Every Ryan Murphy TV Show Ranked Worst To Best

Ryan Murphy made headlines back in 2018 when the prolific producer of TV hits ranging from "Glee" to "American Horror Story" signed a massive content deal with Netflix, estimated at a record-breaking $300 million. Since then, Murphy and his collaborators have delivered a head-spinning array of projects for viewers of the streaming service, in addition to various shows for network television and the FX basic cable brand.

Known for audacious and outrageous plot twists, compelling characters, and assembling a repertory company comprised of some of Hollywood's finest actors, Murphy has managed to leave his imprint on everything he touches. Realistically speaking, Murphy has increasingly spread himself thin as he continues to pump out more and more television content within multiple genres. Though everything remains thoroughly on brand, not all of those projects achieve the same level of quality. Occasional stumbles are inevitable. With that in mind, read on for a roundup of every Ryan Murphy TV show ranked worst to best.

The success of "Glee" not only spawned a live concert tour in which the cast sang songs from the show (which was documented in a 3D theatrical film), but also a reality competition dubbed "The Glee Project" that aired for two seasons. A scaled-down take on "American Idol," the show invited amateur singer-actors to compete in what was essentially an extended audition for "Glee," with the winner awarded a seven-episode guest-starring arc on the show. While "Glee" casting director Robert J. Ulrich oversaw "The Glee Project," the mothership's stars (including Jane Lynch, Darren Criss, and Dianna Agron, as well as Murphy himself) popped in to serve as mentors and guest judges. Darren McGinty and Samuel Larson were tied as winners for the first season, and each appeared on "Glee," in the promised seven episodes, while runners-up Lindsay Pearce and Alex Newell each earned a two-episode guest arc. 

Even if the show did not have the same wide appeal as Murphy's other TV series, it proved to be wildly successful in finding and nurturing talent. Newell's character, transgender student Wade Adams (a.k.a. Unique) resonated so much with viewers that the actor was invited back for additional episodes, ultimately becoming a series regular in Season 5. Meanwhile, Season 2 winner Blake Jenner likewise stuck around long after his initial seven episodes and was also hired as a series regular for Season 5. 

"Pedestrian" isn't a word typically associated with a Ryan Murphy television production, yet it is a somewhat apt one for "9-1-1." Airing on Fox, "9-1-1" represents Murphy tackling a conventional network television procedural drama along the lines of Dick Wolf's "Chicago" shows. Boasting a cast headlined by Peter Krause, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Murphy regular Angela Bassett, the series tracks the exploits of Los Angeles first responders, a group that includes cops, firefighters, and EMTs. What makes "9-1-1" stand out somewhat from similar TV dramas (i.e. "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff "Station 19," "Chicago Fire," etc.) is Murphy's penchant for over-the-top storylines. Beyond the usual car wrecks, apartment fires and abusive exes, there have been bombings, an explosive train derailment, and, in arguably the series' biggest disaster, a massive earthquake that devastated the entirety of Los Angeles.

"9-1-1" may simply not be weird enough for fans of "American Horror Story" to sink their teeth into, but the show has nonetheless managed to carve out a solid niche for itself in network television. As of early 2023, "9-1-1" was in its sixth season, with no indications of an imminent cancelation. 

Of all the shows within Murphy's ouvre, "The Politician" may be the strangest. Ostensibly a dark comedy, "The Politician" was the first series to emerge from Murphy's heavily hyped $300-million deal with Netflix. Ben Platt starred as Payton Hobart, a privileged teenager who has known since childhood that he would one day become president of the United States. Before he can achieve that lofty goal, however, he must win a far more modest election to become student body president of St. Sebastian High in tony Santa Barbara, California. The only thing standing in his way is his opponent, the more-popular-than-him River Barkley (David Corenswet), leading Payton to instigate a level of political dirty tricks not usually associated with high school.

In addition to Platt, the first season featured a supporting cast that included Gwyneth Paltrow (as Payton's adoptive mom), Zoey Deutch, Lucy Boynton, Bob Balaban, and Murphy favorite Jessica Lange. Season 2 takes a bit of a time jump, with Payton now a student at NYU and running for New York State Senate. That places him at odds with Dede Standish (Judith Light), New York State Senate Majority Leader, and her loyal and devious chief of staff, Hadassah Gold (Bette Midler). Season 1 earned accolades (including Emmy, Golden Globe, and GLAAD Media Award nominations), Season 2 was received far less warmly, and Netflix opted not to renew "The Politician" for a third season. 

