Taylor Sheridan's Canceled Crime Thriller Masterpiece Was Inches From Beating a Major Record

The extensive list of TV series that Taylor Sheridan has created and worked on in some capacity shares one common trait: they’re all a hit with audiences. Everything that Sheridan has touched on the TV front since the release of his flagship juggernaut Yellowstone in 2018 has gone on to produce incredible streaming numbers, thanks in large part to the built-in audience his involvement commands. There is also a near-guaranteed baseline of quality with his crime thrillers, neo-Westerns, and dramas, which contributes to the shows’ consistent streaming success.

While an argument can be made for virtually any of Sheridan’s shows as his “best”, his opus is still Yellowstone based on the fact that it helped usher in a new era in neo-Westerns and launched a full-blown franchise of spinoffs and prequel series. The show’s five-season run was and remains one of the most popular shows Paramount has ever produced, and its pop culture impact is undeniable. However, another ultra-popular and highly acclaimed Sheridan original series is going to come up just shy of breaking a major record in Sheridan’s collected works.

‘Mayor of Kingstown’ Will Tie ‘Yellowstone’ in Series Length

The Jeremy Renner-led crime thriller Mayor of Kingstown may not have the critic support that Taylor Sheridan’s Western series boast, but it remains one of the most popular shows in Paramount’s extensive portfolio. Renner stars as the “mayor” of a company town, keeping the peace and keeping money flowing between the police, crime lords, guards, and prisoners of a town built on the prison industry. After four seasons that, to many, got stronger as they progressed, it was confirmed that the show would end after its upcoming fifth season.

That means it will finish dead even in series length with Yellowstone, which ended abruptly after five seasons once Kevin Costner left the show in controversial fashion. Yellowstone was originally planned for at least six, if not seven seasons, but it was forced to sprint to the finish line due to Costner’s departure. Mayor of Kingstown, on the other hand, is ending as intended after five seasons, and should receive a satisfying sendoff. Nevertheless, it will fall just short of beating Yellowstone out for the longest Taylor Sheridan TV show.

Shows Don’t Need To Exceed ‘Yellowstone’s Length To Replace It as Sheridan’s Opus

Mayor of Kingstown may not be considered a superior show to Yellowstone by many, but given its steadily improving quality its possible that it might have if given a sixth season. That’s not to say a show needs to be longer than Yellowstone to stake a claim as Sheridan’s best show, but Yellowstone‘s ability to not only maintain but improve the level of its popularity throughout a five-season run is part of what makes it Sheridan’s strongest project. It provided ample world-building that made spinoffs worth exploring, a feat that’s difficult to pull off in only two or three seasons of television.

It can certainly be done, though. Sheridan’s comedic crime thriller Tulsa King has already spawned a spinoff in Frisco King, and is still going strong heading into its fourth season. The global scale of the Zoe Saldaña-led Lioness has also introduced plenty of avenues for spinoffs, and although it hasn’t been renewed for a fourth season ahead of its season three finale, the critical acclaim and streaming numbers make it seem inevitable. Mayor of Kingstown may not be the replacement for Yellowstone in the Taylor Sheridan pecking order, but a shorter show could certainly still take that mantle in the future.