Taylor Sheridan called in to Bill Simmons’ podcast from his Wyoming ranch to discuss his new book, How Not to Die in Prison, co-written with Tom Nelson, and his many hit series, and during the extended virtual conversation, the Yellowstone co-creator did not hold back when discussing his feelings about television critics, Paramount and studio executives in general, or Los Angeles.
The prolific writer-producer-director of hit series ranging from Landman to 1923 to Tulsa King has been largely snubbed from the Emmy Awards over the years; however, the second season of Landman and the first of The Madison are strong contenders heading into this year’s nominations.
Many have questioned why Sheridan’s shows have been often overlooked (including The Hollywood Reporter). Sheridan’s series attracts massive viewership and most receive strong reviews — but not all. Sheridan took issue with the critical reviews he has received of his series over the years, telling Simmons during their wide-ranging The Bill Simmons Podcast chat that he admits to “rage-bait”-ing reviewers, citing Demi Moore’s role in season one of Landman as an example, when he was accused of sidelining the megastar.
“When I met with Demi about that I said, ‘Here’s the thing: You’re going to be an extra in this show for seven episodes, and the critics are going to come after me. “I’m underutilizing [Moore], can’t write for women, all this nonsense,”‘” he said, discussing his evolving plans for Moore in Landman. “‘Then I’m going to kill your husband [played by Jon Hamm, at the end of season one] and you’re going to have to run the oil company.’ The critics and me — I don’t care what they think, and it annoys the shit out of them that I don’t care. I’ll be the first to tell you that there are things that I do that rage-bait them a bit, and this is one of them. I could have given them more episodes so they could have realized that flip, but I didn’t. I just sent them the first three. Because fuck ’em, honestly.”
He went on to explain how her season one role set her up “by omission” to be someone that the audience already believed couldn’t do the job then assigned to her in season two. “Not only does she have to overcome every character in this world’s opinion of her, but now she has to overcome the audiences’ predetermined opinion of her. And I let her do it in the first episode of season two [with a monologue].”
He also cited the season two storyline between Michelle Randolph’s character and her nonbinary roommate, Paigyn, as “one of the few times the network and even some of the actors called me and said, ‘You sure you don’t want to compress the resolution of Paigyn and Ainsley? What you do at episode 10, when they become friends … You don’t want to put that in episode nine?’ I said, ‘No, for exactly the reason you’re asking. I want to piss you off a little, and then, how dare I? And then you watch the next week and go, ‘Oh, you got me.’”
Sheridan, who is leaving Paramount for an overall film and television deal at NBCUniversal worth as much as $1 billion starting in 2029, also spoke about how different Paramount was when he signed on to the network compared to today, once they understood how he (now famously) works as an isolated creative. Sheridan, who is revered for his creative output, also noted that he knows the ending to all of his shows when making them.
“When I first started at Paramount, there was a huge development department,” said Sheridan. “There were all these people whose job was to sit there and give me notes and tell me what to do and how to do it, and after four years, they got rid of that department. All those people got fired. Because they didn’t need ’em. They had no job. Because I wouldn’t return their calls. Because they don’t do what I do.”
He went on about how the role of executives at networks has evolved, saying, “Our business, at this point, is truly governed by these executives because they’re the onesthat are going to determine whether or not your script is going to go into production.They’re going to try and control every element of that.”
When he made his deal with Paramount, Sheridan said he told them, “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 noEmmyswith 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 shit out of them, excite them. That’s what I want to do, because that’s what I want from a show.”
As for ever returning to Los Angeles for production for his shows, Sheridan shot down the idea. “The only way you’re getting me back to Los Angeles is if it secedes from the union and I’m drafted into the Army to take it back. … I love New York. That city’s way, way stronger than whatever political wind is blowing it in any direction, right? Whereas L.A. is built on sand.”