Taylor Sheridan has created a TV universe of his own… and he doesn’t much care what TV critics have to say about it, either.
In a new interview with The Bill Simmons Podcast, the “Yellowstone” and “Dutton Ranch” mastermind brushed off the negative critiques some of his shows have received from critics, citing his decision to leave Demi Moore in the background in Season 1 of his Paramount+ series “Landman” before giving her a more prominent role in Season 2.
“The critics are going to come after me,” he recalled telling Moore. “I’m underutilizing you, can’t write for women, all this nonsense. Then I’m going to kill your husband and you’re going to have to run the oil company.”
He also pointed out that his relationship with TV critics is mutually hostile: “I don’t care what they think, and it annoys the s**t out of them that I don’t care.” In fact, he admitted that there are things he intentionally puts in his shows to “rage-bait them a bit, and this is one of them. F**k ’em, honestly.”
Sheridan has never cared about getting good reviews or winning awards, he added, remembering what he told studio executives when he first signed a development deal with Paramount: “This is not a democracy. There’s no committee. You’re going to pay me, and you’re going to give me a bunch of money, and I’m going to deliver you these shows. I’m pretty common, and I’m going to tell stories that common people are going to understand. That’s most of America. You’re not going to win no Emmys with me, but I’m not trying to win Emmys. That’s not my goal. My goal is to sit somebody on their couch and move them, make them think, make them laugh, scare the s**t out of them, excite them. That’s what I want to do, because that’s what I want from a show.”
Taylor Sheridan’s shows have earned awards buzz, though
There’s no question Taylor Sheridan has built a mega-successful TV universe. He co-created “Yellowstone,” which became a pop culture phenomenon and one of TV’s most-watched shows before ending its run in 2024. (Check out our list of the best episodes.) “Yellowstone” led to two prequels for Paramount+, “1883” and “1923,” and a pair of spin-offs, too: CBS’ “Marshals,” which earned a Season 2 renewal in March, and Paramount+’s “Dutton Ranch,” which also got renewed for Season 2 earlier this month. Sheridan also writes and executive-produces a number of non-“Yellowstone” Paramount+ dramas, including “Mayor of Kingstown,” “Tulsa King,” “Landman,” “Lioness,” and “The Madison.”
Sheridan’s shows haven’t gone completely unnoticed by Hollywood award show voters, either. Kevin Costner won the Golden Globe for best lead actor in a drama in 2023 for his work as John Dutton on “Yellowstone,” and Michelle Pfeiffer earned rave reviews for her starring role in “The Madison,” setting her up for a possible Emmy nomination next month. Our own Andy Swift selected Pfeiffer as TVLine’s Performer of the Week in March, raving that she’ll “regularly break your heart into pieces, but she’ll also find a way to put those pieces back together.”
Do you agree with Taylor Sheridan? And do you think his shows aren’t getting the Emmy love they deserve? Hit the comments to share your thoughts!
