Taylor Sheridan's TV Shows Ranked From Best To Worst

5 days ago 11

Taylor Sheridan, creator of some of the most popular modern westerns in the streaming era, has had a hand in an interesting mix of shows throughout the last several years. While Sheridan hasn't created all the shows he's worked on, there are touches of his style on many of the projects he's been a part of. For viewers looking for neo-westerns, Sheridan is the right tree to tap.

As Sheridan's career has continued, he's been able to work in TV and film, generating a ton of buzz surrounding his ability to create compelling modern westerns that have mass critical and commercial appeal. As Yellowstone has been garnered praise, Sheridan has been able to branch out into other styles with spinoffs and various other projects. While some work stays within the franchise, Sheridan's built a multi-faceted career.

Sheridan's TV shows as a creator, producer, and showrunner all hit on different levels, and while all are worth watching, some of his projects are better than others.

10 Marshals

A spinoff within the Yellowstone universe, Marshals follows Yellowstone's Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) as he joins an elite US Marshals unit. With a more law-enforcement intensive format than Yellowstone or any of its other spinoffs, the CBS series sees Sheridan as an executive producer, which likely means he's a less hands-on part of the show's makeup.

Marshals offers a familiar entry point for viewers of the Yellowstone franchise, and while they may not enjoy what has happened to Kayce in the time between the end of the series and the beginning of his story on Marshals, he is at least familiar. The show's blend of franchise continuity and accessible procedural content makes for an easy watch.

Release Date 2026 - 2026

Showrunner Spencer Hudnut

Directors Christopher Chulack, Greg Yaitanes

Writers Spencer Hudnut, Tom Mularz, Dana Greenblatt

Logan Marshall-Green

Pete Calvin

9 Lioness

Zoe Saldana as Joe in Lioness looking concerned in season 2 episode 4

A spy-thriller starring Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman, Lioness sees Sheridan as the creator, one of the writers, and an executive producer on the series. Lioness, which was billed as Special Ops: Lioness in its first season, follows Joe McNamara (Saldaña) as she works with female operatives to take on high-value targets in dangerous, complicated missions for the CIA.

Based on a real-life program, Lioness' complicated, messy storytelling usually sticks the landing, but can sometimes miss the mark. The series mixes espionage, emotional stakes, and a throughline of realism that works well because of its highly-skilled cast. The series, which airs on Paramount+, stands apart from Sheridan's typical westerns.

Release Date July 23, 2023

Network Paramount+

Showrunner Taylor Sheridan

Directors John Hillcoat, Anthony Byrne, Paul Cameron, Stephen Kay, Taylor Sheridan

Writers Taylor Sheridan, Jill Wagner

Laysla De Oliveira

Cruz Manuelos

8 1923

A part of the Yellowstone universe, Sheridan's prequel series 1923 features an earlier generation of the Dutton family than those viewers were privy to on the inaugural series. The Duttons of 1923 navigate a Prohibition-era America, which poses economic hardship and violent land disputes along with the standard family drama within the Yellowstone franchise.

Serving as creator and showrunner, Sheridan has a heavy touch on 1923. The prequel series is able to look at life in rural Montana in a different way than the other shows within the franchise, making 1923 a unique entity within the larger group. With high production value and a cinematic way of looking at its character's stories, 1923 adds depth to the Dutton legacy.

Release Date 2022 - 2025-00-00

Network Paramount+

Showrunner Taylor Sheridan

Directors Guy Ferland

Writers Taylor Sheridan

7 Landman

Billy Bob Thornton in Landman season 2, episode 9, seen at a table and wearing a cowboy hat and looking ahead

A newer Sheridan series, Landman is set in the high-stakes world of the West Texas oil fields, exploring the lives of those sharping the modern energy economy. Featuring Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore, and Ali Larter in fascinating roles, the show explores the ways oil impacts multiple facets of the world, including climate, politics, and the personal stakes for those in the business.

Landman sets itself apart from other shows in the Sheridan portfolio because of its contemporary focus on the industry. While Yellowstone has its own sense of modernity, Landman finds itself contrasting against Sheridan's slate of historical westerns, providing a timely relevance and a sense of character-driven story.

6 The Madison

As one of the newest shows in Sheridan's lineup, The Madison is unlike any of his others. Following the Clyburn family, who relocate from New York City to the rolling hills of Montana in search of a fresh start, the series is able to pull a true sense of emotional resonance with its layered drama. The Madison, which premiered mid-March, is still finding its legs, but promises to be impactful.

