Every Ryan Murphy Show: RANKED

This sitcom tells the story of Bryan and David, a gay couple who have decided they want to have a child, and Goldie, a single mom who agrees to be the couple’s surrogate. She moves in with them, and of course chaos ensues. The series wasn’t much of a hit with critics, and only lasted one season. “The New Normal” even received backlash for its use of racial stereotypes and jokes mocking a person born intersex. However, fans of Ryan Murphy will appreciate that Bryan is a television producer working on a series called “Sing”, which is a reference to Murphy’s wildly popular series, “Glee”.

This Netflix series focuses on a very ambitious young man named Payton Hobart as he pursues his dream of becoming President of the United States, beginning with a student body president campaign and, later, a state senate race. While fans of Ryan Murphy and actor Ben Platt liked the show well enough, others found the series a bit shallow and the main characters unlikeable and unrelatable. This earned the comedy-drama a dismal 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes overall. Even so, the series is definitely compelling enough to keep viewers wanting more, and we’ll definitely watch the potential third season to see what happens next in Payton’s fascinating political career.

Ryan Murphy’s first ever series is about two teenage girls, a popular cheerleader and a bookish journalist, who move in together after their parents get engaged. It’s sort of like a more dramatic “Drake & Josh”. The series has become somewhat of a cult classic, and Entertainment Weekly even called it “the proto-Glee”. The comedy-drama ran for two seasons, and it was so early on in Murphy’s career that it doesn’t quite have enough of his signature style to make it higher on this list. The series is still of interest to Ryan Murphy fans, who will especially love outrageously over-the-top cheerleader Mary Cherry.

This spinoff of Murphy’s first procedural drama “9-1-1” follows the lives of first responders in Austin, Texas. While the series is fun, engaging, and entertaining to most, some Texans feel it leans too much into inaccurate Texas stereotypes, and portrays the city of Austin as a far more politically conservative area than it actually is. The drama has also received backlash for the decision to film primarily in Los Angeles, California, instead of on location in Austin, a city that reportedly already has the production infrastructure. Production complaints aside, the cast is truly fantastic, and we can’t get enough of Rob Lowe as a handsome firefighter.

This miniseries aims to capture all the glitz and glamor of 1940s Hollywood, along with the actors and filmmakers desperately trying to break into that exciting scene. The cast, costumes, and sets are absolutely brilliant, and the unique stories of each character provide something for nearly every viewer. The drama blends fact and fiction, with original characters interacting alongside Hollywood legends like Rock Hudson and Anna May Wong. The show is a work of historical fiction, however, and some critics and viewers disliked the overly idealistic portrayal of prejudice and discrimination in postwar America. While definitely worth a watch, there’s still quite a bit of missed potential in the final product.

This 2020 Netflix series is a prequel to 1975’s“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and looks at the life of Nurse Mildred Ratched before the events of the film. Reminiscent of Murphy’s “American Horror Story” - and not just because actress Sarah Paulson is in it - “Ratched” is visually stunning and stylish, but some viewers and critics felt let down by the comparative lack of substance behind the visuals in the show’s storyline and character development. We haven’t yet given up hope on Nurse Ratched’s dark origin story, though, and we’ll definitely be checking out the second season when it comes out. Despite any past disappointments, the psychological thriller clearly has tons of room to grow.

In Murphy’s first foray into the procedural genre, “9-1-1” depicts the lives of firefighters, paramedics, police officers, and dispatchers living and working in Los Angeles. The series has the feeling of being aimed more towards general television audiences rather than diehard Ryan Murphy fans, as it seems to have taken a more traditional approach to the show’s production. What the series lacks in camp it makes up for with a stellar cast, featuring stars like Angela Bassett, Connie Britton, and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Murphy plays it safe with “9-1-1”, so there are few surprises, but still a consistently high level of quality that keeps viewers and critics happy.

If you’re looking for over the top camp and satire, this is where you’ll find it. Ryan Murphy’s parody of the slasher genre begins in a university beset by a serial killer targeting sorority members. The star-studded cast is a huge part of the show’s draw, featuring big names like Emma Roberts, Ariana Grande, Nick Jonas, and horror legend Jamie Lee Curtis herself. “Scream Queens” received mixed reviews, with some critics regarding the black comedy as “too silly” and “too tasteless” while others genuinely enjoying its campy, witty style. If you haven’t seen the series already, you’ll definitely have to check it out and judge it for yourself.

Another one of Murphy’s earliest projects, this medical drama ran for six seasons and earned consistently high ratings. The series is about a controversial plastic surgery center run by Dr. Sean McNamara and Dr. Christian Troy, as well as the ever-complicated personal lives of the two doctors. The plastic surgery cases on the serial drama were “100 percent based on fact”, according to Ryan Murphy, but their graphic depictions could definitely turn away squeamish viewers. Still, “Nip/Tuck” was a massive hit with audiences and won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe among its 45 award nominations in total.

Ryan Murphy’s first miniseries depicts Joan Crawford and Bette Davis’ rivalry during and after their work on the 1962 film, “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”. “Feud” was generally well received by both critics and audiences, who praised the fantastic performances and witty writing. The quality of the series is absolutely fitting of the two iconic women of Hollywood it’s based on, and the multitude of award nominations and wins was absolutely deserved. While it’s disappointing that plans for a second season fell through, we’re still thankful for this Tinseltown treat.

This long running horror anthology series is one of the biggest television icons of the 2010s. With each season featuring its own self-contained story and characters, there’s undoubtedly something for everyone in this inventive show. The stories are unique and feature fantastic performances from almost every cast member, and it’s campy and over the top in the way only Ryan Murphy can pull off. It became clear early on in this program that Ryan Murphy had truly and finally come into his own unique creative style. Even after nine seasons, “American Horror Story” continues to captivate audiences, and we’re thankful this creepy series was given the go-ahead for at least four more seasons as of 2020.

This musical teen comedy-drama is one of Ryan Murphy’s most iconic and recognizable shows, and was a massive hit worldwide at its peak popularity. The drama, romances, and showstopping musical numbers of Glee’s diverse cast of characters made the world of the New Directions show choir come to life in the most enjoyable way possible. It’s certainly not perfect, and not every song was a knockout, but “Glee” truly was an inventive and entertaining series. Even years after the program’s finale, “Glee” still has a dedicated fan base of “Gleeks” who will voice their defense in support of the show to anyone who will listen.

A twist on the “American Horror Story” anthology format, “American Crime Story” dives deep into a different true crime case each season. With two massively successful hits with its dramatization of the O.J. Simpson trial and the murder of Gianni Versace, this series has already proven its worth in the first two seasons alone. Critics have praised the clever writing, inventive directing, and fantastic acting performances, and the Ryan Murphy executive produced-show has won over 30 various awards, including 12 Emmy Awards. With a highly anticipated upcoming series on the way based on the impeachment trial of ex-President Bill Clinton, expectations are high for this next installment to live up to its predecessors.

Earning a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes, “Pose” is without a doubt Ryan Murphy’s most critically successful series, and for very good reason. The show brings the world of New York City’s LGBTQ+ and POC drag ball scene to mainstream television in a way that has never been done before. The juxtapositions of class, race, and other issues portrayed in this drama set during the AIDS epidemic create poignant parallels to America today in a clever and insightful way. The strong characters and creative visuals make “Pose” one of the best shows on television today, and a truly stunning triumph on the part of Ryan Murphy and his fellow co-creators - with heaps of credit due to the amazing cast and crew as well.