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Taylor Sheridan began his career as an actor but shot to fame as a writer with TV shows such asYellowstoneandTulsa King, and movies such asSicarioandWind River. Sheridan’s works are known for their explorations of rural American life and often see a clash between traditional American life and modernity.
One of the primary examples of this school of thought is the Kevin Costner starrerYellowstone. The show has garnered a dedicated fan following and constantly has a massive viewership, despite not impressing critics. Sheridan reportedly mentioned that he knows that critics hate his show as there is ‘no plot’ in it and is designed to be hated.
Taylor Sheridan Opens Up AboutYellowstone’sSuccess
Taylor Sheridantransitioned from an acting career to a screenwriting career after featuring in shows such asSons of AnarchyandVeronica Mars. Sheridan reportedly tapped into his childhood in the rural parts of the USA and setYellowstonein Montana and Livingston. He reportedly pitched the show to HBO, which passed on and it was eventually greenlit by Paramount.
“He does a really good job of taking the pressure off”: Kevin Costner Might Have Been Judged Too Harshly for Yellowstone Exit as Co-Stars Revealed His Gentler Side Despite Stardom
Yellowstonehas been a huge hit among viewers and has increased its viewership with each season. Its season 5 premiere reportedly broke the record for the highest view count for a scripted TV show of 2022, with 12.1 million viewers tuning in to watch theKevin Costnerstarring Western’s season premiere (viaTHR).
Despite enjoying the success from its audience, the show has not managed to impress critics. Many reviewers have reportedly criticized the show’s writing and its stripped-down premise of a land battle. However, Taylor Sheridan reportedly agreed with the hate received by critics and said thatYellowstonedid not have a proper plot.
“If you suck we’ll just kill you off”: Taylor Sheridan Had a Simple Instruction for the Only Sane Guy in Yellowstone Who Almost Featured in Jeremy Renner’s Wind River
He reportedly addressed the issue inThe Joe Rogan Experiencepodcast,
“It has no plot, really. In that, I have a lot of opportunities to poke fun, but also kind of point out different points of view, and kind of really study a way of life and a world. There’s a lot of defiance in the way I do it…It’s not surprising that critics hate it because it’s designed for them to hate.”
He also addressed the analytical articles written by various publications about the show’s success, especially its success in the so-called Red States of the USA.
Taylor Sheridan DeniesYellowstoneAs A ‘Red-State’ Drama
Taylor Sheridan’sYellowstonehas been regarded as a celebration and a tribute to the old American way of life, especially in the rural parts of the country. Though the show bears similarities with other power-struggle-oriented shows such asSuccession, the Western does not seem to get the same amount of critical and awards recognition as the show.
“Those kinds of movies were not looking good”: Yellowstone Star Nearly Replaced Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man But Blamed Batman Movies for His Decision
Many have called the show a ‘red state drama’ and have labeled it as a show that appeals to the conservative crowd of the country.The New York Timesalso named the Kevin Costner starrer as a ‘conservative fantasy’. However, Taylor Sheridan reportedly disagreed with such labels and mentioned toThe Atlanticthat the show was far from being a conservative drama,
“They refer to it as ‘the conservative show’ or ‘the Republican show’ or ‘the red-state Game of Thrones’. And I just sit back laughing. I’m like, ‘Really?’ The show’s talking about the displacement of Native Americans and the way Native American women were treated and about corporate greed and the gentrification of the West, and land-grabbing. That’s a red-state show?”
Though Sheridan agreed that much of its artifacts and milieu consists of elements that can be labeled as typical red state elements, the show itself has a different ideology that could not be bifurcated in simple terms.
Yellowstoneis streaming on Peacock and the Paramount Network.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2419
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
