Quentin Tarantinois very open when it comes to the movies he enjoys and recommends, but he has also shared his admiration for different TV shows. Quentin Tarantino has earned a place among the most respected filmmakers of his generation, though he’s also one of the most controversial ones.Tarantino’s workshave been praised for his writing style, unique way of writing dialogue, their characters, and more, and part of his trademark is adding generous doses of violence and blood to each of his movies. While Tarantino has succeeded on the big screen, he has also left his mark on TV.
Tarantino is very open about his love for movies and has extensive knowledge of a variety of genres and styles, but he has also shared some of the TV shows that have caught his attention the most. Tarantino has ventured into TV a couple of times and in different roles, such as directing episodes ofERandCSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and turning his own movie into a miniseries as he did withThe Hateful Eight.There are some TV shows that have left a mark on Tarantino, either at a personal or professional level, encouraging others to check them out.
Gunsmokeis a radio and TV Western drama, created by Norman Macdonnell and John Meston, with the TV show developed by Charles Marquis Warren.Gunsmokeis set in Dodge City, Kansas, in the aftermath of the American Civil War.The show follows U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon(James Arness) and his deputies Chester Goode (Dennis Weaver) and Festus Haggen (Ken Curtis) as they protect the town’s citizens. Conflict in most episodes is triggered by outsiders, while other episodes focus on Dillon’s travels and what happens when he’s not in town.
Tarantino has citedGunsmokeas an inspiration for his Westerns, especiallyThe Hateful Eight, with Samuel L. Jackson’s character named after Warren. Tarantino also toldOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood’s cinematographer, Robert Richardson, to watchGunsmoketo get an idea of the style they were going for, and the show was referenced throughout the movie (viaUproxx).
Bonanzais a Western TV series created by David Dortort. Set in the 1860s,Bonanzafollows the wealthy Cartwright family, who live in the vicinity of Virginia City, Nevada. Leading the family is Ben (Lorne Greene), along with his three sons: Adam (Pernell Roberts), Eric (Dan Blocker), and Joe (Michael Landon).Bonanza, then, follows their weekly adventures, focusing on the Cartwrights’ dynamics, as well as those with their neighbors and the people closest to them.
Bonanzais NBC’s longest-running Western with 14 seasons.
LikeGunsmoke,Bonanzawas a huge inspiration for Tarantino’s Westerns, mostlyThe Hateful Eight. According toOutsider,Tarantino took inspiration from those times inBonanzawhere the bad guys took over the ranches, and so the main characters found themselves trapped in the same place as the villains – and this is pretty much what happens inThe Hateful Eight(andReservoir Dogs).
6CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Ran From 2000 To 2015
CSI: Crime Scene Investigationis a procedural drama created by Anthony E. Zuiker. The showfollows a team of crime scene investigators from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Departmentas they solve different crimes. Leading the team at the beginning ofCSIwas Dr. Gil Grissom (William Petersen), but the team’s leadership and many of its members changed throughout the show’s 15 seasons. The success ofCSImade way for a franchise with different spinoffs.
Tarantino has a direct connection toCSIas he directed the two-part episode “Grave Danger”, from the show’s 15th season. “Grave Danger” is regarded as one ofthe bestCSIepisodes ever, and this was in large part thanks to Tarantino being familiar with the show. Speaking toTodayin 2005,Tarantino shared that directing these episodes wasn’t a challenge because he liked the show, and he felt like he was making aCSImovie.
Quentin Tarantino also has room on his list of recommended TV shows for sitcoms, especiallyHow I Met Your Mother. Created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas,How I Met Your Motherfollows Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) as he tells his teenage children the story of, well, how he met their mother.The show goes back to Ted’s late 20s, following him and his best friendsBarney (Neil Patrick Harris), Marshall (Jason Segel), Lily (Alyson Hannigan), and Robin (Cobie Smulders) as they do their best to navigate adulthood in New York City.
Speaking toMTVin 2012,Tarantino said that his favorite TV showis, “hands down”,How I Met Your Mother, and it’s the show he always keeps watching.How I Met Your Motherisn’t a show that has influenced Tarantino’s movies, and it’s simplythe one he enjoys and rewatches the most.
The Newsroomis a political drama TV series created by Aaron Sorkin.The Newsroomtakes the audience behind the scenes at the fictional Atlantis Cable News, where it follows anchor and News Night managing editor, Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels). Accompanying McAvoy are his executive producer, MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer), newsroom staff Jim Harper (John Gallagher Jr.), Maggie Jordan (Allison Pill), Sloan Sabbith (Olivia Munn), Neal Sampat (Dev Patel), and Don Keefer (Thomas Sadoski), along with the head of ACN, Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston).
In the above-mentioned interview withMTV, Tarantino also shared his love forThe Newsroom, praising Sorkin’s writing and calling it “exciting.” In a 2015 interview withVariety, Tarantino spoke aboutThe Newsroomonce more, sayingit’s the only show he watched three times so he could listen to the dialogue one more time.
Perhaps unsurprisingly by now, there’s another Western among Tarantino’s recommendations:Yellowstone. Created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson,Yellowstoneis a neo-Western drama TV show centered onthe Dutton family, the owners of the largest cattle ranch in Montana: the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. The show follows the conflicts between the Dutton family, the bordering land developers, a Native American reservation, and Yellowstone National Park.Yellowstonespawned a franchisewith two prequel series and two upcoming sequel shows.
Speaking atThe Joe Rogan Experiencein 2024,Tarantino shared he watchedYellowstoneand was caught up in it, praising Sheridan’s writing, though he also used it as an example of how TV shows nowadays lack payoff and introduce too many characters with connections to each other. Still, that doesn’t makeYellowstoneany less great.
Tarantino’s TV recommendations have some room for horror, all thanks toThe Haunting of Hill House. Created by Mike Flanagan and based on Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel of the same name,The Haunting of Hill Housefollows the Crain family – parents Hugh and Olivia, and their children Steven, Shirley, Theo, Luke, and Nell – who, in the summer of 1992, move into Hill House to renovate it and sell it. However,a series of paranormal incidents lead to a tragic loss, and they have to flee.
Tarantino shared that he had been watching a lot of Netflix, and his favorite series “with no competition” was The Haunting of Hill House.
26 years later, the Crain siblings and their father reunite after another family tragedy, and they must confront how their past experiences in Hill House have permanently affected them. In 2020, Tarantino shared that he had been watching a lot of Netflix, and his favorite series “with no competition” wasThe Haunting of Hill House(viaThe Jerusalem Post).
The Queen’s Gambitis a coming-of-age period drama miniseries created by Scott Frank and Allan Scott. Based on Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel of the same name,The Queen’s Gambittakes the audience back to the 1950s and 1960s to meet Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy),a chess prodigy struggling with emotional problems and substance-use disorder, as she rises to the top of the chess world. As she continues to struggle with her substance use and more, Beth prepares to compete in a major international chess tournament.
Tarantino described the show as a seven-hour movie thanks to its narrative quality and more.
Along withThe Haunting of Hill House,The Queen’s Gambitis Tarantino’s favorite Netflix TV show, and he shared his praise for it in different interviews, including his visit toThe Ringer’sRewatchablespodcast, where he described the show as a seven-hour movie thanks to its narrative quality and more.
