In recent years, the Western genre on television has seen a surge in popularity, with Taylor Sheridan often credited as the driving force behind this trend. His projects, including Yellowstone and its spinoffs, have undeniably reshaped contemporary Western storytelling. However, the revival of Westerns on TV was already underway before Sheridan’s debut in the field, and the momentum would likely have continued without his involvement.
Critics and fans generally agree that numerous standout Western series have emerged in the last fifteen years, many of which do not involve Sheridan. Instead of initiating the genre’s comeback, Sheridan has adeptly capitalized on the growing interest in Western narratives, refining and popularizing 21st-century neo-Western themes to attract wide audiences.
Western TV Revival Initiated by Preceding Series
While Sheridan is viewed as a central figure in the Western genre resurgence, this perspective overlooks earlier contributions that laid the groundwork. The revival of Western television series dates back well before Sheridan’s first small-screen project, Yellowstone, which premiered in 2018.
One landmark show is HBO’s Deadwood, which debuted in 2004 and attracted 5.8 million viewers—the largest series premiere audience in the network’s history at that time, according to The Washington Post. Deadwood’s success secured it a second season and opened the door for more period Western dramas.
Following Deadwood, shows such as Fox’s Justified in 2010, AMC’s Hell on Wheels, and A&E’s Longmire contributed to the rising popularity of Western television. By the time Sheridan introduced Yellowstone, the genre’s renewal on television was already well established.
Early Neo-Westerns Set the Stage Before Sheridan
Some critics delineate between classic Westerns like Deadwood and Hell on Wheels, and the neo-Western style Sheridan’s Yellowstone exemplifies, which is set in modern-day Montana. However, Sheridan was not the pioneer of neo-Western TV shows.
Neo-Westerns had significant precursors, most notably Justified and Longmire. These two series not only rank among the finest Western shows of their era but also serve as early definitive examples of the neo-Western on television.
Although Cade’s County, starring Glenn Ford and debuting in 1971, is considered the first neo-Western TV series due to its contemporary American Southwest setting, stylistically it mirrored classic Westerns like Gunsmoke and Bonanza more than it innovated. Similarly, Walker, Texas Ranger, led by Chuck Norris in the 1990s, blended Western themes with martial arts elements but lacked the depth defining true neo-Westerns.
Modern prestige dramas such as Breaking Bad and Sons of Anarchy updated Western motifs extensively but do not fit neatly into the neo-Western category. It was truly Justified, featuring a maverick U.S. marshal operating in authentic small-town Kentucky, that firmly established the neo-Western television blueprint several years before Sheridan’s work.
Sheridan’s Impact on Expanding Neo-Western Audiences
Despite not originating the Western revival or neo-Western format, Taylor Sheridan has undeniably expanded the audience for contemporary Western television. Yellowstone and Landman, as well as Sheridan’s other Western-themed productions, consistently deliver far higher viewership metrics than their predecessors.
For instance, Yellowstone’s 2024 finale attracted a record-breaking 16.4 million viewers, a figure unmatched by Justified, Longmire, or even Deadwood at its peak. Sheridan’s work has transformed him into one of the most sought-after creators on TV, prompting numerous networks and studios to greenlight multiple Western series within his growing creative domain.
This surge in Sheridan-led Western programming, however, risks eclipsing the accomplishments of the earlier shows that contributed to the genre’s comeback, along with contemporary series that continue to innovate outside his influence.
Concerns About Sheridan’s Dominance Over the TV Western Landscape
Taylor Sheridan’s expanding television universe includes not only Yellowstone’s two existing spinoffs but three additional limited series in development, alongside Landman’s renewal for a second season. This rapid growth raises questions about the genre’s diversity and whether other voices in Western storytelling might be marginalized.
Although Sheridan’s shows draw massive audiences, they have not escaped criticism. Some viewers and critics find 1883 and 1923 dull and meandering, while traditional Western fans sometimes dismiss Yellowstone and Landman as sensationalized soap operas rather than serious contributions to the genre.
Currently, few Western television series beyond Sheridan’s projects remain in active production. AMC’s Dark Winds continues to run, and Netflix’s American Primeval miniseries released in 2025 was favorably received. Moreover, fans eagerly anticipate new installments of Kevin Costner’s Horizon saga on HBO. Still, these entries are exceptions in a landscape increasingly dominated by Sheridan’s shows.
As Sheridan’s influence grows, so does concern that his dominance could limit the genre’s evolution. For Western television to flourish sustainably, the field requires fresh and diverse productions that challenge and expand beyond the Taylor Sheridan universe.
