For All Mankind will be back on our screens at the start of November when season 4 of Apple’s acclaimed science fiction series returns. However, in slightly concerning news, this will be the first time that a season of For All Mankind is premiering without work having already begun on the following season – which in this case is season 5.
If you’ve been following any entertainment industry news for the last six months, you will no doubt have already guessed that the delay to For All Mankind season 5 is due to the writers’ strike. However, that strike ended a month ago (with the actors’ strike still ongoing), so the season 5 writers’ room could have been assembled by now.
Co-creator Ben Nedivi has revealed in a new interview ahead of the For All Mankind season 4 premiere that; “It’s interesting because I think the difference this year, because of the writers’ strike…we weren’t able to start a room for Season 5. That’s usually how it works on a show like ours, where you would have to start the room before the next season premieres.”
Nedivi added that despite being amongst the best Apple TV shows, For All Mankind hasn’t officially been picked up for a fifth season yet; “I think this is the first time in the history of the show where the show is premiering without us really starting a room for [the following season]. So, not only do we not have an official pickup, we haven’t even started the room yet. I think that’s because of the strike. I think we had to hold off, and I think it was the right move, and hopefully, we can get that pickup and continue to tell the story,” he explained to Collider.
Nedivi added that the writers’ strike was necessary, and that audiences will be aware why there are delays; “It had to happen, and there are consequences of those things, you know? I think there’s an understanding now that there will be delays on certain shows not coming back as quickly as they did, that it won’t be the same.”
Showrunners and head writers Nedivi and Matt Wolpert have planned out six to seven seasons of For All Mankind. Season 4 will begin in 2003, meaning that the timeline of the series (which began in 1969 in season one) is getting closer to our own. For All Mankind is unique amongst the best sci-fi series, as it all takes place in an alternate timeline, but also there are usually time jumps of around 8-10 years between seasons. This means that seasons 6 and 7 will start to move into the future.
Season 4 has already had some positive first reactions from critics, as well as those who got a sneak peek at NYCC. It sounds as though following these characters across what is now several generations will definitely pay off in the new season.
Check out our guides to the best science fiction movies, and find out what we know so far about Avatar 3.