Every Taylor Sheridan Show, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes (#1 Will Surprise You) md20

As an established name by 2018, Sheridan began focusing on TV shows, and he’s built a pretty hefty empire of beloved series over time. There’s a loyal fanbase of the Sheridanverse out there, but are the critics as in love with all of it? It seems like they might be harsher than audiences. Here’s every Taylor Sheridan show, ranked by Rotten Tomatoes.

8. ‘The Last Cowboy’ (2019–2023)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: N/A

The Last Cowboy doesn’t have a critics’ or audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, mostly because it’s a documentary series that follows competitive horse riders and trainers. This might mean it hasn’t been watched by enough Rotten Tomatoes users, though IMDb ratings place it at a solid 6.7/10. Fans there praised the show for being exciting and well-directed, though they note it loses momentum by the final season. Many people claim this show got them interested in horses, ranching, and competitive horse riding, and it’s definitely among the only shows of its kind to air on TV. Sheridan is credited as a creator.

If anything, The Last Cowboy is one of the first signs of Sheridan’s cowboy inclinations, since it came out around the same time as his neo-Western family saga Yellowstone (more on that later). The show consists of 31 episodes and follows several cowboys training their horses and preparing for different tournaments and contests. This docu-series is meant to open up the world of competitive show riding to wider audiences, and it seems to have succeeded in its mission.

7. ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ (2021–Present)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 53%

Image via Paramount+

Mayor of Kingstown is one of the less popular shows penned by Sheridan among critics, but it’s still a favorite among fans of his writing style and storytelling. If we look at his earliest work, we could divide all his later stuff into either Sicario-like routes (organized crime, gangsters, law enforcers) or Hell or High Water (Westerns, cowboys, gunfights, and car chases). Mayor of Kingstown falls under the Sicario category, following the McLusky family, who are power brokers in their small town of Kingstown. The show’s average critics’ score is 51%, though Season 3 individually carries a 78% approval rating — a vast improvement from Season 1’s 33%. Critics were universally unsure whether this series would get more than one season, considering its gloomy and gritty storytelling, but Sheridan must be well-loved at Paramount (and for good reason).

Mayor of Kingstown follows Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner), the middle child of the family who has always dreamed of leaving his hometown. However, when his older brother Mitch (Kyle Chandler) is no longer a mediator between the criminals and the cops in Kingstown, also known as “Mayor,” Mike has to take over the role and succeed him. Their youngest brother is a police lieutenant, and he also struggles with balancing his career and familial duties, so Mike needs to keep the balance. The show also stars Aidan Gillen, and it’s pretty dark. Dealing with the seediest parts of life and the dark underbelly of the town, it may be too gloomy for some. Critics agreed that Renner is brilliant and commands attention, while fans keep the show in high regard, considering it one of Sheridan’s best works.

6. ‘Lioness’ (2023–Present)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 73%

Lioness is another underseen project by Sheridan that leans into Sicario territory with the CIA and undercover work themes. Lioness is the name of the training program in the series, which recruits female prospects and trains them to infiltrate global crime and terror organizations. It sounds mysterious and fun, and it is for the most part, but just like everything with Sheridan, Lioness is also very matter-of-fact, realistic, and grounded — there’s no room to fantasize, and the characters aren’t romanticized or glazed. The average score for Lioness is 73% on RT, with Season 2 receiving almost double the approval rating compared to Season 1, sitting at 90%. Like Mayor of Kingstown, Lioness took a moment to warm up, and the show needs to be given a chance to really get into it.

Lioness follows Joe McNamara (Zoe Saldaña), a CIA agent and field operative heading the Lioness program. In Season 1, Joe recruits Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira), tasked to approach the family of a suspected terrorist financier. Lioness is exciting and full of twists, so it’s not just a simple action series. Saldaña was praised for leading the series with confidence, and critics found the first season’s clichés to be less prominent in Season 2, gaining a bolder and more powerful shape overall. If you like special ops stuff like The Terminal List or its prequel, Dark Wolf, don’t let this Rotten Tomatoes score fool you — the show is definitely worth a watch.

5. ‘Landman’ (2024–Present)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 78%

Image via Paramount

Landman is the newest bold story Sheridan penned, and it’s more comparable to Hell or High Water, as it leans into the neo-Western genre. The thing that makes Landman one of Sheridan’s greatest TV series thus far is its roots in reality — it was inspired by the podcast Boomtown and co-written with the podcast’s author, Christian Wallace. The story depicts the job of a landman and the dynamics of the oil industry, from the blue-collar rig workers through the landmen, all the way to the higher-ups. We’re given some interesting characters within this context, and it wouldn’t be very Sheridan-like if it didn’t have some intricate family dynamics and a crime or gangster aspect. Landman Season 2 is arriving this November, and we’re excited to see Sam Elliott join Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore, and Andy Garcia (among others).

Landman follows Tommy Norris (Thornton), a landman who is an overseer of business on both administrative and on-site work ends, and his day-to-day dealings as the landman for M-Tex. This company is owned by Monty Miller (Jon Hamm), and while they have a friendship, they’re also very different in how they observe the business. Tommy is also seen facing off against the cartel, making up with his ex-wife, and teaching M-Tex’s new lawyer the ropes on the ground. Like all of Sheridan’s work, Landman is a well-researched and fact-backed series that includes a bit of drama. Thornton is quite charming and relatable, which is the driver behind the appeal and success of Landman. Critics agree, and the 78% Rotten Tomatoes score is certified fresh. Hopes are high for Season 2.