Release Date March 14, 2026

Network Paramount Network

Michelle Pfeiffer

Stacy Clyburn
Patrick J. Adams

Russell McIntosh

5 1883

Another prequel to Yellowstone, 1883 provides another look at the Dutton family in a completely different era. While 1923 focuses on the Prohibition-era Duttons, 1883 sees the family's perilous journey from the Great Plains to Montana unfold. Exploring the brutal realities of westward expansion in the late 1800s, the series doesn't shy away from disease, violence, and the impact of the environment.

Sheridan wrote and directed 1883, which makes it one of his most hands-on projects to date. The prequel series, which brought another cast of heavy-hitters into the franchise, has been widely regarded as a realistic and emotional piece of the Yellowstone puzzle. 1883's ability to genuinely document sacrifice and survival in a different era made a huge impact on Sheridan's career.

Release Date 2021 - 2022-00-00

Network Paramount+

Showrunner Ron Burkle

Directors Ben Richardson, Christina Alexandra Voros, Taylor Sheridan

Writers Taylor Sheridan

4 Mayor Of Kingstown

Sheridan got his first major TV credit outside of the Yellowstone universe as a co-creator of Mayor Of Kingstown with Hugh Dillon. The series stars Jeremy Renner as Mike McLusky, a political fixer who navigates the power dynamics between law enforcement, politicians, and inmates within a fictional Michigan town.

While the series has had its ups and downs, the show's ability to look plainly at the systemic corruption of mass incarceration has been widely praised. Offering a gritty, morally complex narrative, Mayor Of Kingstown focuses on real-world social issues and high-stakes drama in a way that other Sheridan shows pale in comparison to.

Release Date November 14, 2021

Network Paramount+

Showrunner Dave Erickson

Directors Stephen Kay, Guy Ferland, Christoph Schrewe, Clark Johnson, Paul Cameron, Tasha Smith, Taylor Sheridan

Writers James Arcega Tinsley

3 Lawmen: Bass Reeves

David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves in Lawmen Bass Reeves season 1, episode 10

Although Sheridan only worked as an executive producer on Lawmen: Bass Reeves, the show is one of the best entries in his catalogue. Starring David Oyelowo as Bass Reeves, the series is based on one of the first African American Deputy U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi River, Bass Reeves, as well as books by Sidney Thompson. An 8-episode series, the show touts a great cast with high-quality performances.

Release Date 2023 - 2023-00-00

Showrunner Chad Feehan, Taylor Sheridan

Directors Taylor Sheridan, Damian Marcano, Christina Alexandra Voros

Writers Chad Feehan, Jacob Forman, Taylor Sheridan

2 Tulsa King

Sylvester Stallone as Dwight "The General" Manfredi drinking coffee in Tulsa King.

A crime drama starring Sylvester Stallone as Dwight "The General" Manfredi, Tulsa King takes on a different tone than other Sheridan shows. Following the release of The General from prison in New York, he's sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma to set up a criminal organization by the mafia he previously worked for.

While Sheridan created and produces Tulsa King, his work on the show is more limited than other projects. The series blends crime drama and humor, and is often driven by Stallone's performance rather than the plot itself. Firmly outside of a traditional western, Tulsa King proves that Sheridan can branch out in different directions.

Release Date November 13, 2022

Network Paramount+

Showrunner Dave Erickson, Terence Winter

Directors Allen Coulter, Benjamin Semanoff, David Semel, Guy Ferland, Joshua Marston, Kevin Dowling, Lodge Kerrigan, Jim McKay

Writers Joseph Riccobene, David Flebotte, William Schmidt, Taylor Elmore, Tom Sierchio, Regina Corrado, Stephen Scaia, Terence Winter

Dwight 'The General' Manfredi
Martin Starr

Lawrence 'Bodhi' Geigerman

1 Yellowstone

As the series that Sheridan is most known for, Yellowstone is one of his best. Following the Dutton family in modern day, the series watches as they manage the largest contiguous ranch in the US. Battling land developers, politicians, and neighboring interests, the series was the launchpad for Sheridan's large TV universe, often called the Sheridan-verse.

Known for its dramatic storytelling, dynamic and complicated characters, and straight-forward depiction of a modern western life, Yellowstone has amassed a huge amount of attention throughout its run. The series has found its way to multiple spinoffs and sequels, giving the franchise legs that Sheridan likely didn't expect when he started pitching what would become his TV empire.