The overwhelming majority of Taylor Sheridan’s recent TV shows have been received favorably by critics, and Landman is no exception.

The series has a 78% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes following the release of its first season on Paramount+, and most of the other shows that Taylor Sheridan has created score even more highly on the review aggregator site.

On the other hand, there’s a marked drop-off when it comes to audience reviews for Landman, as well as one other TV series developed by Sheridan.

Landman has just a 62% score among audiences who’ve reviewed the show on Rotten Tomatoes, while 1923, Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel series, which premiered in 2022, has an even lower audience score of 53%.

Ironically, among critics, 1923 is the most acclaimed show of Sheridan’s entire career as a writer, producer, and actor.

In particular, actors Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren have marked the series out for special praise, thanks to their charismatic performances at the center of 1923’s all-star cast. Yet the show’s audience simply hasn’t bought into its story the way professional TV reviewers have.

Landman Is Taylor Sheridan’s Lowest Audience-Rated TV Show On Rotten Tomatoes After 1923

1923 Is The Only Sheridan-Created Series With Close To A 50-50 Split In Audience Reviews

Likewise, Landman hasn’t been as popular with audiences as it is with most TV critics, likely due to its focus on technical aspects of the oil business for much of its first season.

The shocking turn of events at the end of Landman season 1, which include the introduction of Andy Garcia’s new villain Galino, set up the prospect of a more entertaining second season for the show’s audience. Ultimately, most viewers find the involvement of a Mexican-American drug cartel in a battle for control of Texan oil fields more intriguing than boardroom negotiations between oil companies and prospectors.

Landman has still fared considerably better than 1923 in terms of audience ratings, though, as the latter show is the only TV collaboration between Taylor Sheridan and Paramount to have received negative ratings in almost half of its audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Given that the series has cost over $30 million per episode to make, according to Sheridan himself (via Collider), this divided response among its viewership has probably left Paramount+ bosses scratching their heads.

With actors like Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren on board and the precedents of Yellowstone and 1883 behind it, the show ought to have been an unqualified success. As it is, 1923 season 2 in particular has come in for a sizable backlash from its audience.

Why 1923’s Critics & Audience Scores Are So Divided On Rotten Tomatoes

1923’s Audience & Critics Focus On Different Aspects Of The Show

Regardless of its status as the critical darling of Taylor Sheridan’s TV career, 1923 has frustrated audiences with its slow pacing and its depiction of sexual violence.

The positive aspects of the show highlighted by critics, such as its stunning cinematography and set designs, aren’t of central importance to most viewers, who are more concerned with the action and characterization at the heart of the story.

There’s also a general feeling among viewers that Ford and Mirren have been underused as the show’s star attractions, while 1923’s season 2 plots became too melodramatic for their own good.

“There is a very cinematic feel to 1923, with nature playing a key role in the show and motivating many of its characters. Winter paints Montana’s backdrops white and offers truly compelling visuals.” – Felipe Rangel – Screen Rant’s review of 1923 season 2

Now that the show has ended, retrospective viewings may result in more positive audience feedback in time, bringing its audience score more in line with the widespread critical praise it’s received.

At the same time, this can work as a warning against going down the same path with the follow-up season of Landman. Although the two shows are very different, there’s a massive overlap between their respective viewerships and audience expectations.