Every Ryan Murphy TV Series, Ranked

Premiering just last November on Hulu and promptly renewed for a second season, Murphy's All's Fair centers on a high-powered, all-female Los Angeles divorce law firm. Despite a star-studded cast that includes Sarah Paulson, Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Glenn Close, and recent Golden Globe winner Teyana Taylor, the series has been widely condemned by television critics—to the point where it was Metacritic's lowest-scoring newcomer of 2025.

The primary target of criticism has been the show's writing, often described as shallow and nonsensical, with some critics suggesting it feels like it was generated by using AI. Reviewers also note that the thin character development leads to ungrounded performances from its mostly talented ensemble, and that the show's attempt to explore feminist themes was widely dismissed as clumsy and superficial. While lauded for glossy production values and lavish costuming, most critics thought that these expensive aesthetics failed to mask a fundamental lack of substance, ultimately deeming the series a frustrating waste of its considerable resources.

"A lazy, ludicrous series with no pretense that it contains anything of value beyond its wardrobe budget and the sky-high salaries it surely paid its stars .... Something you want to escape from. Having finally made it free, I now genuinely want to sue someone." —David Mack, Slate

Ryan Murphy's Monster anthology series, which has dramatized the lives of Jeffrey Dahmer (Evan Peters), the Menendez brothers (Javier Bardem, Cooper Koch), and Ed Gein (Charlie Hunnam) in separate seasons, has received mixed to predominantly negative reviews. While the performances of its lead actors have been consistently praised (Peters and Nicey Nash-Betts both won Emmys for the inaugural Dahmer season), the series has drawn widespread criticism for its tone and approach.

Many critics have found the show to be exploitative, gratuitously violent, and often tasteless. The writing is frequently described as unfocused and superficial, with critics questioning the series' ultimate purpose beyond its shock value. The overall consensus suggests that despite its strong acting, Monster struggles to justify its grim retelling of these infamous stories, often feeling more lurid than insightful. Nevertheless, the pandemic-airing Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story remains one of Netflix's most popular shows of all time. And a fourth season, focusing on acquitted axe-murderer Lizzie Borden, started shooting last year. 

"Netflix is at pains not to glamorise Dahmer while the suffering and humanity of his victims are centre-stage throughout. This is admirable but, as drama, it translates into a carnival of horror. ... If Monster has a saving grace it is Peters in the title role." —Ed Power, The Telegraph

Based on Ken Kesey's acclaimed novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Miloš Forman's award-winning film adaptation, Ratched is a prequel centered on the life of stern psychiatric nurse Mildred Ratched (Murphy regular Sarah Paulson) and her life in California before her infamous tenure at the Oregon State Hospital.

Released early in the pandemic, the series received mixed reviews, with many praising the committed performances (co-stars included Sharon Stone, Judy Davis, and Cynthia Nixon) and stylized visuals that contributed to the show's macabre thriller vibe. Less enamoured critics leveled a common Murphy criticism of style over substance, targeting the convoluted plot, inconsistent tone, and gratuitous gore. Many reviewers felt the show was an unnecessary origin story for the iconic character that failed to add any meaningful depth, often feeling more like a lesser season of American Horror Story. Initially announced with a two-season order, Ratched was canceled in 2024 after a single season. 

"Sharon Stone is a vengeful heiress and that's all she is; Corey Stoll is an incompetent hitman and that sums him up. This isn't acting, it's posing. Happily Judy Davis and Sophie Okonedo — both Oscar nominees — do eventually develop juicy parts. And Ratched becomes watchable entertainment. But that style-over-content thing makes you wonder if Ryan Murphy shows would be better off with less Ryan Murphy." —Tom Long, The Detroit News

Grotesquerie was a serial-killer thriller starring Murphy regular Niecy Nash-Betts as an alcoholic LAPD detective battling her addiction while investigating a series of grandiose Se7en -esque crimes alongside a journalist nun played by Tony Award nominee Micaela Diamond.

The series, whose eclectic cast included Mike Leigh regular Lesley Manville and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in his scripted TV debut, received mixed reviews. Nash-Betts was universally praised for this rare lead role, with reviewers consistently noting her ability to elevate the material and ground the outlandish story. Ultimately, some critics found the show to be an audacious and bizarre guilty pleasure, while others thought it was a crass and unfocused thriller that lacked a compelling central mystery. 

