ParamountTaylor Sheridan’s small screen reign might have you hankering for more TV shows about dysfunctional families and the dangerous West – luckily, we’ve got you covered.
Being a Taylor Sheridan fan is no small task. For every genuinely great show (1883, we’re looking at you), there are some less-than-desirable series that have the power to leave you cringing from second-hand embarrassment (including pretty much anything Beth Dutton says).
Still, it can’t be denied that the Yellowstone creator has made some damn entertaining television. The best TV shows don’t have to be prestigious or award-winning – they just have to keep you on the edge of your seat, and that’s something Sheridan can easily do.
So, while you wait for Landman Season 2 or the rest of the Yellowstone spinoffs to arrive, here are five TV shows you’ll love if you like Sheridan’s style. (Not including his own work, of course.)
Dallas
CBS- Release date: April 2, 1978
- Genre: Drama, soap opera
- Cast: Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray, Larry Hagman
- How long is it: 14 Seasons (357 episodes)
What it’s about: In Texas, the wealthy Ewing family have made their fortune from the oil industry, but in order to keep it all, they have to survive mustache-twirling enemies, daring scandals, and each other.
Why we like it: Ah, the original Dutton family. Or the original Norris family. Either way, there are few soap operas as daring and dramatic as Dallas. The personalities are much bigger in Texas, as evidenced by the scheming and opulent lives of J.R. Ewing and Sue Ellen. Yellowstone may be gritty, but Dallas is sparkling with diamonds, champagne, and more slaps across the face than you can count.
Deadwood
HBO- Release date: March 21, 2004
- Genre: Western, drama
- Cast: Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, Molly Parker
- How long is it: 3 Seasons (36 episodes)
What it’s about: The story of the town of Deadwood’s rise in South Dakota in the 1870s, featuring stories from historical figures such as Wyatt Earp, Calamity Jane, and Wild Bill Hickok.
Why we like it: It should be no surprise that this list is filled with Westerns, and Deadwood is frequently regarded as one of the best Western TV shows around. And for good reason, as this nail-biting dusty drama set the bar for all Old West-style stories on the small screen. If the dangers of 1883 were your bag, then Deadwood continues that painful exploration of surviving back in the day. This cancellation will always sting.
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Justified
FX- Release date: March 16, 2010
- Genre: Western, drama
- Cast: Timothy Olyphant, Walton Goggins, Nick Searcy
- How long is it: 6 Seasons, 78 episodes
What it’s about: Justified follows Raylan Givens, a U.S. Marshal who plays by his own rules, as he returns to enact justice within his old hometown, Harlan County.
Why we like it: This is Timothy Olyphant’s second entry on this list, so make of that what you will. But one can’t think of Sheridan without thinking of the term “neo-Western,” and Justified is about as good as it gets in that regard. If the eight Emmy nominations aren’t enough to sway you to check out this intensely cool drama, then maybe the dark humor and twisty plotlines will.
Sons of Anarchy
FX- Release date: September 3, 2008
- Genre: Drama
- Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Ron Perlman
- How long is it: 7 Seasons (92 episodes)
What it’s about: Sons of Anarchy is a story of brotherhood and crime, focusing on an outlaw motorcycle gang that operates in California’s Central Valley.
Why we like it: Sons of Anarchy and Taylor Sheridan ironically go hand-in-hand, since our boy literally starred in the biker gang tale as Deputy Chief David Hale. (He may have been killed off in a brutal way, but that’s besides the point.) So not only is Sons an excellent opportunity to check out the wannabe-actor era of Sheridan, but it’s also a brutally violent and superbly made drama.
Joe Pickett
Paramount- Release date: December 6, 2021
- Genre: Drama, crime
- Cast: Michael Dorman, Julianna Guill, Sharon Lawrence
- How long is it: 2 Seasons (20 episodes)
What it’s about: Based on the series of novels by C.J. Box, Joe Pickett follows a game warden in Wyoming who investigates illegal activity and suspicious goings-on in Yellowstone National Park.
Why we like it: Oh, you want another neo-Western crime drama? Set in Yellowstone National Park? You got one. One common thing you’ll find among modern Westerns is terrible people doing terrible things (in fact, that seems to be the sole prerogative of Sheridan’s characters most of the time).
Joe Pickett is a slightly lighter version of events, with Pickett taking on the hero role in a string of dangerous misadventures around the park and those who inhabit it. Joe Pickett is less concerned with explosive drama and unrealistic plotlines and more focused on dramatic, realistic stories. Because of that, it’s a breath of fresh air.
For more, check out all the shows to watch if you love Yellowstone. You can also find out how to watch all the Kevin Costner Westerns, and see what new TV shows are coming soon.