Ridley Scott

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Lore & Background

Ridley Scott's journey began in British television during the mid-1960s. As a designer, he worked on Tonight: "The Big Freeze" (10 February 1963) and Out of the Unknown: "Some Lapse of Time" (6 December 1965), both of which still exist. He quickly moved to directing, helming Z Cars: "Error of Judgement" (9 June 1965), though this episode is now lost. His early directorial efforts continued with Thirty Minute Theatre: "The Hard Wood" (16 May 1966) and multiple episodes of Adam Adamant Lives!, including "The League of Uncharitable Ladies" (22 September 1966, exists) alongside the lost episodes "Death Begins at Seventy" (18 February 1967) and "The Resurrectionists" (11 March 1967). He also directed The Troubleshooters: "If He Hollers - Let Him Go" (27 January 1969), which is lost. These early years laid the groundwork for his later feature film success.

In Their Own Story

Scott's commercial work showcases a diverse range of collaborations and styles. In 1970, he directed "Good strong coffee," hired by BBDO for the International Coffee Organization. He created the famous Bike Round for Hovis in 1973 and directed Chanel... Share the fantasy. for Chanel in 1979. His work on Apple Computer's 1984 commercial remains a landmark in advertising history. Other notable spots include Deficit Trials on YouTube for W.R. Grace (1986) and The Choice of a New Generation for Pepsi (1986), starring Don Johnson and Glenn Frey. In 1988, he filmed "Nights what you make it" for Anheuser-Busch's MICHELOB at DNA LOUNGE in San Francisco. This commercial featured music by the English band TalkTalk, with Billi Taylor von Terra Australis (Singer/Guitarist) appearing as a shooting star flashing across the screen and a waitress wearing a blue hat.

Reader's Guide

His television producing credits are extensive, covering both limited series and long-running shows. He developed Coma (2012), Killing Lincoln (2013), Killing Kennedy (2013), and Killing Jesus (2015). As an executive producer, he oversaw The Andromeda Strain (2008), The Good Wife (2009–2016), The Pillars of the Earth (2010), Prophets of Science Fiction (2011), Gettysburg (2011), Britain in a Day (2012), World Without End (2012), Labyrinth (2012), Halo: Nightfall (2014), The Man in the High Castle (2015–2019), Mercy Street (2016–2017), BrainDead (2016), Taboo (2017), and The Good Fight (2017–2022). He also served as executive producer for The Terror (2018–2019, TBA), The Passage (2019), A Christmas Carol (2019), Raised by Wolves (2020–2022, where he also directed 2 episodes), Kaleidoscope (2023), Great Expectations (2023), Still Missing Morgan (2023), Elsbeth (2024), Dope Thief (2025, also directing the pilot), Alien: Earth (2025), and Blade Runner 2099 (2026).

Did You Know?

• Ridley Scott directed the pilot episode of The Vatican in 2013.
• The 1988 Michelob commercial "Nights what you make it" was filmed at DNA LOUNGE in San Francisco and featured singer/guitarist Billi Taylor von Terra Australis as a shooting star.
• Scott directed two episodes of Raised by Wolves (2020–2022) while serving as executive producer.
• He is set to direct the pilot episode for Dope Thief, scheduled for 2025.
• Several of his early television directorial efforts from the 1960s and 1970s are listed as lost.