"While the series is off to a fittingly audacious yet wildly over-familiar start, neither the titles Grotesquerie nor American Horror Story: Grotesquerie would truly capture the best reason to check it out — namely, the absolute pleasure of watching Niecy Nash front and center as the undisputed star." —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter

Instead of focusing on a serialized narrative like its predecessor, American Horror Story (singular), American Horror Stories (plural) is an anthology series in which each episode is typically a standalone horror story. Critical consensus has been mixed, with many reviews expressing that the series is inconsistent. For instance, many critics praised the opening two-part episode that was a fun return to the Murder House from the buzzy 2011 first season of American Horror Story that featured Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott, and Jessica Lange (remember Rubber Man?). However, the series appears to struggle with quality control, with reviewers frequently pointing out underdeveloped story logic, anticlimactic endings, and a tendency for promising premises to fizzle out. 

"American Horror Stories is another example of what feels like fumes being used to create a fire. The show is the entertainment equivalent of empty calories. It's good enough to watch in the moment, but you'll either leave feeling nothing, or with a nasty stomach ache." —Kristen Lopez, IndieWire

Co-created with writer/producer Gina Matthews, Popular was Murphy's first television project. The dramedy about two high school rivals (Leslie Bibb, Carly Pope) from opposite social cliques who are forced to live together as stepsisters when their single parents get engaged was initially met with cautious optimism by critics. The series was often lauded for its well-developed and complex characters and its evolved depiction of high school social structures. The performances from the two leads and Sara Rue, who plays an unpopular girl who struggles with her weight and her abusive mother, were frequently singled out as standouts.

Other critics were less impressed, asserting that the show tried too hard to be distinctive with its stylistic flourishes that prioritized glibness over thoughtfulness. Canceled after two seasons, Popular became a cult favorite, no doubt due to Murphy's distinctive and soon to be popular style. 

"Both leads are very good, particularly Bibb, who makes what could have been a superficial character touching without making her cheaply sympathetic. The real standout, however, is Rue, who is luminous as a weight-challenged girl who longs to hear cheers." —Robert Bianco, USA Today

Frequent collaborators Murphy and Ian Brennan (Monster, Glee, Scream Queens) created this ripped-from-the-headlines story of a couple (Naomi Watts, Bobby Cannavale) who move into their New Jersey dream home only to be unrelentingly harassed by threatening, creepy letters sent by the titular "Watcher."

The seven-episode series received mixed reviews, with some critics appreciating the thrills and surprising reveals from the uncoiling narrative. Watts, and a supporting cast that included Jennifer Coolidge, Richard Kind, Mia Farrow, Christopher McDonald, and Margo Martindale, received strong notices, even if their characters weren't fully baked. Other detractors argued that the taut story was hindered by the show veering into camp. A second season was confirmed in November of 2022, but has yet to materialize.

"The Watcher is made by people who don't trust their audience. They might get you to watch, but they didn't take the time to make something worth remembering." —Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

Murphy teamed with Bret Easton Ellis to adapt the latter's semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. Igby Rigney stars as a 17-year-old version of the author as he attends an elite Los Angeles prep school in 1981. Adding intrigue to the story is the school's mysterious new student (played by Homer Gere), who arrives at the same time a series of killings of teenagers plagues the city. Graham Campbell, Wes Bentley, Evan Rachel Wood, Kaia Gerber, Hayes Warner, and Jordan Roth also star.

Campy? Check. Visually decadent? Check. Messy but watchable? Check. The Shards ticks all the boxes of Murphy's recent work. But reviewers find it too shallow to work as a teen drama and too chaotic to work as a serial killer thriller, resulting in a show that becomes less and less compelling as the season progresses.

"Very watchable even though, while watching it, you will regularly acknowledge its shortcomings." —Jen Chaney, TV Guide

Hollywood was Murphy's first series to drop after signing his landmark $300 million deal with Netflix in 2018. The seven-episode limited series reimagined the Golden Age of Tinseltown by following a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in the post-World War II era. The show featured an impressive ensemble cast that included pre- Superman David Corenswet, Darren Criss, Jeremy Pope, Laura Harrier, Samara Weaving, Dylan McDermott, Holland Taylor, Patti LuPone, and Jim Parsons.

