Alien Isn’t the Only Space-Based Movie Franchise to Revitalize Itself on TV

Alien, like a lot of other franchises, came out of the gates swinging, only to lose its way as time went on. There is no doubt that the first Alien movie is one of the important sci-fi projects of all time, and somehow, Aliens is even better. However, the next handful of movies featuring Xenomorphs fail to recapture the magic, upping the scares and violence without taking the story into new territory. Prometheus and Alien: Covenant try to reinvent the franchise by turning back the clock and answering a lot of lingering questions, but they bite off more than they can chew by attempting to tie everything up in a neat bow.

In 2025, FX is providing Ridley Scott’s extraterrestrial baby the chance to shine on a new platform, one with unlimited potential. Alien: Earth, from Fargo creator Noah Hawley, is taking the fight to the titular planet, which the movies typically avoid. It’s a major risk for the franchise, but it isn’t alone because another space-based series took the same leap of faith nearly two decades ago, and it paid off.

Star Wars Found Its Footing on TV After the Prequels

After a 16-year hiatus, Star Wars returned to the big screen in 1999 with Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, which told the story of the Jedi discovering a young Anakin Skywalker. The reception to the movie wasn’t great, but when the adventure continued in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, hopes were still high. Unfortunately, the second attempt didn’t fare any better, with many calling out the movie’s rough dialogue and shallow characters. Not long after Attack of the Clones was released, though, George Lucas had the bright idea to develop an animated series that would fill in the gaps between Episodes II and III. Star Wars: Clone Wars burst onto the scene with sleek animation and wild action sequences, and while it didn’t stay canon forever, it opened the door for something even better.

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Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith failed to fit everything Lucas wanted to cover, so the filmmaker decided to give animation another go with Star Wars: The Clone Wars. While the Cartoon Network series struggled out of the gate, it eventually became a worthwhile entry in the franchise, fleshing out characters like Maul and doing a lot of work to make Anakin’s fall to the dark side feel more organic. The Clone Wars got put on the back burner after Disney bought Lucasfilm, but even that couldn’t stop its momentum, as it returned for a final season that blew its predecessors out of the water. Of course, Hawley and Co. aren’t taking the same approach with Alien: Earth, mostly staying away from familiar faces, but there are lessons they can learn from Star Wars’ time on TV.

Alien Could Learn a Thing or Two From Star Wars

Once The Clone Wars proved that there was room for a galaxy far, far away on the small screen, the floodgates opened. Star Wars Rebels started airing on Disney XD, and once the House of Mouse released its streaming platform, Lucasfilm seized the opportunity. Star Wars: The Mandalorian, which didn’t follow a Jedi but a bounty hunter just trying to make a living in a complicated galaxy, became an instant hit. Alien: Earth is seemingly Alien‘s version of The Mandalorian, trying to forge its own path while still featuring familiar situations and monsters. The question now is whether Alien will continue in Star Wars’ footsteps by diving even harder into TV.

There’s no need for a Ripley prequel series or a show about David’s adventures after Covenant, but there are surely corners of the galaxy that are ripe with potential. After all, Alien: Earth features new aliens that are just as formidable as the xenomorph. It would be interesting to learn where they came from and whether they rule the planets they call home, or if they have to do battle with other humanoid life forms. No matter what the future of the Alien franchise holds, whether it’s another team-up with Predator or a sequel to Alien: Romulus, it’s important not to forget about the impact Alien: Earth is making and that making movies isn’t the only way to skin an extraterrestrial cat.

Alien: Earth is streaming on Hulu.

Are you glad that Alien is giving TV a try? Would you like to see the franchise take a page out of Star Wars’ playbook? Let us know in the comments below!