4. ‘Yellowstone’ (2018–2024)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 83%

Image by Federico Napoli

Yellowstone is an epic saga that just about everyone’s heard of by now. Kevin Costner stars in this wild Western journey consisting of five seasons, depicting the lives and adventures of the Dutton family: John (Costner), the patriarch, and his children, Beth (Kelly Reilly), Kayce (Luke Grimes), and Jamie (Wes Bentley). They’re the owners of Yellowstone ranch, a successful cattle herding ranch in Montana, and their land is so precious that they have to fight off some very bad people who keep trying to claim it for themselves.

There are a bunch of fights, both armed and bare-knuckled, and lots of skeletons in the Dutton family closet. Everyone always has a trick up their sleeve in Yellowstone. It’s undeniably fun and sometimes leans into the ranching aspect of it all when Sheridan decides it’s time. Yellowstone had its ups and downs, starting off with a low first-season score, though Season 3 has a 100% rating and deserves it as the show’s overall best. Despite the fact that the final season wasn’t up to audiences’ standards, critics still gave it a certified fresh rating. (The final episodes of Season 5 were made without Costner, which could be the reason for the viewers’ disappointment.) Overall, Yellowstone is a successful and highly watched series that combines grit with melodrama.

3. ‘Tulsa King’ (2022–Present)

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Image via Paramount+

Tulsa King was a bit of an unexpected project from Sheridan, though it’s a pretty classic series for his style and writing. Its surprise factor came from Sylvester Stallone, who plays the lead — the titular Tulsa “king,” Dwight Manfredi. Stallone is fantastic in the role, and the script taps into his talents, letting him show off his charisma and dramatic chops. The show has an overall approval rating of 88%, with Season 2 holding 100% on its own. Season 3 is currently airing, and odds are great that the show will stay on our screens for quite some time.

Tulsa King opens with a New York Mafia capo, Dwight Manfredi (Stallone), getting out of prison after 25 years for taking the fall for his crime family. He served the time, but the change in “administration” got him ousted from town and sent to Tulsa under the excuse of keeping an eye on business opportunities there. Dwight feels ambitious, though, and goes rogue, starting his own crime syndicate and moneymaking business, transforming some of the lesser-known places around Tulsa into great new businesses. Dwight’s a formidable protagonist — flawed and impulsive but observant and charismatic. Just as he wins over those in the show, he equally wins over the viewers. This show’s Rotten Tomatoes score is justified and could climb even higher with the new installment.

2. ‘1883’ (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 89%

Image via Paramount+

Sheridan’s Dutton family saga extends further than just Yellowstone. He decided to create an entire family tree, rooting the Duttons into Western history and putting them together with some real-life Old West personalities. This mesh of reality and fiction makes it feel like the Duttons were real people, and there’s no doubt that there are families like them out there. The first Yellowstone prequel was the miniseries 1883, which is widely regarded as one of the best Western shows around. This gritty show depicts the arrival of the Duttons to the famed Yellowstone ranch by way of a wagon train. The critics agreed on an 89% approval rating for 1883, deeming the show too grim sometimes, though overall ambitious and epic.

1883 follows James and Margaret Dutton (real-life couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill), leaving from Fort Worth toward Oregon, led by caravan leader Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott). The show depicts their travels and struggles to reach their goal, while exploring the hardships of the Old West and its treacherous nature. The Duttons and Brennan get assistance from some real-life personalities, too, like Charles Goodnight, a famous cattle rancher (portrayed by Sheridan himself), General George Meade (Tom Hanks), and Marshal Jim Courtright (Billy Bob Thornton). If you enjoy Westerns — in particular those that don’t observe the Old West romantically —1883 will break you, but it’ll also be a great watch.

1. ‘1923’ (2022–2025)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 94%

Image via Paramount+

The second prequel to Yellowstone is 1923. This wasn’t just a miniseries — rather, it was a relentless two-season saga that follows the younger generations of the Duttons (younger from the perspective of 1883, anyway). If 1883 is epic and intricate, 1923 is double that, and one of the most profitable projects Paramount has ever invested in. Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren are the leads in 1923, but they’re joined by other prominent performers and new talents alike. Everyone is great in this show, and both seasons have high approval ratings from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The second season, in particular, as devastating as it was, earned its 100% approval rating from critics, though its tragic and melodramatic events prompted viewers to lower the Rotten Tomatoes audience score slightly.

1923 follows James Dutton’s brother, Jacob (Ford), his wife, Cara (Mirren), and their established presence on a still underdeveloped Yellowstone ranch. The show depicts the winter conditions in Montana, which are gruesome, to say the least. Harsh, snowy landscapes are juxtaposed with the Africa-based adventures of a crucial Dutton, Spencer (Brandon Sklenar), and the fight for the desired Montana land is ever-active. The show also depicts the cruel treatment of Native girls in an American Indian boarding school, focusing on Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves) and her escape. There are many characters who make the sum of all parts great, and though 1923 is potentially the most brutal of Sheridan’s shows, it’s grandiose and attention-grabbing, earning its 94% score.