Where does ‘Alien: Earth’ sit on the Alien franchise timeline?

Alien: Earth is the first TV series of the Alien franchise, sitting in the earlier batch of films. But where exactly does it sit chronologically in the canon timeline?

Set in 2120, Alien: Earth takes place just two years before Ridley Scott’s original 1979 film, Alien. In the film, which takes place in 2122, almost the entire crew on the Earth-bound Nostromo space vessel is turned into Xenomorph fodder after they decide to investigate a mysterious distress signal.

Alien: Earth is also set 16 years after the events of 2017’s Alien: Covenant, which takes place in 2104, when the crew of the titular colonist vessel investigates yet another mysterious signal on the inhabited planet of Origae-6. (It never pays to investigate in Alien films.) Covenant is the sequel to Prometheus, which takes place between 2089 and 2093

Here’s the timeline in which Alien: Earth sits, so you can get a handle on the chronology (and though Alien vs. Predator films are set in 2004, we’re not including them here).

The Alien films (and the TV series) in chronological order:

1. Prometheus: 2089-2093

2. Alien: Covenant: 2104

3. Alien: Earth: 2120

4. Alien: 2122

5. Alien: Romulus: 2142

6. Aliens and Alien 3: 2179

7. Alien: Resurrection: 2381

Now, here’s how to watch every Alien movie online, so you’re all over the timeline.

Alien: Earth premieres Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX with two episodes, then weekly on Tuesdays.