High concept doesn't come any higher than "Ratched," Murphy's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" prequel. Here, he presents the outlandish origin story of the primary antagonist in the 1975 movie and novel upon which it was based: sadistic Nurse Ratched, played by "American Horror Story" regular Sarah Paulson. As opposed to the movie, which featured the middle-aged version of the character, "Ratched" introduces Mildred Ratched in her younger years, revealing the twisted motivation behind her cruelty (which involves her murderous, priest-killing brother and a doomed lesbian affair with the press secretary for a powerful politician). The storyline felt somewhat overbaked, but Murphy did not skimp on acting talent; along with Paulson, the cast included Finn Wittrock and Cynthia Nixon (as the aforementioned brother and love interest, respectively), along with Judy Davis as a fellow nurse, Jon Jon Briones as Dr. Hanover, the anesthetic-addicted head of the psychiatric institution Mildred infiltrates, and Sharon Stone as wealthy socialite Lenore Osgood, who hires a hit man (Corey Stoll) to whack Hanover for treating her son's serial-killer tendencies by amputating some limbs.  

"Ratched" is as overblown and over-the-top as anything fans would expect from Murphy. It also features first-rate performances and cinematography (capturing the lush Northern California setting) that is nothing less than stunning. However, the flagrant campiness that propels the series is also its biggest drawback, infusing the whole production with a vibe just shy of silliness.

"Hollywood" is arguably the most audacious, ambitious project in the Murphy pantheon. Set in late-1940s Hollywood, the show centers on Jack Castello (David Corenswet), a WWII veteran and aspiring actor who takes a job at a gas station owned by Ernie West (Dylan McDermott), who is actually a pimp whose attendants are sex workers who discreetly service famous clients of both sexes. It's through his illicit new profession Jack gains entry into the movie biz. In Murphy's blend of fact and fiction, Rock Hudson (Jake Picking) carries out an openly gay relationship with African-American screenwriter Archie Coleman (Jeremy Pope), while a studio head (Rob Reiner) suffers a heart attack that allows his wife (Patti LuPone) to take the reins, with her first big project as studio head bringing all these various characters together by producing Archie's controversial script, featuring an interracial romance. One of the show's most intriguing characters is Henry Wilson (Jim Parsons), a predatory gay agent whose reptilian aura of menace is a million miles away from the actor's "The Big Bang Theory" protagonist. 

The miniseries presented a wish-fulfillment fantasy depicting Tinseltown not precisely as it was, but how Murphy wishes it could have been. In fact, he made a major point here: that Hollywood could have been a racially inclusive, gay-friendly paradise if only the right people had shed their biases and prejudices, but the whole enterprise ultimately collapsed under the weight of its own pretensions. 

In the wake of "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story," Murphy put the spotlight on another iconic fashion designer via "Halston," his 2021 miniseries for Netflix. With Ewan McGregor as the titular Halston, the production also offered the by-now expected spectacle of actors cast as famous folks from the past. In "Halston," this included Krysta Rodriguez as Liza Minelli, Halston's friend and muse; Rory Culkin as film director Joel Schumacher; and Mary Beth Peil as iconic dancer and choreographer Martha Graham. Chronicling Halston's rise in the 1960s to the highest echelons of the fashion industry, "Halston" captured the shiny, glitzy glamour of the designer's Studio 54 heyday in the late 1970s without shying away from the severity of his escalating cocaine addiction and the havoc it brought to his life, personally and professionally. 

Created by Sharr White and directed by Daniel Minahan, Murphy wasn't directly involved in "Halston," but took the brunt of criticism for the story's superficiality and lack of depth. And, as was becoming customary for Murphy's unauthorized biographical docudramas about famous folks, "Halston" was blasted by the late designer's estate, which issued a statement decrying the miniseries for delivering an "inaccurate, fictionalized account" of Halston's life. Ultimately, McGregor's captivating performance elevates the project, transforming what could have become a somewhat rote biopic into a highly watchable series. McGregor deservedly won an Emmy in the outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie category.

Murphy's television follow-up to "Popular," "Nip/Tuck" marked the beginning of his lucrative association with FX while also proving his adeptness as a writer and producer beyond teen dramedy. The series explored the exploits of Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) and Dr. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh), top plastic surgeons who share a lucrative Los Angeles practice. In addition to witnessing the physicians' various and usually button-pushing surgeries ("Tell me what you don't like about yourself," one of the docs would invariably ask a patient at the start of each episode), viewers glimpse the characters' wildly complicated personal lives. Sean is a seemingly solid husband and father (a notion eventually revealed to be a facade) and Troy is a textbook sex addict with impulse-control issues whose insatiable libido compels him to sleep with pretty much every woman he meets (including Sean's wife, played by Joely Richardson).

"Nip/Tuck" definitely pushed the envelope, in terms of audacious and sometimes outright insane storylines, but also by tackling taboo subject matter (pedophilia and incest, for example). Meanwhile, Murphy's particular brand of pitch-black comedy was infused throughout, even within the show's graphic — and unbelievably frequent — sex scenes. Murphy also didn't pull any punches when it came to the surgery sequences, which were arguably even more graphic than the sex scenes. Through it all, Murphy delivered a withering satirical commentary on the cultural obsession with beauty — and the extreme lengths people will go in attempting to achieve or retain it.

