Taylor Sheridan series ranked by ratings showcases the evolution of modern American television drama, stretching across Western sagas, crime epics, and espionage. With critics weighing in through Rotten Tomatoes scores, each entry reflects Sheridan’s ongoing mission to test story boundaries, captivate fans, and challenge TV conventions from the grit-soaked plains to the secrets of shadowy operatives.
Sheridan’s Creative Universe Spanning Genres and Generations
Taylor Sheridan’s name has become synonymous with captivating television defined by raw energy and deep emotional stakes. From the blockbuster launch of Yellowstone to recent ventures like Special Ops: Lioness, his output is both prolific and relentlessly genre-shifting. Sheridan didn’t just revive the Western—he built a multi-series empire that pushes against the moral and visual limits of television drama.
Sheridan’s storytelling signature is unmistakable, threading powerful dialogue and complex characters through every project. At the heart of these series lie deeply human struggles: family legacy, survival, loyalty, power, and the costs of ambition. The Rotten Tomatoes scores reveal how each has resonated with critics, revealing both the highlights of his universe and moments where critics felt the experiment didn’t quite land.
1. 1923 (2022–2025): Rotten Tomatoes Score – 95%
Launching in December 2022 on Paramount+, 1923 delivered more than a typical Yellowstone prequel. The show broke out as its own epic, presenting a new generation of Duttons immersed in the resource-starved, tumultuous early twentieth century. Cara Dutton, portrayed by Helen Mirren, and Jacob Dutton, played by Harrison Ford, held the family together during Prohibition, drought, and the onset of the Great Depression. Their resilience and uncompromising spirit anchored the series’ high emotional stakes.
Brandon Sklenar’s role as Spencer Dutton, a man forever changed by war and adventure across the African continent, was a spark that fueled much of the series’ momentum. The encounter between Spencer and Julia Schlaepfer’s Alexandra delivered romance and rebellion, crossing continents and cultural boundaries. Amid the sweeping visual style and tragedy, each character choice felt impactful and deliberate, creating a resonance that extended beyond the Yellowstone universe.
The creative direction in 1923, distinct from the melodrama of some other franchise entries, drew praise from both critics and fans. Its finale in February 2025 capped an epic narrative rather than leaving loose threads. The Dutton legacy here felt earned rather than inherited, reaffirming Sheridan’s reputation for substantive, meaningful drama.
2. 1883 (2021–2022): Rotten Tomatoes Score – 89%
Premiering December 2021, 1883 stands as Sheridan’s unflinching journey into the origins of the Dutton family. Led by Tim McGraw as James Dutton and Faith Hill as Margaret Dutton, the ten-episode miniseries charted a difficult trek from Tennessee to Montana in a landscape shaped by post-Civil War hardship and hope for a better future. Sam Elliott’s Shea Brennan guided the family through a perilous wagon train westward, while Isabel May’s Elsa narrated the physical and emotional extremes of frontier life.
Unlike the heightened drama of Yellowstone, 1883 was poetically bleak, exploring sacrifice, death, and transformation with honesty. Sunburnt plains and storm-darkened skies set the tone for a story where nothing was guaranteed, and survival came at heart-wrenching costs. Sam Elliott’s commanding yet tormented portrayal and May’s introspective narration layered the story with poignancy and dread rarely found in TV Westerns.
Sheridan kept the momentum careful and somber, ensuring every emotional beat felt genuine and earned. As 1883 concluded in early 2022, its emotional echoes laid a foundation for the larger Yellowstone chronicle, impacting future generations of the saga’s characters and fans alike.
3. Tulsa King (2022–): Rotten Tomatoes Score – 89%
In 2022, Sheridan joined forces with Sylvester Stallone for Tulsa King, delivering an electrifying blend of mob intrigue and Western edge. Stallone starred as Dwight “The General” Manfredi, a former New York Mafia captain banished to Tulsa, Oklahoma, after a long prison sentence. The fish-out-of-water storyline found Dwight assembling a ragtag entourage, evolving from dark comedy to gripping crime drama.
Stallone’s television debut as a lead became a showcase for his signature mix of humor and gravitas. Instead of relying on classic mob tropes, Tulsa King continually adapted, embracing genre-mixing and character evolution through unexpected partnerships and escalating threats. With the entrance of new characters like Frank Grillo and Neal McDonough, Season 2 saw the pressure double and internal alliances tested to breaking.
Critics were drawn to Stallone’s charisma; the show quickly developed a sizable audience and even earned an Emmy nomination. Plans for a third season and a spin-off, NOLA King featuring Samuel L. Jackson, signal the franchise’s expanding reach within Sheridan’s portfolio of American drama.
4. Yellowstone (2018–2024): Rotten Tomatoes Score – 83%
Few shows have redefined their genre quite like Yellowstone. Debuting in 2018, the series chronicled the Dutton family, Montana’s largest ranch owners, as they defended their home against developers, politicians, and local tribal leaders. Kevin Costner’s John Dutton III gave authority and soul to the drama, supported by a strong ensemble: Luke Grimes as Kayce, Kelly Reilly as Beth, Cole Hauser as Rip, and Wes Bentley as Jamie.
