Mars

A multinational crew aboard the Daedalus is tasked with building the first sustainable human settlement on Mars, and the series follows their technical trials, interpersonal tensions, and survival decisions as they work toward that goal. The show alternates between a scripted future storyline about the Daedalus team and present-day, vérité-style interviews with engineers, scientists, and innovators whose work could make such a mission possible. The scripted episodes focus on life-support engineering, resource scarcity, and the social dynamics of a small, high-stress community, while the documentary segments ground the fictional scenario in current research and development without revealing any major plot twists or endings.

Released in 2016, the series was created by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer and directed in part by Everardo Gout. The cast includes Jihae, Alberto Ammann, Clémentine Poidatz, Anamaria Marinca, and Sammi Rotibi, and the production blends high-end drama production values with documentary cinematography.

Critics and viewers gave the show mixed to positive scores, reflected in a vote average of 6.997 out of 10 from 351 votes. Reviewers often praised the ambition of pairing hard-science commentary with narrative drama, while some felt the scripted elements sometimes struggled with pacing and character depth. Major themes include technological innovation under pressure, the ethics and politics of colonization, and the psychological strain of long-term isolation.

The series had an outsized effect on conversations about Mars, helping bring technical issues like life support, in-situ resource utilization, and mission architecture into public discussion. Educators and science communicators have used segments as teaching tools, and the hybrid format prompted other programs to experiment with mixing factual interviews and dramatized scenarios.

It did not collect major industry awards, but it found a committed audience that appreciated its attempt to bridge science communication and narrative television. The show is often noted for its willingness to show the messy, incremental work behind space exploration rather than presenting a glossy, simplified version of a Mars mission.