Stephen King Endorses Taylor Sheridan’s Hit Western Series After Major Snub

Published Oct 9, 2026, 10:05 AM EDT

Abdullah Al-Ghamdi joined Screen Rant in August 2019 and is now one of the leading contributors of the TV News team. Having written over 4000 news stories in that time , with his work cited in Buzzfeed and TV Insider, he's always bemoaning that there's too many shows and not enough time. You can contact him at: aalghamdi@hey.com.

Stephen King is sticking up for Taylor Sheridan's hit Western.

Owing to his status as a seminal genre author, King often recommends horror twists like From and Widow's Bay to his followers on social media. He is similarly a fan of thrillers, like Apple TV's Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, which stars Tatiana Maslany and plays out like a pulpy mystery. It is less common for the prolific writer to shout out a straightforward drama, although Sheridan's Landman is getting an exception.

On his X account, King praised Landman and expressed surprise that the Paramount+ Original led by Billy Bob Thornton hasn't been nominated for Emmys. The author specifically spotlights Thornton's lead performance as Tommy Norris and director Stephen Kay, wondering if “politics” are the reason that the show isn't recognized. King's post is included below:

Those who follow King on social media had split reactions. Among those who have seen the drama, some agreed with the author's endorsement, while others felt that Landman​​​​​​'s story quickly drops after just one season. The series is based on the Boomtown podcast, centering on Tommy Norris and his family in West Texas, albeit it's also been described as a contrast between the wealthy and those who toil and drill for oil.

Sheridan's shows, which include the Yellowstone universe and Lioness, are routinely absent at the Emmys and other major awards. It's been argued, even by Thornton himself, that it is partly political. Sheridan's scripts, whether in The Madison or in Landman, tend to mock major cities like New York and Los Angeles, as well as frame conflicts in a right versus left context.

Scratch & Peek

Scratch& Peek

Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as possible.

These don't tend to be the focus of his output. Outside of attempts at comedy by mining how both sides don't understand each other, these differences are framed as ultimately secondary to the basic idea that characters can find common ground and become friends despite initial, preconceived notions. This comes through in Landman season 2, which introduces Paigyn Meester (Bobbi Salvör Menuez) as the non-binary roommate to Tommy's college-aged daughter Ainsley, played by Michelle Randolph.

Regardless of any specific opinion about Sheridan's work and views, the oil adaptation is exactly the kind of show that the Emmys like to nominate in at least the acting categories. The cast of Landman is starry, counting Demi Moore, Sam Elliott, Jon Hamm, and Andy Garcia, among others, which tends to outweigh any particular qualms about a show's quality.

The issue may run deeper. Many industry reports come out every year around Emmy season, confessing that a segment of voters don't actually watch all that many shows and tend to nominate the names that they recognize and the series that have the most buzz. It's a small club. Sheridan's shows aren't a part of it yet, and he says that he's not too worried about getting nominated.

Still, with most of his streaming originals renewed, including Landman season 3, which is currently filming, there's always a chance.

Landman is available to stream on Paramount+.

• 

  Billy Bob Thornton

  Tommy Norris

• 

  Ali Larter

  Angela Norris