Star City Leads 2026 Sci-Fi with Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score

A new contender has emerged as the top-rated live-action sci-fi series of 2026, boasting a flawless 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. The series, titled Star City, is a spinoff of Apple TV’s well-regarded For All Mankind and currently holds the highest critic rating among both new and returning shows in the genre this year. Including animated series, Invincible also shares the perfect score, tying for first place.

Star City stands out by exploring an alternative history within the For All Mankind universe, focusing on the Soviet space program. The show’s premise is a “what-if” scenario for the global space race, portraying events behind the Iron Curtain where terrestrial dangers surpass those of space itself. The storyline revisits the early days of the space race, imagining a timeline in which the Soviets emerged victorious in the moon race. This alternate history accelerates global space advancements, leading to developments such as Mars colonies and asteroid heists in recent seasons.

Other high-rated sci-fi shows of 2026 include Fallout season 2 with a 96% score, The Boys season 5 at 93%, Spider-Noir garnering 91%, For All Mankind season 5 at 90%, and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy with an 85% rating. While Star City’s current standing is impressive, the show faces competition from several anticipated sci-fi releases later this year, including Silo season 3, 3 Body Problem season 2, Blade Runner 2099, Lanterns, and Neuromancer.

The future of Star City beyond its initial run remains uncertain. For All Mankind is slated to conclude with its sixth season, and Apple TV may choose to extend the franchise through this spinoff. Despite its strong production values and critical acclaim, Star City has maintained a relatively low profile in public discourse, which is notable given the platform’s usual spotlight on its flagship series. The extended creative freedom and investment Apple TV provides to its projects appear to be a distinctive aspect of its approach to original programming.