Murphy's penchant for taking a true story and loading it with entertaining yet entirely fictional elements was on full display in "The Watcher," a 2022 Netflix miniseries about upscale couple Dean and Nora Brannock (Bobby Cannavale and Naomi Watts), whose purchase of their suburban dream home devolves into a nightmare when they begin receiving horrifically threatening letters from a mysterious source who knows intimate details about their lives. As the letters become increasingly hostile and disturbing, the Brannocks' sanity is tested in a variety of ways, with nothing as it appears. "The Watcher" also boasted a top-shelf supporting cast including Margo Martindale and Richard Kind as nosy suburbanites Mitch and Mo, Terry Kinney as a supremely creepy neighbor, and Mia Farrow as his malevolently conservative mom. 

As the series progressed, Murphy and co-creator Ian Brennan departed from the true story even further by adding one over-the-top plot twist after another, ranging from satanic worship to hidden subterranean tunnels. Jennifer Coolidge, the secret weapon of many a show and movie, once again wove her magic. Here, she plays Karen Calhoun, a realtor who's far more aware of what's happening than she initially lets on. Sleek and stylish, "The Watcher" offered a unique mix of ghoulish pseudo-horror and whodunit mystery that made for an addictive viewing experience — albeit one that ultimately felt a bit hollow in retrospect. The series' success, however, led Netflix to order a second season.

In 2009, Murphy launched what became his biggest TV hit to that point, "Glee." Created as a reaction to Murphy learning that cash-strapped schools throughout America were forced to cut their drama and music departments, "Glee" focused on the glee club at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. The resultant vocal group, New Directions, was comprised of a diverse group of students from various social strata, played by a stellar cast of newcomers that initially included Lea Michele (a Broadway-loving Rachel Berry), Cory Monteith (football quarterback Finn Hudson), Chris Colfer (stylish gay student Kurt Hummel), Kevin McHale (Artie Abrams, who uses a wheelchair) and others. Leading the group was teacher Will "Mr. Schue" Schuester, played by Matthew Morrison, who at that time had made a far bigger impact on Broadway than on television. The series' breakout, however, turned out to be improv-comedy genius Jane Lynch as phys ed teacher and cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, who served as a sort of Wile E. Coyote to Mr. Schue's Roadrunner. 

The show transcended mere television hit status by impacting pop culture, with New Directions' cover versions of well-known pop hits topping the iTunes charts. Then there was the aforementioned "Glee Project," "Glee" tour, and movie. As the show's popularity ascended, "Glee" became a destination for A-list guest stars ranging from Gwyneth Paltrow, Britney Spears, and Jeff Goldblum to Kate Hudson, Olivia Newton-John, and Sarah Jessica Parker, and on and on. "Glee" ultimately ran for six successful series, and remains beloved to this day.

Few shows can lay claim to being truly groundbreaking, but "Pose" is one of those rare series. Set within the ball culture of the 1980s that spawned Madonna's hit "Vogue" and the seminal 1990 documentary "Paris is Burning," "Pose" zeroed in on the lives of a group of gay and transgender friends who pull out all the stops each weekend to compete in fashionably over-the-top pageants hosted by flamboyant emcee Pray Tell (Billy Porter). Co-created by Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Steven Canal, "Pose" sublimely depicted how a marginalized, vulnerable community rose up to create something that was empowering, enduring, fragile, and truly beautiful.

Not only was the subject matter unlike anything tackled on television before, but the show also made history for hiring transgender actors MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, Hailie Sahar, and Angelica Ross, in addition to trans producers, writers, and other behind-the-scenes staffers. Honoring those who fought for LGBTQ rights decades earlier, Murphy and company crafted a lovingly textured time capsule that brought viewers into a very specific place and time, telling a story that was often painful and poignant but was ultimately about triumph in the face of adversity. "It's been a really joyous, amazing experience," Murphy said of "Pose" during an interview with Variety, adding, "I would say without question [it] has been the highlight of my career."

Of all his series, "American Horror Story" is Murphy's jewel in the crown, the one that opened new doors and blazed fresh trails toward the wildly eclectic projects that ensued. Truly, "AHS" was like nothing before it, a terrifying television anthology series planted firmly within the horror genre. Each season related a self-contained story, utilizing a revolving repertory cast, many of whom returned for subsequent episodes as completely different characters (although occasionally reprising earlier ones), including Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Emma Roberts, and more.

As is to be expected in an anthology, not all seasons of "AHS" reached the bar established by Season One, dubbed "Murder House," in which a latex-suited entity wreaks havoc on a family who move into a haunted house. Season 2, however, went further, with an over-the-top storyline set in a 1950s insane asylum, featuring such bonkers touches as a demon-possessed nun and alien abduction thrown into the mix. The third season added a healthy dose of humor: the story of a New Orleans coven of witches — one of whom believes herself to be "Rumours"-era Steve Nicks. Other seasons have featured a 1930s carnival freak show, a homicidal clown, a summer camp slasher-movie homage, an evil hotel (inhabited by Lady Gaga, no less), and even the Antichrist. And while the quality of each season varied tremendously, even the less-than-stellar ones were at least weirdly interesting.