting dressed non-sexually with no nudity or explicit angles. Mild and brief suggestive jokes are subtly said, which will fly over young kids heads. OVERALL: 12+

This title has:

Great messages
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
3 people found this helpful.
Mark H.
Mark H. Parent
January 20, 2020
age 12+

Decent but flawed what-if drama that borders on soapy

This is a pretty ok show. I’m watching it with my 13 year old and she is bananas for it. The women astronauts and engineers are uniformly amazing. The housewives, not so much. Some of the drama can get a bit soapy. There is an infidelity. As for age appropriateness, I don’t see anything a 12 year old couldn’t handle. There is no blood and gore as the other review freaks out about. It’s a painting and it’s fairly cartoonish. The adults are expressing their fears with it. There are some graphic scenes of the holocaust in episode 2. There is no sex in it, just the aftermath. If naked backs and one bit of side boob bothers to then you should pass. Later in the show (spoiler) a child dies. It’s a bit ham-handed, but traumatic none the less. However, you never actually see the boy or his accident. It’s only discussed. All in all this is a good show for inspiring girls and showing boys how to except girls as equals, and occasionally superiors. Also has good messages regarding never passing up a good opportunity, no matter how hard the work.

This title has:

Great messages
1 person found this helpful.
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

FOR ALL MANKIND is a dramatic historical fiction series that features an alternate universe where the global space race continues. After the unexpected landing of a Russian cosmonaut on the moon two weeks before Apollo 11 is scheduled to launch, the United States is desperate to regain the lead in the space race. While astronauts like Edward Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) and Gordo Stevens (Michael Dorman), engineer Margo Madison (Wrenn Schmidt), and wife and pilot Tracy Stevens (Sarah Jones) are among those hoping to take an active role in NASA's new future, the U.S. government is anxious to keep the Soviets from using the moon as a strategic Cold War vantage point. As a result, the agency finds itself pushing unexpected boundaries, something that a girl named Aleida Rosales (Olivia Trujillo), a recent Mexican immigrant, hopes will lead her towards a brighter future.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5 ):
Kids say (4 ):

This well-written, well-produced series presents an intriguing alternative history of space exploration, the impact of which reaches beyond space travel and geopolitical politics. Much of the story is told from the point of view of fictional characters, but the world feels authentic thanks to the use and manipulation of archival news footage, and the insertion of seemingly unrelated, real-life historic events. Some of these occasions play out as they did in real life, but others change as a result of the Soviet's lead in the space race, making the show all the more compelling. Adding to this is the show's nod at some contemporary issues, including the slowly evolving role of women in the sciences, government budget cuts, and the connection between immigration and the American Dream. Even if you're not a fan of space stuff, For All Mankind is an absorbing drama that delivers some smart entertainment.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the space race. Why were the U.S. and the Soviet Union competing to land on the moon first? Did it make a difference in the relationship between the two countries at that time?

  • In For All Mankind, the American public is stunned by the Soviet landing of the first person on the moon. Do you think the Soviet public felt this way during the U.S. moon landing? How did the media play a role in their reaction?

  • How did the role of women evolve in space exploration when the Soviets took the lead in the space race? Did these changes happen in real life?

TV Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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