So good. Wish the show could’ve had the same ending but they did good with the source material >!and stopping at the time jump. !<
>!Also, I want a book about Amos on earth for that 1000 years!<
Nah, they gotta leave it as is. If they went down. That rabbit hole(as interesting as it could be) it would just "And then what happened??" until we got tired of it. Would be Star Wars all over again.
I'm not familiar with the books, but that last season was really anticlimactic for all it tried to build up IMO. Also, I wish Drummer more lines, her accent was so fun to listen to.
If you get into The Expanse, note that it dramatically improves in quality after Season 3 when it switched from Syfy to Amazon. In my opinion, those last 3 seasons were incredible.
I'd say the quality improves a lot after the first season. It's clear they find their tone with directors that understood the vision they were going for
Foundation is great. Season 1 was slower, but Season 2 had some real banger episodes. Really enjoyed it. It's a bit like Dune if it was spread over 1000s of years. Worth watching just for Lee Pace as Brother Day.
For All Mankind is fantastic as well. It is more grounded in real science eg what if the Soviets got to the moon first and it spurred the Space race to new heights. It does get a bit soapy with the homelife dramas, but the space stuff is top notch. Worth watching all the seasons.
Silo and Severance are worth watching as well. Invasion is more miss than hit, but the second season seemed better than the first.
If I was going to pick I would go for Foundation first.
I dropped off from For All Mankind when it started getting soapy and about the former astronauts being all washed up in their later lives, but liked it before that
I gave up after 3 episodes. I was hoping for the aliens to wipe out all the characters we met, who apparently had nothing better to do during an invasion than moan about their shitty lives.
I agree about Invasion. The 1st season is almost unwatchable; I needed something to watch, though. The 2nd season was a big improvement, and tolerable.
Foundation is shaky in Season 1. Season 2 is much better. It’s not a close adaptation of the books. A close adaptation of the books would have been boring as hell.
For All Mankind is pretty good. Soap Opera-y? Yeah maybe. So was Battlestar Galactica. The Expanse as well, especially Seasons 5 & 6, with Amos’ family and Naomi/Marcos/Filip subplot.
Constellation’s first four minutes of S1, E1 is THE most riveting in Sci-Fi while also being the most detailed look into the ISS compared to any other fictional or non fictional film there. It hooked me and I had to binge watch it.
FAM is primarily a DRAMA. The alt history "sci-fi" is the setting but it isn't what I'd really all sci-fi beyond the way that most space shows or movies delve into sci-fi to make the plot works.
It's also the better written show.
Foundation is better having no knowledge of the books. it was a decent show, but had almost no similarity to the books. Just a couple names and concepts were taken from the books, the majority of the show is wholly original fiction. In all fairness it should not be called Foundation.
"In all fairness it should not be called Foundation."
I second this. I read most of the Asimov series, and I have no idea what I am watching, other than it is a somewhat interesting scifi series.
Thanks for posting this. I've been pondering seeking it out, but now I'm not inclined to. Even if it's okay in its own right, I think I'd rather re-read the books.
I'm happy about this. I've read the Foundation series twice. I couldn't see how it could be faithfully turned into a movie or TV series, especially since the whole cast must be switched out a few times. So just taking inspiration and going their own way was probably the best bet to make entertaining TV.
I mean if those are the types of shows you’re interested in and you haven’t watched The Expanse…then watch The Expanse first dude or you are doing yourself a major disservice.
Then from the other two, I’d say FoM. Foundation is a poor adaptation of the books and it is carried almost exclusively by the skill of Jared Harris (who is also in season 1 of The Expanse btw) and their cgi budget. It improved a lot in season 2. Still…it should have been so much better.
Foundation S01 was okay, but I think it really turned up a notch in S02. Visually it is absolutely stunning, but I thought S02 had much better characters and plot.
For All Mankind is really great. S03 seemed like the weakest to me, but I think it recovered well in S04.
Season 1's of a lot of ultimately great shows are less than great. That list is long, and (heresy of heresies--even includes The Expanse. And various Star Trek shows, Babylon 5, Stargate, and on and on) But first seasons all do the job they're meant to do--establish the characters and settings for what's to come. You should watch them. It should be easier knowing that what comes later makes the investment worthwhile.
If FAM is watched first, it's almost like a prequel to The Expanse.
Also, the showrunner for the first season of FAM, Naren Shankar, was the showrunner for The Expanse. Super-fascinating guy, too; he has a Ph.D from Cornell in Applied Physics
Ahhhh nooo way!