Some critics praised the series as a fun and frothy fairytale that reimagined the Hollywood of that time as more uplifting and optimistic, eschewing that era's prevalent homophobia, sexism, and racism. However, many critics found the series simplistic and naive, citing the conflicting tones—swinging between grim reality and aspirational fantasy—to be jarring and unsuccessful. The consensus often pointed to a visually dazzling but ultimately hollow series that favored sentimentality over historical nuance.

"The early episodes of Hollywood are an entertaining mix of earnest inclusiveness and dishy wallow in showbiz lore. But, like those Murphy-produced TV series that went on too long, by the end, Hollywood is floating on so many alt-history good vibrations that it becomes less of a celebration, and more of a lecture." —Kristi Turnquist, The Oregonian

Murphy's horror-comedy series Scream Queens centered on a university sorority that is plagued by a serial killer dressed as the university's Red Devil mascot. The slasher movie sendup featured actual scream queens Emma Roberts and Jamie Lee Curtis as the sharp-tongued sorority president and the university dean, respectively. Lea Michele, Abigail Breslin, Keke Palmer, and Niecy Nash-Betts made up the supporting cast.

The critical reception was mixed, with some critics celebrating the series as a clever mockery of the horror genre and adolescent social structures that successfully blended macabre laughs with gore. Detractors criticized the series for being mean-spirited and filled with characters who were little more than clichés, with some even calling it an inferior mix of two other Murphy shows, Glee and American Horror Story. 

"The writing is sharp, but sharp-edged too. Overwhelmed with venom, Queens tends to be more mean-spirited than free-spirited. The cast is energetic, particularly (Emma) Roberts and (Jamie Lee) Curtis, who look like they're having a great time. But they can't quite convey that fun to the audience." —Verne Gay, Newsday

Ryan Murphy marched into the world of procedurals with the help of Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear in serving viewers 9-1-1, a drama that explores the high-pressure experiences of first responders, including police officers, paramedics, and firefighters. The series, which launched with a cast of heavy hitters led by Connie Britton, Angela Bassett, and Peter Krause, received generally positive critical reception, with praise for its ensemble cast and the fast-paced, action-packed, and often outrageous emergency sequences. The primary point of contention for many reviewers, however, is the show's often maudlin dramatic subplots concerning the characters' personal lives.

The success of the original series—which bounced from Fox to ABC in 2024—led to spinoffs 9-1-1: Lone Star in 2020 and 9-1-1: Nashville in 2025.

"The result, 9-1-1, a drama centering around the first responders to emergencies, is as outrageous as you'd expect from a Murphy production: Babies flushed down toilets! Snakes getting beheaded! Connie Britton with bad hair! But it's also depressingly derivative and middle-of-the-road." —Kevin Fallon, The Daily Beast

The New Normal, a more traditional half-hour sitcom, was a new format for Murphy, who co-created the series with Ali Adler. The comedy centered on a wealthy Los Angeles couple played by The Book of Mormon's Andrew Rannells and The Hangover's Justin Bartha, who hire Goldie (Georgia King), a single mother from the Midwest, to be the surrogate for their first child. The series explores their attempts to form a modern family—attempts that were frequently complicated by Goldie's conservative grandmother (Ellen Barkin).

The critical response to the series leaned mildly positive, with many critics finding the show funny and heartwarming and appreciating the poignant chemistry between the two male leads. However, a common criticism was the show's inconsistent and often preachy tone, with several reviewers noting that it tried too hard to deliver a message and felt more like a PSA than a comedy. The series was canceled after one season. 

"The comedy is all over the place in tone, bouncing from broad and silly to poignant and real to silly again." —Gail Pennington, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The Politician is a satirical comedy-drama that follows the intense political ambitions of Payton Hobart (Ben Platt), a wealthy Santa Barbara high school student, who is determined to become the POTUS one day and launches his hoped-for political trajectory with a campaign for student body president. The series features a star-studded cast, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Lange, Zoey Deutch, Judith Light, and Bette Midler.

Critical reactions were mixed to positive, with some critics praising The Politician's blistering performances, sharp dialogue, and a rollicking narrative pace. Ben Platt's captivating central performance was almost universally praised as the anchor of the show. But several reviewers found the series to be tonally scattered and overstuffed, coming off as a hollow and superficial exercise that chose artificiality over authenticity, indulging in Murphy's worst creative impulses.

