Published Jun 7, 2026, 8:01 PM EDT
Denis is a news writer for Collider with close to five years of experience in the industry. He has analyzed shows across different genres, formats and styles. His favorite types of articles to write are exciting news updates and episodic deep-dives. He might say he doesn’t have a favorite show, but he has watched The Wire, Shameless, The Big Bang Theory, and The Blacklist more than once. Denis is increasingly becoming focused on the global streaming arena and how media connects with audiences in various markets. Find him on X tweeting about something random that occurred to him about a TV show or the industry in general.
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The latest sci-fi release usually leads Apple TV’s global streaming chart. But with the conclusion of the hit MonsterVerse series, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the next sci-fi show, For All Mankind, has failed to reach the needed viewership to claim the top position. The recently concluded series barely cracked the top five throughout its run. This has led to the domination of non-sci-fi shows like Your Friends & Neighbors, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, and Widow’s Bay. However, Apple TV always has the next big hit lined up, and the latest one is on its way to becoming a sensation.
The show is described as a “paranoid thriller,” set during the Space Race era. If it sounds similar, it’s because Star City, as it’s called, is an offshoot of For All Mankind. It’s a retelling of the events explored in the early seasons of For All Mankind, but they never got the attention they deserved because of the flagship show’s storyline flow. Star City arrived with a bang, getting a stamp of approval from critics with a 100% debut score on Rotten Tomatoes that has since settled at 96%. Streaming data from FlixPatrol shows that the series is also receiving significant attention from subscribers, ranking third globally at the time of writing.
This ranking reflects the show’s relatively short run, with only a handful of episodes released. It could very well get to the number one position as more episodes come out, the two dominating shows wrap up, and its word of mouth leads more people to check it out. Star City is a relatively new experiment for Apple TV, and its success could inform the streamer’s franchise ambitions.
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
Based on critics’ reception, Star City is up there with Apple TV’s sci-fi heavyweights like Silo and Severance. If you were fatigued by the expansive soap opera that *For All Mankind *became, Star City represents a complete shift. The setting alone makes for a tense show. Collider’s Carly Lane praised the show for trying to differentiate itself. “Star City’s distinct visuals, sharp performances, and compelling narrative that pulls back the curtain on the mysteries surrounding the Soviet position in the Space Race all combine for a spin-off that doesn’t necessarily need to match For All Mankind’s longevity to be gripping in the moment,” she wrote in her review of Star City Season 1.
Her sentiments were echoed by other critics, like CBR’s Katie Doll, who called it “dark, twisted and, dare to say, bolder than what For All Mankind has been putting out in its Mars era.” Star City has the ability to deliver twists and developments from left field, so one can’t guess what’s coming next, and ScreenRant’s Ben Gibbons appreciated its ability to “keep you guessing.” The series sounds perfect for viewers interested in the crippling authoritarianism of the Soviet Union and the thrilling space expeditions.
New episodes of Star City stream on Apple TV on Fridays. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Science Fiction
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Ben Nedivi, Matt Wolpert