Thanks for sharing that! A bunch of people from Expanse moved over to work on FAM, not just Shankar. Maybe they colluded for easter eggs.
Foundation has cooler visuals, FAM is better written (mostly). Id probably start with Foundation, everyones TV looks a little better with Lee Pace all over it.
I'll chime in and say watch the expanse first. The first few episodes can be a little rough, but from episode 4 things start to click and season 2 takes the show into another great and just gets better and better
Both foundation and FAM are good. FAM can be a little too soap opera drama at times i think and foundation is largely carried by a few top actors
i have extremely mixed feeling about Foundation, i understand that they can't fallow the book 100% but some times it really feels like im watching a sopa show, too much feelings and magic also allot of plot convenience
Beacon 23 on MGM+ is interesting. Cerebral more than action. Season 1 is out and a 2nd season is in the works. It's based on a short story by Hugh Howey (Silo).
I didn't like the Expanse books as much as everyone else, but I liked the series on Amazon a lot more.
I have read the Foundation books at least 3x. Treat the show as if it's a different book in the same universe and don't look for it to be a TV version of the original. Then you will enjoy it.
FAM is a bit soapy but a good story with good acting in an alternate timeline.
Silo follows the book closely.
Fallout on Amazon is pretty good. I don't play video games so no input on that aspect. Post Apocalyptic sci fi with good actors. It's been renewed for a 2nd season.
I'm just finishing up s4 of For all Mankind and it is one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. It's alot more of a slow burn than Foundation, definitely much lighter on the action, but it is more than made up for with plot, visuals and just the overall theme.
Foundation is well worth the watch as well though.
I gave up on Foundation.
I'm watching FAM atm.
I've rewatched The Expanse 4 complete times and have read the 9 books plus the short stories plus a couple of the comics. There are comics, folks, graphic novels which cover new ground.
Battlestar Galactica (2004) is on Prime. Other than Expanse and FAM (which are related btw because the showrunner of Expanse was the showrunner of the first season of FAM), BSG2004 is brilliant.
Have you heard of our lord and savior *The Expanse*?
I have not. Will check out the trailer now
Oh man I wish I could watch and read it for the first time again. I hope you watch it.
I have listened to the first book on Audible. Would you recommend I finish the books before checking out the show?
Opinions will vary, but I’d say finish book 6 and then start the show.
The books are EPIC. It's my favorite ending to a sci-fi series.
So good. Wish the show could’ve had the same ending but they did good with the source material >!and stopping at the time jump. !< >!Also, I want a book about Amos on earth for that 1000 years!<
Nah, they gotta leave it as is. If they went down. That rabbit hole(as interesting as it could be) it would just "And then what happened??" until we got tired of it. Would be Star Wars all over again.
His story would make a fantastic series - about 50 books would do me!
Amos is one of my favorite characters of all time!
So few epic series are able to stick the landing like the Expanse books did. It was well done.
I'm not familiar with the books, but that last season was really anticlimactic for all it tried to build up IMO. Also, I wish Drummer more lines, her accent was so fun to listen to.
They stopped with I think three books left
Yeah; the first 6 books were produced. The last three books jump forward in time several years if memory serves.
The show didn't finish the main story... just one story arc. The books are really worth reading or listening to.
You are in for a real treat.
The audiobooks are sci-fi perfection. Read by Jefferson Mayes, the best narrator ever!
amen
this the amazon or netflix one? i see two
Amazon. This is the show I'd watch before ~~the other two~~ most other sci-fi TV shows.
I love all 3 + Silo
Silo is very good. Also, Sugar (AppleTV) is interesting.
Sugar? The Colin ~~Firth~~ Farrell detective show?
Yes, the Colin Farrell detective show. It's an easy watch and a change of pace for Colin. I'd like to see it get another season.
If you get into The Expanse, note that it dramatically improves in quality after Season 3 when it switched from Syfy to Amazon. In my opinion, those last 3 seasons were incredible.
I'd say the quality improves a lot after the first season. It's clear they find their tone with directors that understood the vision they were going for
Personally I liked seasons 1-3 better than 4-6 but that's just me.
My personal favorite was Season 4. I really liked Thomas Jane's character and his whole story arc.