"Somehow, it's all in here, a mash-up of deadpan vibes and manic melodrama made brighter and prettier: all the best parts, underlined to death. The result is both irritating and fun, a feeling that has become something of a Murphy hallmark. Which also means that The Politician is exceedingly watchable. ... As the story plods on, The Politician's atmospherics do wear thin." —Hank Stuever, Washington Post

Murphy's longest-running series is American Horror Story, co-created with his frequent collaborator Brad Falchuk (Glee, Pose). The horror anthology series is known for reinventing itself each season with new settings, characters, and subgenres, and for often featuring a repertory cast of actors including Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, and Evan Peters.

The series has consistently garnered a polarized, yet generally positive, critical reception, and is widely praised for its ambitious concepts, stunning visual style, and powerhouse performances from its ensemble casts. Many reviewers have celebrated the show for its audacious, unpredictable, and often campy storytelling, while a recurring criticism across its many seasons is a perceived lack of narrative discipline, with plots often becoming overly chaotic and incoherent—but at 12 seasons, that's a feature and not a bug.

The series' nomenclature influenced later FX anthology dramas American Crime Story and American Sports Story, but only the similarly titled spinoff American Horror Stories occasionally connects to the monstrous mothership. 

"It's a big download of fever-dream melodrama, but strong casting goes a long way toward selling it." —James Poniewozik, Time

Murphy and Grotesquerie and All's Fair co-creators Jon Robin Baitz and Joe Baken's Doctor Odyssey was a medical drama set on a luxury cruise ship, starring Joshua Jackson as the ship's doctor and Don Johnson as the captain of the ship. The series received a mixed-to-positive critical reception, with reviewers widely praising the central performance of Joshua Jackson, with many describing him as a grounding force who delivered a perfect, good-faith performance no matter how chaotic the surrounding plot became. However, many reviewers found the episodic plots to be stale, shallow, and silly, with a noticeable lack of character development.

Ultimately, the show was frequently described as a guilty pleasure, elevated by the performances of its charismatic main cast and appealing guest stars, but was canceled after its first season.

"Doctor Odyssey is a pretty dumb, inessential watch, but an entertaining one, mostly due to the performances of the main cast and guest stars." —Joel Keller, Decider

9-1-1: Lone Star is a spinoff of Murphy's popular procedura l (see above) that follows a New York firefighter (Rob Lowe) who relocates to Austin, Texas, to help rebuild a fire station. The series also stars Liv Tyler as the captain of the local EMS. The show was met with a generally positive critical reception, with much of the praise singling out the chemistry of the ensemble cast and the appealing lead performances from Lowe and Tyler. Many found the series to be an easy-to-watch and thrilling piece of escapist television that successfully captured the absurdist, adrenaline-fueled tone of its predecessor. However, some critics found the series to be a step down from the original, with dialogue occasionally described as too heavy-handed. The overall consensus, however, was that the strong cast helped offset any silliness, making Lone Star a solid and entertaining procedural.

"Is it great TV? Maybe not, but it's sure easy to watch, a quick hour to distract you from your problems mostly through sheer adrenaline. It's hard to believe anyone who likes the original iteration won't take to this one. Lowe and Tyler are more than charming enough and the supporting cast is strong too, but they're really just cogs in the grand machine of escapist television." —Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

The most recent installment in the popular 9-1-1 procedural franchise shifts the focus to the first responders of Music City. Starring Chris O'Donnell, Jessica Capshaw, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and LeAnn Rimes, 9-1-1: Nashville has received a mixed critical reception as it successfully continues the franchise's signature formula of absurdly over-the-top emergency situations.

Reviewers have noted that the show delivers feel-good moments and a sense of deep humanity amidst the chaos, making it a solid and relaxed weekly watch for fans of the genre. However, the show has drawn criticism for its more character-driven storylines, with some reviewers complaining that the series' kinetic appeal is bogged down by excessively soapy drama that doesn't necessarily vibe with the spirit of the original. The consensus suggests that while the action is as ridiculous and fun as ever, the dramatic elements may be a weaker point for this new chapter.

"While the series is off to a good start with the action, the bones of the story are mired in soapy Southern drama that doesn't necessarily hit the right notes to rival the original series." —Therese Lacson, Collider

For many, Nip/Tuck was their first taste of Ryan Murphy. His provocative drama—one of FX's first original shows—centered around the personal and professional lives of two morally questionable Miami cosmetic plastic surgeons, Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (Julian McMahon). The series debuted to overwhelmingly positive critical acclaim and was widely hailed as one of the most daring, intelligent, and exhilarating shows on television, in addition to bringing audiences to the revamped FX network.

