Every Taylor Sheridan TV Show Ranked

Taylor Sheridan's brand has been built on solid ground. Crafted of cowboy antics, western bromides, and the pain of living, he has begun taking on the military world in recent years as well. It's Americana that recognizes the ugly underbelly of the individualist life — without condemning certain characters in his oeuvre. He picks at the imperfections of rich people problems with a fine-toothed comb, but respects those who work and struggle hard against bad odds to get what they want. Tragedy and comedy lace throughout his work, and he leans on the absurdity of life every now and again. From Sheridan's sprawling "Yellowstone" universe of series and spin-offs, to unrelated dramas that bear his creative touch and even reality shows, his milieu might be westerns, but he goes in all sorts of creative directions with the genre. 

Out of the nine series currently airing that he's had a hand in creating, which are the best? Which are the worst? And which are the hidden gems you might not even be aware that Sheridan had a hand in making? Here's a listing of Taylor Sheridan's TV shows, ranked in order of quality.

Perhaps the most obscure facet of Taylor Sheridan's empire is this reality horse-riding competition show, which began life on Paramount Network before shifting to CMT. The series just wrapped its fifth season and continues to thrive as a CMT original, but its not something that most fans of his dramas are likely to be aware of. 

"The Last Cowboy" is all about competitive horse reining, a sport the ranch-owning Sheridan is quite familiar with. The show follows cowboys as they prepare for the Run for a Million event, where the cash prize is a million dollars. Between competitions, we come to know their personal foibles and struggles and become involved in the race. Every single season ends with the Run for a Million, creating a solid frame for the rest of the season's exploits and a decent sense of urgency.

But if you aren't into horse reining and aren't into reality shows, this won't be your cup of tea, and the nature of the program means that you won't get to experience Sheridan's philosophy or his writing talents. That means it ought to be a low priority for fans of his work.

We know — it's a shocking notion, to put "Yellowstone" near the bottom of this list. Unfortunately, nothing Paramount Network can do will ever erase the stink of the series' last season, which does no favors to John Dutton (Kevin Costner) after spending years building the show around his type of moral coding. Parts of the show do work, parts of them grate. But the way it wrapped things up ended up sealing its fate as the worst of Taylor Sheridan's fictional efforts thus far. Time will tell if it stands the test of a rewatch — or if his other shows will falter as they reach their own conclusions.

It's undeniable that some chunks of "Yellowstone" work, in that undeniably "Dallas"-like way — a rich family in constant conflict with a grey-hatted protagonist, a good-guy older son with a temper, a rebellious daddy's favorite, and a put-upon but always machinating second son. Even the bunkhouse drama can be satisfying. But with an ending that's only somewhat edifying, "Yellowstone" still deserves its spot near the bottom of this list. 

This one comes in lower on the list because it's a fairly new project that hasn't got a lot of seasons under its belt at press time, so it's too soon to say how good it will be. But so far, "Landman" is a fairly fresh look at life in the oil fields of Texas, led by your typical iconoclastic Sheridan star and your typical mix of boardroom infighting and family drama.

Billy Bob Thornton leads the cast as Tommy Norris, who has a long history in the Texas oil fields and works as a titular landman and VP of a struggling oil company. The show revolves around his friendship with Monty Miller (Jon Hamm) who knew him back in the day and now helms M-Tex, a rival oil company. Tommy finds himself tangled up with Cami (Demi Moore), Monty's seemingly loyal wife. Tommy's own kids become a part of the action, and it seems to be boiling down to a green energy versus big oil battle. The series is currently hanging in the balance without a renewal from Paramount+, but it got huge numbers when it debuted, and Demi Moore has hinted they will reconvene to film Season 2 early in 2025. Until then, Paramount+ has Season 1 to stream.

Adding a little more humor to the proceedings than one typically sees in a Taylor Sheridan piece, "Tulsa King" plants a recently released from prison mobster in brand new territory and watches him struggle to figure out what life in Oklahoma is all about. He decides to take the territory over for himself, which results in complications. Two seasons deep, it's mainly about Dwight "The General" Manfredi's (Sylvester Stallone) attempts to pull schemes and heists while running afoul of the ATF and other organizations.

Stallone brings a knowing sense of humor as well as a swagger to the part (as well he should, because he jumped at the chance to join "Tulsa King,") and he continues to be a good reason for fans to tune in for the series. With two seasons down and the likelihood of a third and fourth on the horizon (as well as a spin-off set in New Orleans), there's no better time to jump on the "Tulsa King" bandwagon. 

A serious military drama filled with powerhouse female leads, "Lioness" stands out as something distinct in Taylor Sheridan's oeuvre: A world seen largely through the point of view of women. The powerhouse acting here also makes the show stand out from the flock, attracting heavyweights like Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman.