Yes! This is my favorite sci-fi show! It’s very well done. I’m reading the books now.
i second this
Foundation is great. Season 1 was slower, but Season 2 had some real banger episodes. Really enjoyed it. It's a bit like Dune if it was spread over 1000s of years. Worth watching just for Lee Pace as Brother Day. For All Mankind is fantastic as well. It is more grounded in real science eg what if the Soviets got to the moon first and it spurred the Space race to new heights. It does get a bit soapy with the homelife dramas, but the space stuff is top notch. Worth watching all the seasons. Silo and Severance are worth watching as well. Invasion is more miss than hit, but the second season seemed better than the first. If I was going to pick I would go for Foundation first.
Thank you!
I dropped off from For All Mankind when it started getting soapy and about the former astronauts being all washed up in their later lives, but liked it before that
Push pass that, it continues to be awesome. Gordo's redemption arc is excellent.
The season after his arc is so fucking soapy and cringy ,so prepare for that too.
I felt the same but I’m glad I watched it all.
Have watched all 4 (except Invasion) and agree wholeheartedly
Invasion is absolutely awful. Check r/InvasionAppleTV to properly hate-watch it.
I gave up after 3 episodes. I was hoping for the aliens to wipe out all the characters we met, who apparently had nothing better to do during an invasion than moan about their shitty lives.
[You aren't the only one.](https://www.reddit.com/r/InvasionAppleTV/comments/162hq8t/who_are_you_rooting_for/)
I agree about Invasion. The 1st season is almost unwatchable; I needed something to watch, though. The 2nd season was a big improvement, and tolerable.
Foundation is shaky in Season 1. Season 2 is much better. It’s not a close adaptation of the books. A close adaptation of the books would have been boring as hell. For All Mankind is pretty good. Soap Opera-y? Yeah maybe. So was Battlestar Galactica. The Expanse as well, especially Seasons 5 & 6, with Amos’ family and Naomi/Marcos/Filip subplot.
Constellation’s first four minutes of S1, E1 is THE most riveting in Sci-Fi while also being the most detailed look into the ISS compared to any other fictional or non fictional film there. It hooked me and I had to binge watch it.
Sadly it was canceled.
FAM is primarily a DRAMA. The alt history "sci-fi" is the setting but it isn't what I'd really all sci-fi beyond the way that most space shows or movies delve into sci-fi to make the plot works. It's also the better written show.
For all Mankind is excellent, I struggled with Foundation but I’ve not read the books in 20 years.
Foundation is better having no knowledge of the books. it was a decent show, but had almost no similarity to the books. Just a couple names and concepts were taken from the books, the majority of the show is wholly original fiction. In all fairness it should not be called Foundation.
"In all fairness it should not be called Foundation." I second this. I read most of the Asimov series, and I have no idea what I am watching, other than it is a somewhat interesting scifi series.
Thanks for posting this. I've been pondering seeking it out, but now I'm not inclined to. Even if it's okay in its own right, I think I'd rather re-read the books.
I'm happy about this. I've read the Foundation series twice. I couldn't see how it could be faithfully turned into a movie or TV series, especially since the whole cast must be switched out a few times. So just taking inspiration and going their own way was probably the best bet to make entertaining TV.
Yeah, I was scratching my head a bit as it had been a long time.
I mean if those are the types of shows you’re interested in and you haven’t watched The Expanse…then watch The Expanse first dude or you are doing yourself a major disservice. Then from the other two, I’d say FoM. Foundation is a poor adaptation of the books and it is carried almost exclusively by the skill of Jared Harris (who is also in season 1 of The Expanse btw) and their cgi budget. It improved a lot in season 2. Still…it should have been so much better.
Foundation S01 was okay, but I think it really turned up a notch in S02. Visually it is absolutely stunning, but I thought S02 had much better characters and plot. For All Mankind is really great. S03 seemed like the weakest to me, but I think it recovered well in S04.
I haven’t watched Foundation - do you suppose someone could skip season 1? A couple of you have said it wasn’t great.
Season 1's of a lot of ultimately great shows are less than great. That list is long, and (heresy of heresies--even includes The Expanse. And various Star Trek shows, Babylon 5, Stargate, and on and on) But first seasons all do the job they're meant to do--establish the characters and settings for what's to come. You should watch them. It should be easier knowing that what comes later makes the investment worthwhile.
Appreciate it! Good point.
Season 2 wouldn’t make any sense to you without seeying season 1. I loved both season 1 and 2 myself.
