As the creator of Paramount’s hit neo-Western series “Yellowstone,” Taylor Sheridan has developed a reputation for being the sole creative force behind his own projects. In fact, Sheridan has shut down the idea of working with writers’ rooms in the past, namely on his most popular Dutton drama. It’s no secret that Sheridan pens most of his shows by himself, but the reason makes sense when you hear it.
“We tried to put a room together, and there was no time to put a room together,” Sheridan told director Peter Berg in a conversation recorded by Gold Derby. “So, then I wrote all of Season 2.” According to Sheridan, when the network attempted to hire a writers’ room for the following season, the work didn’t live up to anyone’s expectations. He was interrupted while shooting “Those Who Wish Me Dead” to plot the season himself. “And so, I wrote an episode of ‘Yellowstone’ every Saturday.”
These days, the “Yellowstone” franchise is a television juggernaut that is watched by millions worldwide, but once upon a time, it was was rejected by HBO. Sheridan’s depiction of Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) — now regarded as one of the most memorable characters on “Yellowstone” — was deemed too abrasive for viewers’ sensibilities by the network. But Sheridan stuck to his guns and proved the show’s doubters wrong, further empowering him to march to the beat of his own drum.
Why Taylor Sheridan doesn’t compromise on Yellowstone
Taylor Sheridan would rather shelve a project than compromise his vision to appease network executives. He has his own taste and approaches his stories from angles that most other television writers wouldn’t. He once explained that he prefers to let his characters dictate the plot rather than the other way around, which isn’t a popular method among other TV writers.
“I spent the first 37 years of my life compromising,” Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter in 2023. “When I quit acting, I decided that I am going to tell my stories my way, period. If you don’t want me to tell them, fine.” For Sheridan, he has been around the Hollywood system long enough to know what he wants. “I won’t compromise,” the “Yellowstone” created added. “There is no compromising.”
Now that “Yellowstone” is over, Sheridan is working on “The Dutton Ranch” and other franchise spin-offs, most of which he will probably write by himself. That said, Sheridan will not be spearheading the upcoming “Marshals” spin-off, which is a co-creation between Sheridan, Spencer Hudnut, and David C. Glasser. It seems that, from time to time, even this prolific writer is more than happy to split the creative load.