Taylor Sheridan's 20-part neo-Western TV show sounds like it'd be boring, but the creator's approach proves it couldn't have been made by anybody else. Sheridan is best known for his Yellowstone TV shows, the popular Western franchise following the Dutton family and their generational history on the family's namesake ranch. It also includes sequel series Marshals and the upcoming Dutton Ranch.
But Sheridan's TV empire spreads far beyond the reaches of one franchise. He's also the creative mind behind a plethroa of shows on Paramount+, all of which have proven popular. This includes Tulsa King, Lioness, and The Madison, as well as the almost-finished Mayor of Kingstown and upcoming Tulsa King spinoff Frisco King. But one show stands out among the rest.
This would be Landman, Sheridan's TV series starring Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris, a landman for oil company M-Tex. The series focuses on Tommy's attempts to keep peace in the company's oil fields in West Texas, going up against everything from legal issues to criminal groups. He does so while holding together his fractured yet loving family.
Reviews for Landman have been mostly positive, with critics praising the cast, the approach to the story, and the grounded, realistic events that unfold. It's also become a top performer on Paramount+, with Landman season 3 getting renewed just weeks after season 2 began. But, without Sheridan at the helm, the series may not have been as successful as it is.
Landman's Premise Sounds Dull On Paper, But Taylor Sheridan Made It A Huge Hit
At a glance, Landman doesn't have a very compelling premise. The idea of a show about the oil industry conjures images of business suits and legal conjecture, all of which would be a hard sell to anyone seeking an exciting TV show to watch. It would also signify a series that doesn't always focus on its characters, rather the industry it's bringing to the small screen.
Luckily, Sheridan manages to circumvent these problems by focusing on Landman's many characters more than any other attribute of the series. The show is carried by Thornton's Tommy, his wife, Angela (Ali Larter), and their kids, Ainsley (Michelle Rudolph) and Cooper (Jacob Lofland). Although the oil industry is the core of the story, so too is the Norris family.
Sheridan's approach makes the series feel less like a show about the oil industry, and more like a show that includes the oil industry in it. The biggest focus is on the Norris family and how the changes at M-Tex, from Tommy's problems to his position, impact them. It also gives his family members plenty to do, clarifying Landman is far from just an oil show.
Landman Is The Most Taylor Sheridan-y Of Taylor Sheridan's TV Shows
Even among the many TV shows Taylor Sheridan has created, Landman sticks out for having some of the most notable elements of his writing front-and-center. The biggest of these is a focus on characters, with Tommy and his family being the driving force behind their stories. This includes non-oil plotlines, too, like Ainsley adjusting to her new college.
In fact, what Landman does well is blend the higher focus of Tommy's work at M-Tex with the smaller, yet still compelling, storylines of everyone around him. This includes him weaving into events like Cooper's attempt to start his own oil business. It makes everything feel interconnected, even when some storylines aren't as direct, like the arrival of Tommy's father in season 2.
Sheridan also has a knack for always keeping events exciting. Nothing stays quiet for too long in Landman, be it a family scuffle or Tommy getting kidnapped by the cartel. There's never a dull moment in the neo-Western, which continually pushes forward with multifaceted stories about business, love, family, friendship, and, overall, the human condition at its apex.
Couple this with a no-nonsense Western focus, and Landman has everything it needs to remain a success for years to come. The show is one of Taylor Sheridan's best, offering plenty of drama and intriguing characters that turn a series about the oil industry into one about family and what it means to truly be alive.
Taylor Sheridan Exit Addressed By Landman Star
Landman season 2 has officially come to a close, and with season 3 on the horizon, Jacob Lofland reflects on the show and its future, including Taylor Sheridan's upcoming departure.
Although Sheridan will soon be leaving Paramount, he will still be around for Landman season 3. However, if the show gets renewed after its third installment, there will be a noticeable shift as the creator is leaving Paramount when his contract ends in 2028 and joins NBCUniversal in 2029.
His decision to leave has driven a wedge between both critics and audiences. While many support his new endeavors and are excited to see what he does next, others were worried about their favorite shows losing the person who created and nurtured them.
In an interview with ScreenRant's Grant Hermanns for the Landman season 2 finale, Lofland, who portrays Cooper in the Paramount+ series, offered his own input regarding Sheridan's departure. The actor said that he was sad to see him go, and it's something that he tries not to think about.
However, he has faith in the creative team behind the hit drama series, such as Christian Wallace (co-creator and executive producer), who will most likely be staying on board after Landman season 3. Lofland said that Sheridan's departure and reasons for leaving were none of his business, so he wasn't going to get involved:
Yeah, I try not to think about it. No, I mean, I trust everyone there. We'll just see what happens. And I don't know, that's not my business, so I try to stay out of it. That's between them.
Sheridan first confirmed that he was leaving Paramount for NBCUniversal in October 2025. The creator struck a five-year deal with the latter for film, television, and streaming. The contract will go into effect on January 1, 2029. His longtime business partner, David Glasser, will also leave for NBCUniversal, bringing 101 Studios with him under a first-look film and TV deal after the company completes its remaining projects with Paramount.
Sheridan has also delivered many successful TV shows for Paramount during his time with the studio. Beginning with Yellowstone, he continued to put out high-performing series that have ranked among Paramount+’s most-watched titles. He also played a significant role in attracting and retaining new subscribers for the streaming platform.
Landman seasons 1 and 2 can be streamed on Paramount+.
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