Critics consistently praised Nip/Tuck's first-rate performances as well as its scathing, satirical take on vanity and the obsession with physical perfection. Reviewers also celebrated its ability to be simultaneously shocking, funny, sexy, and thought-provoking. For some, however, the excessively graphic surgical scenes, overt sexuality, and over-the-top plot twists grew tiresome as the series stretched to six seasons. That said, when the skin settled, Nip/Tuck was viewed as a compulsively watchable, wickedly funny, and uniquely audacious series that successfully pushed boundaries, helped define the FX network, and established Ryan Murphy as a lasting force in the world of television. 

"The new series Nip/Tuck is gross, disgusting and vile. And I like it. A lot. ... If you can get past the ick factor, Nip/Tuck is really a character drama that recalls Six Feet Under or The Shield -- powerful stuff that's not just gross, it's engrossing." —Scott D. Pierce, Deseret News

Ryan Murphy's Glee (co-created with frequent collaborators Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan) was a musical comedy-drama centering on the diverse and ambitious members of the New Directions glee club at William McKinley High School. The series featured a large, appealing ensemble cast that included Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch, Lea Michele, Naya Rivera, Chris Colfer, and Cory Monteith and its bold and addictive narrative, interspersed with joyful and inventive musical numbers, propelled it to immediate widespread critical and popular acclaim. In particular, Lynch's standout comedic performance as ruthless cheer coach Sue Sylvester, the primary antagonist to Morrison's sensitive glee club director, became instantly iconic.

Glee would become a sensation, featuring merchandise, mix CDs, reality spinoff The Glee Project, and even the theatrical Glee: The Concert Movie, which documented the cast's live tour. However, as the series progressed, the reception became more mixed. Common criticisms in later seasons pointed to over-the-top plotlines, forced theme episodes, and an inconsistent and harsh tone. Glee was ultimately a groundbreaking and often brilliant series that later struggled under the weight of becoming its own cultural phenomenon.

"Thanks largely to some great singers and the comic delivery of Jane Lynch, packs more entertainment into an hour than some networks manage in an entire night. But sometimes I wonder if the show Fox is selling so hard is the same one Murphy's making." —Ellen Gray, Philadelphia Daily News

Inspired by the legendary documentary Paris is Burning, Steven Canals teamed with Murphy and Brad Falchuk to create this groundbreaking series that immersed viewers in the kinetic NYC underground ballroom culture of the late 1980s and '90s. Featuring a diverse and primarily LGBTQ+ cast that included Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, and Billy Porter, Pose is centered on found families or "Houses," which compete in balls while navigating life, love, and the AIDS crisis.

Across three seasons, the series would receive some of the best overall reviews of Murphy's career, with critics applauding its humane depiction of an unsung community that's filled with extraordinary acting performances and dazzling ballroom performances alike. Porter would become the first out Black man to win a Best Actor Emmy for the first season, and Rodriguez would become the first trans woman to be nominated for a lead acting Emmy for the final season in 2021. 

"In true House of Murphy tradition, Pose is blunt and opulent, confident in its individuality and palpably eager to please. Even when it stumbles, it's hard not to admire its electric spirit." —Caroline Framke, Variety

Ryan Murphy's two-season anthology Feud stands as one of his most critically celebrated works—especially season one. That first season, Bette and Joan, revisited the legendary rivalry between Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon) and Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) during the making of their film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?. It earned universal acclaim for its witty script and mesmerizing lead performances, perfectly balancing camp and tragedy in its layered look at Old Hollywood sexism and ageism.

The second season, Capote vs. The Swans, dramatized the fallout between author Truman Capote (Tom Hollander) and the high-society women whose secrets he exposed. This installment also garnered praise for its heartbreaking exploration of betrayal and its novelistic depth. Hollander's immersive performance as Capote, in particular, was universally acclaimed, anchoring a season lauded for its powerful ensemble cast.

"Just as he did in his O.J. Simpson miniseries, Murphy has cast his show to perfection. After a few minutes, it's nearly impossible to remember that Jessica Lange (as Crawford) and Susan Sarandon (as Davis) ever had lives apart from the women they're playing." —Glenn Garvin, Reason.com