Touching nearly every corner of TV, Ryan Murphy shows range from irreverent comedies to gripping horror and everything in between. With a career in television stretching back to the 1990s, Murphy has established himself as the modern-day hitmaker and is a trusted name in TV production. Whether his shows air on basic cable or are streaming exclusives, Murphy’s signature touch is instantly recognizable, and he is known for his hyper-stylized historical portraits and his eye for diverse stories. Not without his controversies, Murphy has been positioned as the TV iconoclast of the 21st century and he hits big with nearly every new release.
Starting with Popular, his very first show in 1999, Murphy’s career hasn’t slowed down and he has continued to blaze his own trail for the first three decades of the 21st century. Noted for his frequent LGBTQ+ characters, Murphy’s oeuvre is specifically aimed at diversity, and according to The Guardian, he “brought marginalized characters to the masses”. Outside of that, Murphy’s unique worldview colors nearly all of his TV output, and his series often feature over-the-top characters, situations, and production design that present a point-of-view that is deliciously off-kilter. He has created nearly 20 series, and Ryan Murphy shows aren’t going away any time soon.
18 American Horror Stories (2021 – Present)
Coming as a spinoff of Murphy’s wildly popular American Horror Story, American Horror Stories explores the franchise’s horror universe in an anthology-style format. Many AHS actors have joined the cast and several episodes hearken back to familiar locations or places from the original series. Though the first season was met with largely negative reviews, season 2 improved upon the format and found its terrifying footing. American Horror Stories captures much of the same spirit as its predecessor but isn’t hampered by the need for long-form storytelling.
American Horror Stories is available to stream on Hulu
17 The Watcher (2022)
The Netflix series The Watcher follows a couple who start getting letters from a stalker after moving into the home of their dreams. The Watcher was based on a true story, which made it much more creepy, though it ultimately fell short of impressive. Like many Ryan Murphy shows, the suspense, atmosphere, and performances were all strong, but the execution was uncharacteristically lacking. Tonal shifts and outlandish changes to the true story made The Watcher intriguing, but wholly dissatisfying in the end.
The Watcher is available to stream on Netflix
16 Glee (2009 – 2015)
Though Glee was the series that put Ryan Murphy on the map as a bona fide hitmaker, its inconsistency was its downfall. The show centers on the students of a high school glee club, and focused on their quirky lives both in and out of class. The ambitious idea to produce a weekly musical TV series did pay off, and many of Glee’s covers became hits in their own right. However, the quality dipped noticeably after a few seasons, and it wasn’t without its problematic elements as well. Many of Glee’s musical numbers haven’t aged well, and much of the fanbase dropped away before it finished its six-season run.
Glee is available to stream on Disney Plus and Hulu
15 The New Normal (2012 – 2013)
A rare misfire among Ryan Murphy shows, The New Normal failed to launch for NBC. The series centers on a wealthy gay couple who hires a surrogate mother whom they move into their lavish Los Angeles home. While it checked the typical boxes of a Ryan Murphy product, including LGBTQ+ characters at the forefront of the story, the writing was ambitious but alienating. The film’s deconstruction of class and privilege was somewhat half-baked, and its lone 22-episode season didn’t do enough to develop the characters into likable protagonists.
The New Normal
is available to buy on Amazon and Vudu
14 9-1-1: Lone Star (2020 – Present)
Spinning off from the original 9-1-1 show, also created by Murphy, 9-1-1: Lonestar explores how the emergency systems from the first show might operate differently in a more conservative setting. Though it succeeds at capturing the same spirit as its predecessor, Lone Star’s interpersonal drama isn’t nearly as interesting as the original. It has proved to be a successful spinoff though, and the 9-1-1 franchise is yet another extended universe that Ryan Murphy has blessed with his nearly flawless TV track record.
9-1-1: Lonestar
is available to stream on Hulu
13 Halston (2021)
Murphy’s collaborations with Netflix helped to take the prolific producer into the world of streaming, and the real-life story, Halston, was a lesser-known example of his Netflix work. The series depicts the exaggerated life of iconic fashion designer Halston as he navigates the turbulent 1960s. Starring in the titular role, Ewan McGregor won an Emmy for his turn as the designer, and his performance was critically acclaimed. However, the series lacked depth and mostly missed opportunities to explore Halston’s place in the society of the 1960s. Murphy’s shows simultaneously glamorize and tear down the past, but Halston mostly did the former.
Halston
is available to stream on Netflix
12 Scream Queens (2015 – 2016)
Ryan Murphy teamed up with Glee co-creators Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan for the dark comedy Scream Queens. Starring frequent Murphy collaborators Emma Roberts and Lea Michele, the show explores the gruesome past of a college sorority, where a serial killer has begun picking off its members. Rather than the darkness of American Horror Story, Scream Queens was full of camp and comedy that poked fun at the failings of the horror genre. Though there were scary scenes in Scream Queens, it was mostly humorous, though the jokes were hit or miss. In the end, Scream Queens was somewhat lost in the shadow of Murphy’s more popular American Horror Story.
Scream Queens is available to stream on Hulu
11 Popular (1999 – 2001)
Created with Gina Matthews, Popular was the first of many Ryan Murphy shows and has gone down as a cult classic. The series presents the life of the American high schooler in a campy, tongue-in-cheek style that incorporates musical numbers and over-the-top scenarios. Though it only lasted two seasons, Popular was indicative of Ryan Murphy’s style, and it gained a larger audience after the fact. While the execution wasn’t perfect, Popular mostly suffered from being released at the wrong time.
