HBO's 18-Part Sci-Fi Epic Is Hands Down Ridley Scott's Best TV Project

Published Nov 4, 2026, 9:00 AM EST

Zach Moser has been writing for ScreenRant since 2022, covering movies, classic TV, and streaming TV. His areas of expertise cover a wide range of genres with a particular interest in horror and drama, and the conversations around the TV and film industry. When he's not covering the latest film releases or chronicling the latest season of a new show, he's writing humor pieces for McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Slackjaw, and Points In Case or working on short stories and his second novel. 

HBO's 18-episode science fiction epic is the best TV project that Ridley Scott has ever been a part of, and nothing comes close. Scott is one of our great living directors, and no matter what he does next, he'll always be considered for the list of the greatest directors to have ever worked in film.

From his science fiction masterpieces to contemporary war films to his startling dramas, Scott has explored many facets of story and direction. What's so particularly impressive is Scott's longevity. At the age of 88, he is still putting out some of his best work. The Last Duel in 2021 is a contender for one of the most underrated movies of the decade, for example.

Despite everything he's done for film, his television footprint is much smaller. That isn't to say it's nonexistent, though. As an executive producer, he's worked on The Man in the High Castle, Taboo, Alien: Earth, and more, but it all pales in comparison to his best contribution to TV: Raised by Wolves.

Raised by Wolves is a science fiction epic that premiered in September 2020 and was renewed for a second season, which debuted in February 2022. The series centers on two Androids called "Mother" (Amanda Collin) and "Father" (Abubakar Salim), who have been programmed to raise the next generation of human children after the Earth is destroyed.

After militant atheists and a religious order nearly destroy one another, Mother and Father flee to a new planet with 12 embryos to raise them without the influence of either sect. Unfortunately, they are tracked down, and Mother has to come to terms not only with how she has raised the embryos, but the secret orders she's unknowingly been programmed with.

Raised By Wolves: Why It's Ridley Scott's Best Small Screen Effort

Scott served as the executive producer for Raised by Wolves, but he also directed the first two episodes of the series. His son, Luke Scott, directed episodes three and four. It's Scott's most impressive television effort, and the series has all the themes and impressive visual work that Scott is known for.

The series is a fascinating and consistently surprising exploration of faith, humanity, religion, and the unknowability of what comes next or who put us on this planet. These are ideas that Scott has been exploring for decades. It's a gorgeous series, with some visuals that are totally unique.

There are images in Scott's films you simply can't see anywhere else, and in the same way, there are images in Raised by Wolves you won't see in any other TV show. It's ponderous, but it has to be. The ideas in Raised by Wolves are huge, and it takes time and table-setting to get the audience to understand the layers of the show.

Like Prometheus, Ridley Scott's Raised By Wolves Was Underappreciated At The Time

Credit: MovieStillsDB

Sadly, Raised by Wolves never had the chance to finish telling its story. The series was canceled in 2022 shortly after season 2 aired. Even now, you won't hear too many people talking about it. This is in part due to the fact that the show is difficult to find and is no longer streaming on HBO.

Scott is no stranger to productions that are unappreciated in their time. His filmography is filled with movies that weren't fully understood upon release and eventually became classics. You can watch this in real time with Prometheus, which is beginning to get its flowers, and bet on The Last Duel receiving the same treatment in five years. It's very possible that in another ten, everyone will be wondering why there was never a Raised by Wolves season 3.