‘Star City’ Blasts Off: Apple TV+’s ‘For All Mankind’ Spinoff Becomes a Global Streaming Powerhouse

Apple TV+ has another certified hit on its hands. Less than 24 hours after its two-episode premiere on May 29, the eight-part sci-fi thriller Star City—a spinoff of the acclaimed alternate-history series For All Mankind—catapulted to No. 4 on the streamer’s global rankings. Within days, it soared to No. 2, leaving behind heavyweights like Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and even its parent show. The series is now trending in 98 countries, with a Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score of 95% and a 10/10 from ScreenRant. Clearly, this Soviet-centric spy thriller has struck a nerve.

A Meteoric Rise on the Charts

According to FlixPatrol data, Star City currently sits as the second most-watched show on Apple TV+ worldwide, trailing only the drama Your Friends & Neighbors. In 18 nations—including Estonia, Japan, and Ukraine—it ranks second among all titles. Domestically, it holds the No. 4 spot in the United States, with For All Mankind itself at No. 3. The spinoff’s rapid ascent is even more impressive given it premiered the same day as the For All Mankind Season 5 finale, which likely provided a built-in audience boost.

Apple TV+ has steadily built a reputation for high-concept sci-fi, from Silo and Severance to Foundation. But Star City is different. It’s not just another dystopian or futuristic tale—it’s a grounded, paranoid espionage drama set in an alternate 1970s Soviet Union. That blend of genres is proving irresistible to global audiences.

From Alternate History to Spy Thriller

For All Mankind (created by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi) imagines a world where the Soviet Union beat the United States to the Moon, igniting a never-ending space race. Over five seasons, the show has explored the political and personal ramifications of that pivotal moment. Star City shifts the lens squarely onto the Soviet side, focusing on the cosmonauts, engineers, and KGB officers at the heart of Russia’s space program.

The series leans heavily into spy-thriller territory. Paranoia, double-crosses, and the crushing weight of state surveillance define every episode. “It’s much more of a tense, character-driven thriller than a traditional sci-fi epic,” noted ScreenRant in its perfect 10/10 review, praising how the show “unites the best elements of Apple TV’s sci-fi and spy thriller series.” The cast, led by Alice Englert as a young cosmonaut named Anastasia, brings palpable humanity to a world of secrets and lies.

Critical Acclaim and Audience Love

With a 95% critics score and a 73% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, Star City has landed as one of the best-reviewed original series of the year. Critics have highlighted its atmospheric cinematography, layered performances, and the clever way it expands the For All Mankind universe without simply repeating its parent show’s formula. The audience score, while lower, still indicates strong word-of-mouth—especially for a series that demands attention to geopolitical nuance.

The show’s success also underscores a trend: streaming viewers are hungry for smart, serialized science fiction that prioritizes character over spectacle. Apple TV+ has bet heavily on this approach, and Star City is the latest proof that the strategy pays off.

Apple TV+’s Sci-Fi Dominance

Apple TV+ has quietly become the go-to platform for prestige genre television. Its roster includes:

• Silo – A dystopian mystery about a subterranean community.
• Severance – A mind-bending office thriller that won multiple Emmys.
• Foundation – An epic adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s novels.
• Monarch: Legacy of Monsters – A Godzilla-adjacent family saga with its own spinoff on the way.
• For All Mankind – The flagship alternate-history series, now heading into its sixth and final season.

What ties these shows together is their willingness to treat sci-fi as a vehicle for deep emotional and philosophical questions. Star City fits perfectly into that ethos. By focusing on the Soviet perspective, it also fills a narrative gap that the main series only touched upon—giving fans a richer, more complete view of the For All Mankind timeline.

What’s Next for the ‘For All Mankind’ Universe?

While Star City Season 2 has not yet been confirmed, the show’s immediate success makes renewal all but inevitable. Apple TV+ has already greenlit a spinoff focused on Lee Shaw from Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, signaling that the streamer sees value in expanding its shared universe concepts. For For All Mankind, the main series is wrapping up with Season 6, but the universe is far from closed. Star City could easily continue for multiple seasons, and creators have hinted at the possibility of additional spinoffs set in alternate eras or other nations.

The show’s global appeal—trending in nearly 100 countries—also suggests that audiences outside the U.S. are especially drawn to a narrative that centers a non-American perspective. In an era where streaming wars are fought over every subscriber, that kind of international resonance is priceless.

Star City isn’t just a great sci-fi series; it’s a blueprint for how to expand a beloved franchise without losing its soul. With its tense storytelling, stellar performances, and critical acclaim, this Apple TV+ sensation has proven that the final frontier isn’t just outer space—it’s the human heart, caught between loyalty and survival.

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