Early seasons of Yellowstone locked in audiences with tightly coiled tension and emotional impact, while later seasons widened the narrative to include more ambitious rivalries and political conflicts. Despite occasional narrative overreach, the trademark cowboy grit anchored the saga throughout its run. Notably, Yellowstone almost ended up at HBO, but its iconic status was cemented on Paramount+, where it flourished into a major franchise with multiple spin-offs.
At its core, Yellowstone examined loyalty, legacy, and the raw fight for survival. Its 83% Rotten Tomatoes score reflects both its critical success and the lasting effect it had on the television landscape, making Western stories relevant and compelling for a new era.
5. Landman (2024–): Rotten Tomatoes Score – 78%
Premiering in November 2024, Landman offered a distinct look at the moral and physical trials of the West Texas oil industry. Billy Bob Thornton played Tommy Norris, an experienced oil executive battling corporate chaos, environmental opposition, and his family’s turbulent past. Co-created with Christian Wallace and inspired by Wallace’s Boomtown podcast, Landman revealed how ambition and legacy manifest in the high-stakes world of oil extraction.
Demi Moore, as Norris’s steadfast friend Cami, and Ali Larter as his fiery ex-wife Angela, added layers of tension and complexity to the show’s core conflicts. Landman’s focus was less on cattle, more on black gold—a shift that re-cast family ambition and rivalry in a modern light. From its first season, the show’s authenticity and suspense earned a swift renewal for Season 2, reflecting both its immediate appeal and its potential for deeper storytelling.
Landman’s positioning in Sheridan’s roster was clear: while Yellowstone asked about the price of land, this show confronted the true cost of resources hidden beneath the ground, and the toll such battles take on those at the center of the action.
6. Special Ops: Lioness (2023–): Rotten Tomatoes Score – 73%
With Special Ops: Lioness, Sheridan traded rural landscapes for global threat, delving into the covert operations of a CIA initiative based on real-life programs. Zoe Saldaña’s Joe McNamara led an elite unit of female agents—including Marine-turned-spy Cruz, played by Laysla De Oliveira—tasked with penetrating terrorist networks from within. The show, premiering in July 2023, immediately distinguished itself as a taut, emotional thriller.
The series stood apart as Sheridan’s move into espionage, presenting themes of trauma, identity, and sacrifice against the backdrop of relentless tension and danger. Nicole Kidman took on the role of a CIA higher-up, adding further gravitas and complexity to the internal politics of the series. The emotional and physical stakes, always life-or-death, kept viewers invested as missions blurred the lines between duty and humanity.
The critical response recognized the boldness of Sheridan’s departure from the Western template, as well as the strong performances driving the drama. Season 2, which premiered in October 2024, witnessed Cruz being drawn into Delta Force operations, signaling even greater threats and raising the tension heading into future episodes.
7. Mayor of Kingstown (2021–): Rotten Tomatoes Score – 53%
Premiering in 2021, Mayor of Kingstown marked a departure from Sheridan’s Western storytelling and entered the harsh realities of a prison-fueled Midwestern town. Jeremy Renner starred as Mike McLusky, an embattled peacekeeper and unofficial “mayor,” maneuvering through layers of corruption, gang politics, and fraught allegiances. Supporting performances from Dianne Wiest, Taylor Handley, Hugh Dillon, and Tobi Bamtefa contributed depth to this tense, brooding world.
Co-created with Hugh Dillon, Mayor of Kingstown eschewed clear-cut heroes and villains for a darker sociopolitical examination of power. The prison-industrial complex and family trauma pulled Mike deeper into moral ambiguity as he struggled to mediate violence between rival factions and restore some semblance of order. Each episode ratcheted up the intensity as the lines between authority and criminality faded.
Although the show’s Rotten Tomatoes score is lower compared to other Sheridan projects, its ambition and gravitas have won it a loyal following. As it heads into Season 4, Mayor of Kingstown continues to explore the cost of power—both for those who wield it and those who become casualties.
The Significance and Ongoing Impact of Sheridan’s Expanding Universe
From the windswept landscapes of Montana to the hazardous secrets of international espionage, Sheridan’s storytelling continues to reshape expectations for American television drama. Each series, whether a critical favorite like 1923 or a divisive outlier like Mayor of Kingstown, demonstrates Sheridan’s commitment to intense, morally tangled storytelling. His ability to draw standout performances from actors such as Helen Mirren, Harrison Ford, Billy Bob Thornton, Sylvester Stallone, Zoe Saldaña, and Jeremy Renner further grounds these stories in realism and emotional honesty.
As the universe grows—with new seasons, spin-offs like NOLA King, and fresh narratives probing the underbelly of contemporary American life—Sheridan’s legacy as a showrunner and creative force becomes ever more solidified. The Rotten Tomatoes rankings highlight not just which Taylor Sheridan series earned the biggest critical acclaim, but also how his distinctive approach keeps audiences and critics anticipating what he’ll tackle next.