Popular is not currently available to buy or stream
10 Ratched (2020)
Though the show wasn’t as good as the movie it was based on, Ratched aimed to expand the lore of the 1970s classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by exploring its most polarizing character. In the series, a young Nurse Ratched begins her career in medicine where she oversees barbaric psychiatric treatments from the past. Sarah Paulson’s towering performance impressed, and the visuals dazzled, but the story itself was mixed. The decision to make Ratched a pseudo-sympathetic character was an interesting choice, but the writing largely failed at its mission to transform the classic villain into a protagonist.
Ratched is available to stream on Netflix
9 The Politician (2019 – 2020)
Another production by the super-trio of Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, and Ryan Murphy, The Politician follows a spoiled rich kid (Ben Platt) who dreams of being his high school’s class president. The trio of creators returned to high school, the well from which many Ryan Murphy shows have sprung, and delivered on their usual sardonic and exaggerated approach to teen drama. However, the series failed to make many of the characters particularly likable, and its dour outlook didn’t make for particularly fun viewing.
The Politician is available to stream on Netflix
8 Hollywood (2020)
Going back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, Murphy’s Hollywood chronicles the lives of various characters who aspire to make it in Tinseltown during the post-WW2 years. As usual for Ryan Murphy shows, the visuals were stunning and perfectly recreated the awe-inspiring era. The show also imagined how the world might have worked if women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community were able to really make their mark in the entertainment industry. However, by veering off into pure speculation, the series missed its opportunity to make any kind of legitimate commentary on the racist, sexist, and homophobic history of Hollywood.
Hollywood is available to stream on Netflix
7 Nip/Tuck (2003 – 2010)
When Ryan Murphy released Nip/Tuck in 2002, there wasn’t anything on air quite like the eerie, disturbing storylines he created. The show follows Sean McNamara and Christian Troy, two plastic surgeons in Miami who share not only a practice but also a love interest. The great medical drama had all the sex and violence viewers would come to expect from Ryan Murphy shows, along with engaging characters and zany plot twists. While the quality decreased over its lengthy run on the air, Nip/Tuck never stopped pushing the boundaries of what was possible in primetime TV.
Nip/Tuck is available to stream on Hulu
6 9-1-1 (2018 – Present)
Murphy teamed up with Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear to create 9-1-1, a drama concerning members of the Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments as they respond to emergencies throughout the city. Though Murphy isn’t known for creating procedurals, 9-1-1 is largely separate from his other work because of its episodic nature. Angela Bassett shines as Athena Grant, and the series’ many emergencies push the boundaries of reality ever so slightly. While not as fun and playful as Murphy’s other shows, 9-1-1 has proven that there is nothing he can’t make a hit.
9-1-1 is available to stream on Hulu
5 American Horror Story (2011 – Present)
Building on the success of shows like Glee and Nip/Tuck, Murphy and Falchuk delivered the anthology series American Horror Story, and another great TV franchise was born. Each season of the series concerns a different story of terror that usually involves notable horror tropes like haunted houses, creepy clowns, and ghosts. Generally utilizing the same ensemble cast from season to season, AHS has become a TV institution and even spawned a spinoff. Though the quality of each season varies, the franchise has created its own universe of horror that is drenched in Murphy’s signature style.
American Horror Story is available to stream on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video
4 Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022)
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story sparked a true crime debate when it debuted in 2022, and the miniseries was shrouded in controversy from the start. The Netflix series chronicles the crimes of notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, and attempts to explain his motivations. Made with the same style as most Ryan Murphy shows, Dahmer was another of the TV creator’s diversions into the true crime world. Despite fervent debate about the ethics of the show itself, Evan Peters’ performance as the titular Dahmer was praised, and the series managed to be nightmarishly engaging as it explored the mind of one of history’s most notorious killers.
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is available to stream on Netflix
3 Feud (2017)
Murphy teamed up with Jaffe Cohen and Michael Zam to create Feud, a docudrama that details the rivalry between Hollywood legends Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. Obvious care went into the crafting of the series, and the misunderstood actors were finally given their due as opposed to being treated like caricatures. Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange were electric as the show’s two anti-heroes, and the series itself earned an impressive 18 Emmy nominations. Though the series did take some liberties with its material, Feud stood so strong because it gave the characters a fair shake, and eschewed Murphy’s typical verbose approach to historical topics.
Feud is available to stream on Hulu
2 American Crime Story (2016 – Present)
Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk worked as executive producers alongside Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski for American Crime Story, an anthology series that chronicles notorious real-life crimes. The first season followed the murder trial of O. J. Simpson; the second documented the murder of Gianni Versace; the third looked into Bill Clinton’s impeachment. Though there is a disparate nature between seasons, each installment takes viewers on a wild ride through history. The series explores both the details of the trials and the bigger controversies they caused, which makes each true story far more engaging than the average documentary.
American Crime Story is available to stream on Hulu
1 Pose (2018 – 2021)
Created by Steven Canals, Brad Falchuk, and Ryan Murphy, Pose takes place in the literary and social scenes of 1987 New York. The central characters navigate the Black and Latinx LGBT+ communities of that time, with a special focus on drag and ballroom culture. Across its three seasons, the show earned widespread critical acclaim and numerous awards. Putting marginalized people at the forefront has always been Murphy’s M.O., but Pose accomplished that goal by exploring queer history without embellishment. Pose soared above other Ryan Murphy shows because it managed to elicit laughs, tears, and joy within each episode, and shined a light on largely unheard stories.
Pose is available to stream on Hulu