The show revolves around CIA case officer Joe McNamara (Saldaña), who finds herself balancing her work on missions protecting the country's safety and her family life, including a marriage to pediatric cancer surgeon Neal (Dave Annable). Sergeant First Class Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira) is often along for the ride. The missions are not always cut and dried ethical dilemmas, which often leave the team battling their own feelings about what's best for themselves and the country. The end result, of course, is less rah-rah and more thoughtful. It's one of Sheridan's more interesting outings and definitely one of his best. There are very few shows like it out there.

Taylor Sheridan has a way with historical productions, as "Lawmen: Bass Reeves" proves his even hand with the subject matter. This fictionalization of Bass Reeves' (David Oyelowo) real-life journey is a complex and realistically-hewn story of life as a Black person trying to keep peace and justice in Indian Territory. 

The show follows Reeves as he's torn between his happy homestead farm and serving the law as a US Deputy Marshal. He ends up in all sorts of difficult situations, including a showdown with The Underwood Gang and old shadows from his past. Reeves ends up having his enforcement choices drawn into question, and he also ultimately ends up crossing boundaries to save his family. In the end, this is David Oyelowo's showcase, and he does a bang-up job making you care a lot about Reeves' angst and morals. It's a fabulous example of what Sheridan can do with a historical subject when he's charmed into doing it.

"Mayor of Kingstown" is like a somewhat more tender version of "The Wire." It's gloomy and dark in its portrayal of a company town steeped in corruption. A generational cop drama with its eyes on the street, it focuses on Michigan's McLusky clan. It's specifically Jeremy Renner's Mike who holds down the fort for this one, making it compelling even among the darkness.

Mike is a loner and ex-con who has taken over as the titular "mayor" of Kingstown from his dead brother and father — walking the fine line between the town's law enforcement and its prison population as administrators, as well as its drug sellers, mobsters, and ordinary citizens. Mike is in conflict with his mother (Dianne Wiest), who hates what the town's done to him and her family at large, and specifically the things both of her sons have done to get ahead. The tension is great, and Mike's balancing act a precarious one. Only time will tell what side of the line he'll fall on. "The Mayor of Kingstown" is quite unique in that it was inspired by co-creator Hugh Dillon's childhood, and you can see that realism in every turn. A fourth season is in the pipeline, and the show's set to rocket into the stratosphere. There's no better time to start enjoying "Mayor of Kingstown" than now.

A prequel about what life was like for John Dutton's grandparents and great-grandparents, "1923" gives us a look at flappers, colonialism, residential schools, and range wars. Compelling acting make this a full-out win for Paramount+, and among Taylor Sheridan's best pieces. 

The series revolves around Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren), who have assumed ownership of the Dutton Ranch after the death of James Dutton (Tim McGraw) and his wife Margaret (Faith Hill). They also finished raising Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) and Jack (Darren Mann), James' only surviving sons. While Spencer has dealt with the mental scars of being a World War I veteran by globetrotting as an expat big game hunter, Jack has stayed on the ranch, helping Cara and Jacob defend it in range wars. The show also focuses on Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves) who rebels against her residential school. The wide variety of storylines inherent in the series — from Spencer's adventuresome tale to Teonna's fight against prejudice — help put it over the top, making it one of the best series Sheridan ever attached his name to. Even if some "Yellowstone" fans think it's the worst part of the franchise, we think it's one of the best.

Filled with bittersweet loss and fully exploring the themes of family, destiny, and loyalty that Taylor Sheridan sets up in "Yellowstone," "1883" is the first "Yellowstone" spin-off series. It's a tragic family saga that shows how much the Duttons sacrificed to get their land — and why the whole operation was a disaster, ultimately costing them family harmony and much of their unity. 

This first family of Duttons to settle in Montana set out from Tennessee to the west coast, and immediately problems set in. James (Tim McGraw) and Margaret (Faith Hill) slowly lose their grip on their family, innocent but determined teenager Elsa (Isabel May) and wide-eyed John Dutton (Audie Rick). Elsa rebels as they get further from home, which may cost her everything. They soon find themselves surrounded by other Americans looking for a fresh start: Depressed guide Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott), Pinkerton guard Thomas (LaMonica Garrett), immigrant Joseph (Marc Rissmann) and many others. The trail will not be kind to them; Indeed, by the time of the ending of "1883," the majority of its characters will be dead.

It's the way Sheridan sets up this story that makes it great, and the way he executes it. The characters are easy to love even when they're behaving terribly, and hanging over it all is the destiny guiding the story. Seven generations, and the land goes back to the tribe who embraced Elsa so warmly and let her watch over the family from her resting place. Promise, fulfilled.