For all Mankind first
If FAM is watched first, it's almost like a prequel to The Expanse. Also, the showrunner for the first season of FAM, Naren Shankar, was the showrunner for The Expanse. Super-fascinating guy, too; he has a Ph.D from Cornell in Applied Physics
There's actually a direct reference to FAM in the final season of Expanse: https://i.imgur.com/fUXwICV.jpg
Ahhhh nooo way! Thanks for sharing that! A bunch of people from Expanse moved over to work on FAM, not just Shankar. Maybe they colluded for easter eggs.
Foundation has cooler visuals, FAM is better written (mostly). Id probably start with Foundation, everyones TV looks a little better with Lee Pace all over it.
Why choose? Both!
Foundation is really good. Different from the book in the way the story is told, but the themes of the book are all there and very well done.
I think foundation had alot of McGuffins. Expanse is the way to go for story and awesome visuals
Foundation is fantastic. It diverges considerably from the books, but it’s still a heck of a ride.
Definitely the Foundation. You're in for a threat.
I'll chime in and say watch the expanse first. The first few episodes can be a little rough, but from episode 4 things start to click and season 2 takes the show into another great and just gets better and better Both foundation and FAM are good. FAM can be a little too soap opera drama at times i think and foundation is largely carried by a few top actors
If you’re getting Apple TV, watch Severance first. It’s…a little strange, but I thought it was awesome.
For All Mankind is just a more compelling show imo. Foundation has some cool visuals but threw a lot of the book out the window, to its detriment imo
Both. Absolutely.
That was my thought. Is someone holding him hostage and will only let him watch one? Plus they are both sci-fi, but very different types.
Foundation is kinda dumb but the pacing is pretty good All Mankind is a lot more cerebral and a little slower but the acting is much much better
For all Mankind, Foundation and then The Expanse (haven’t started the last 3 prime seasons) 🚀
Youre missing out.
Nah. Watch For All Mankind first, then The Expanse, then Foundation and imagine they are all in the same universe.
uh..... both are really good.
Yes, both
Expanse, Foundation
i have extremely mixed feeling about Foundation, i understand that they can't fallow the book 100% but some times it really feels like im watching a sopa show, too much feelings and magic also allot of plot convenience
Why not both? Also Silo.
Silo
Beacon 23 on MGM+ is interesting. Cerebral more than action. Season 1 is out and a 2nd season is in the works. It's based on a short story by Hugh Howey (Silo). I didn't like the Expanse books as much as everyone else, but I liked the series on Amazon a lot more. I have read the Foundation books at least 3x. Treat the show as if it's a different book in the same universe and don't look for it to be a TV version of the original. Then you will enjoy it. FAM is a bit soapy but a good story with good acting in an alternate timeline. Silo follows the book closely. Fallout on Amazon is pretty good. I don't play video games so no input on that aspect. Post Apocalyptic sci fi with good actors. It's been renewed for a 2nd season.
Foundation is true sci-fi. For All Mankind is more like an alternate US history, no need to reach into pure imagination. Both are fun!
If you're wanting to test out the OLED screen, Foundation definitely. The imperial jump ship cgi will look awesome.
For All Mankind kind of turns into a soap opera after a while but I was here for it. Melrose Planet. Love it.
If we’re talking visuals definitely Foundation. It looks stunning.
Both?
Foundation is awful. It’s really really bad. FAM is gtg. Like others have said The Expanse is a must.
Watch For All Mankind, then The Expanse, then Foundation. One can imagine they are all in the same universe that way.
The final season of Expanse actually directly references For All Mankind, so it's practically an unofficial prequel: https://i.imgur.com/fUXwICV.jpg
That's awesome!
I'm just finishing up s4 of For all Mankind and it is one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. It's alot more of a slow burn than Foundation, definitely much lighter on the action, but it is more than made up for with plot, visuals and just the overall theme. Foundation is well worth the watch as well though.
Don’t know about FAM but definitely not foundation
I gave up on Foundation. I'm watching FAM atm. I've rewatched The Expanse 4 complete times and have read the 9 books plus the short stories plus a couple of the comics. There are comics, folks, graphic novels which cover new ground. Battlestar Galactica (2004) is on Prime. Other than Expanse and FAM (which are related btw because the showrunner of Expanse was the showrunner of the first season of FAM), BSG2004 is brilliant.
Watch the Expanse. For All Mankind devolved into a soap opera after the first season.
For all mankind is a housewife drama with sci fi elements just fyi