There are plenty of reasons that make Ryan Murphy the king of contemporary television productions. Producer, screenwriter, and director, Murphy's performance in each of his roles is impeccable — and many times he even works on several projects simultaneously! A part of his success can be attributed to the versatility he demonstrates throughout all of his projects, being one of the few who has such a vast portfolio, and can switch from a show like Glee to American Horror Story seamlessly, while still delivering the best in each of them. His productions are usually known for advocating diversity and equitable representation, as in The Boys in the Band, the 2020 movie whose cast is entirely composed of openly-gay actors, as well as for their strong social critiques. And on most of them, additionally, Murphy teamed up with Brad Falchuk, a director, screenwriter, and producer he met while working on Nip/Tuck and never parted ways with, forging an incredible work duo.
Murphy is not only a television man, as he has been involved in film productions more than once. Among his best-known pieces of work on the silver screen was the 2010 film Eat, Pray, Love, based on the best-selling novel by Elizabeth Gilbert and starring Julia Roberts. In 2018, he made headlines for closing a million-dollar deal with Netflix: $300 million to produce content for the platform over five years, as detailed by The Hollywood Reporter. While the outcomes of the productions released so far were not the expected ones, there is still time for Murphy to turn the situation around and surprise the audience the way he has done for so many years. This article will review and rank every TV series of this director and producer.
14 The Glee Project
The success of the TV series Glee was so overwhelming that within two years of the first season's premiere, Ryan Murphy launched the reality show The Glee Project, a competition show in which teenagers from all over the world had the opportunity to fight for a spot on Glee. This reality show ran for two seasons, and throughout its episodes, the contestants were mentored by various actors from the original cast as they competed in challenges until a winner was crowned. The winners of the first season were Samuel Larsen and Damian McGinty in a tie, and in the following season, the winning participant was Blake Jenner.
13 The Politician
Ben Platt headlines in this production premiering in 2019 alongside some of Murphy's already recurring actors such as Jessica Lange and Dylan McDermott. In The Politician, Platt embodies Payton Hobart, a student from a wealthy family with a very strong desire dating back to his childhood: becoming the President of the United States. In order to do so, he must secure a popular position in his school, Saint Sebastian Institute, so he can get as close as possible to his most cherished dream, although it won't be easy. This TV series already features two seasons and Netflix has announced a third one coming this year.
12 The New Normal
This 2012 comedy chronicles the story of Gloria, a woman who moved to California with her young daughter, looking for a better future away from her structured family. At the same time, we follow the journey of Bryan and David, an established couple whose dream is to become parents. Destiny seems to bring all these characters together: Gloria offers to be the couple's surrogate, and as time goes by, the four of them grow into a unique family. NBC canceled The New Normal after its first season.
11 Ratched
In Ratched, Mildred arrives at a psychiatric facility that pioneered experiments on the human mind. She introduces herself as the perfect nurse, but as her days at the hospital go by, a nightmarish, dark, monstrous personality is unveiled, one that is far from the perfect self-image she portrays. This prequel to the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest stars Sarah Paulson and premiered in September 2020 on Netflix. Yet despite high expectations from the audience, this Murphy TV series was not entirely convincing, garnering a score of 61% on Rotten Tomatoes.
10 Popular
Popular gets a very special mention on this list for being the first series that Ryan Murphy created for television alongside Gina Matthews. This show premiered in 1999 and ran for two seasons, following the story of two completely different students who are forced to get to know each other due to their parents' engagement. During the second season, ratings dropped significantly due to a schedule shift, so The WB decided to cancel the series, while leaving an open ending that did not satisfy viewers.
9 Halston
In this 2021 miniseries, Ewan McGregor stepped into the shoes of Halston to recount, over the course of its five episodes, the story of the renowned American fashion designer. This Murphy series is based on the novel Simply Halston by Steven Gaines, and while McGregor's performance was very well received by both the audience and critics, the series' structure itself was considered to be overly simplistic.
8 Scream Queens
Horror and teenagers are two subjects that, by the time Scream Queens premiered, Murphy knew how to handle with perfection. Which is why, in 2015, he stepped in to head the production of this series, which centers on the popular Kappa Kappa Kappa Tau fraternity girls and the attacks they suffer from a serial killer. Scream Queens was on the air for two seasons before being canceled in 2017. But due to its audience success, Murphy hasn't ruled out re-teaming with the cast for a reboot or a movie expanding on the TV series' story.
7 Glee
The teen musical comedy series Glee ran from 2009 to 2015 and is considered to be one of the biggest television hits of recent times. Throughout its six seasons, the members of William McKinley High School's Glee Club perform stunning renditions of musical hits, while transitioning through their teenage years, navigating early romances, and dealing with harassment from fellow students. Several cast members of this teen production gained notoriety because of it, such as Lea Michele, Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Cory Monteith, and Darren Criss.
6 Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck was a six-season series that premiered in 2003 and garnered Murphy both an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award. It is considered to be one of those series that shattered the molds of what was commonly seen on television at the time, and because of the strong themes it dealt with, the show sparked an uproar in certain social circles. This TV series focuses on two surgeons and friends, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy, whose self-destructive behaviors eventually lead to the declination of their personal and professional lives.
5 9-1-1
9-1-1 is a TV drama series inspired by real events that explores the career and life of the staff working behind the 911 emergency line: police officers, paramedics, and firefighters who receive calls on a daily basis about emergencies they must deal with, many times putting their own lives at risk. It premiered on Fox in 2018 and has already been running for four seasons, having been renewed for a fifth one in 2021. The cast features already recurring actresses from other Murphy productions, such as Angela Bassett and Connie Britton.
4 Feud
Feud is a TV series broadcast by FX that premiered in 2017. Its first season chronicles the rivalry between two Hollywood divas, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford (brilliantly embodied by Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange, respectively), during their involvement in the 1962 film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?. Although there were rumors of a possible second season that would cover the relationship between Charles and Diana of Wales, it never came to fruition. Nevertheless, the production of its second season, titled Capote's Women and headlined by Naomi Watts, was recently announced.
3 American Horror Story
American Horror Story's premiere in 2011 was just the beginning of one of Murphy's greatest hits, one that got better and better with every season. Its disturbing stories that shift each season, its brilliant cast of actors that has been maintained over the years (the most frequent being Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson and Lily Rabe), yet embodying different characters, and its humorous and unpredictable horror imprint are just a few of the features that have made AHS a benchmark TV series that has been running for so many years, premiering its 10th season in 2021.
2 American Crime Story
This TV series is a spinoff of American Horror Story, but it is focused on the most important crimes in the history of the United States. It currently features three seasons, which illustrate entirely different stories starring a different cast, except for Sarah Paulson, who appears in two of them. Season one of American Crime Story features the O.J. Simpson murder trial, season two, the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace, and season three, the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal.
1 Pose
With a near-perfect average on Rotten Tomatoes and set in the late 1980s, Pose illustrates New York City's drag ball culture scene. The cast includes performers such as Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Billy Porter, Indya Moore, Evan Peters, and Kate Mara, among many others. Pose was one of Murphy's most awarded series, earning history-making nominations at the Golden Globe Awards, American Film Institute Awards, and Emmy Awards. The series runs for three seasons and explores themes such as the struggles of trans women of color, empowerment, homophobia, and sex work in a way that allows the audience to explore a full range of emotions in each of its episodes.