NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
With so many shows on TV these days, it’s hard to pick a favorite. However, there is one guy who is crushing the competition. Not just with his pen but with his eyes as well. What Taylor Sheridan is doing, just may never be done again.
Many will point to Dick Wolfe with his successful shows, such as the Law and Order franchise and the One Chicago franchise. Hell, some may even throw in Tyler Perry and his run over many stations with his comedies and dramas. They all deserve a nod, but what Sheridan is doing now, he’s on another level.
Just check the credits, his name is everywhere. Yes, others have popped up and helped with top billing, but in the end, it’s him. And what makes him stand out amongst his peers is not just the directing and acting, it’s the range in which he’s controlling the game.
As a writer, Sheridan can go from scripting a show based on a Horse Ranch in Montana with Yellowstone, then flip the script to cops and the criminal underworld in Mayor of Kingston. If that’s not enough, he will take viewers into the crazy world of the CIA with Lioness and still find time to tackle the oil world in Landman.
While the greats like Wolfe has his lane with doctors, lawyers, and cops, Taylor Sheridan is showing what life is like from every angle. In one episode, there is a hostile takeover of cattle, then you turn the station, and Zoe Saldana is in a deadly shootout with a cartel.
Sheridan has proven that he’s not all smoke and mirrors. His shows have everything. You want action, and he can bring that. You want the comedy, tune in to Billy Bob Thornton in Landman. You want the emotional scenes, ask any Yellowstone viewers how they felt watching Teeter break down after learning the death of Colby.
Right now, Sheridan is the best in the game for the simple fact that his fingerprints are all over his shows. Wolfe has done it so long that he has passed the torch to those around him. Somewhat new to the scene, Sheridan doesn’t quite have the lengthy track record that Wolfe has, but what he does have is being a leading person on the small screen.
What makes him special is his ability to be everything to everybody. Much like Perry, Sheridan is a writer, producer, director, and actor. While he may tire out and turn the reins over to those under him soon enough, it’s safe to say that the quality may not see a decline. Wolfe is still going strong with his shows, but he’s not doing what Sheridan does regularly.
Many have tried their hand at not just multiple shows, but multiple shows at the same time. Taylor Sheridan has taken it a step further. He’s providing substance to everything he touches and doing it in different lanes. Take away the producer and creator roles from his credits and just focus on the writer, actor, and director. With those titles alone, Sheridan is responsible for Mayor of Kingstown, Landman, Lioness, and Tulsa King, and that’s with Yellowstone, 1883, and 1923 just recently ending their successful runs. What’s more, is that he has others coming down the pipeline with 2 more Yellowstone spinoffs, coupled with a Tulsa King spinoff.
TV shows will never fade out. Writers, producers, actors, and directors will never fade out. But every once in a while, we get one or two who pop up and change the way the game is played. Right now, Taylor Sheridan is proving that he’s the King of it all.
