# Mars (2016)

> A scripted crew of Mars pioneers on the spacecraft Daedalus is interwoven with documentary interviews of today's real scientists driving the technology that could make the journey possible.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/60065

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 12
- Episode runtime: 50 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: science fiction, drama
- Created by: Ron Howard, Brian Grazer
- Network: National Geographic
- Cast: Jihae, Alberto Ammann, Clémentine Poidatz, Anamaria Marinca, Sammi Rotibi, Nicholas Wittman, Cosima Shaw, Ben Cotton
- TMDB rating: 7.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4939064/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: hopeful, contemplative, wistful, measured

## What critics say

Audience reception is positive, with viewers appreciating the science-driven premise and documentary interview segments while finding the scripted crew drama uneven.

## Synopsis

Mars (2016-2018) is an American science fiction drama series created by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer for National Geographic. Split between two timelines, it follows the maiden crew of the Daedalus spacecraft, led by an astronaut played by Jihae in the scripted future strand, as they push their bodies and minds toward the limits of human capability to establish the first sustainable colony on Mars. Javier Delgado (Alberto Ammann) and Amelie Durand (Clémentine Poidatz) are among the principal crew members whose daily routines of training, repairs, and tense group decisions form the core of each episode. Across two seasons of twelve episodes in total, the story stays grounded in the physical strain of the voyage and the loneliness of being far from family. Interleaved with these scripted scenes are documentary-style interviews with real scientists and innovators working on the research and engineering that could make a crewed Martian mission possible, giving the series a hopeful, reflective, and educational register. The tone is measured and contemplative rather than action driven, with a wistful sense of exploration and sacrifice. Fans of For All Mankind, The Expanse, and Cosmos will find resonance in its blend of realistic space engineering and human stakes. The series runs as a two-season, twelve-episode show with a bittersweet close.

## Shows like Mars

- [For All Mankind (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/74647)
- [exception (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/105473)
- [The Ark (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/42933)
- [Missions (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/62788)
- [Another Life (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/68177)
- [Defying Gravity (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/7979)
- [The First (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/64483)
- [The Silent Sea (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/81638)
- [The Expanse (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/56468)
- [Extant (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/52010)

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