Now the latest entry into the Sheridan-verse is Tulsa King, which follows the story of Dwight “The General” Manfredi, a New York mafia captain who, after serving a 25-year prison sentence, is released. During that time, Manfredi shows the strength of his moral code by not saying a word about the operation, and so looks to be compensated when finally on the outside. Instead, he finds himself shipped to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where his mafia family wants him to establish new operations. There, Manfredi must seek a crew to help establish his new empire. On the surface, it’s easy to see how Tulsa King is yet another property that features the Sheridan stamp plastered all over it. It features a strong, morally and criminally ambiguous patriarch who is trying to build something for himself and those who are important to him, and in the process, carve out his own little kingdom. Yet when the cast and creative team spoke to the press during the Television Critics Associatoin press tour, they made clear that we can expect a slightly different approach and flavor to Tulsa King, which will seemingly appease hardcore Sheridan fans, and possibly bring in a crowd unfamiliar with his work. One need look no further than the eclectic cast. The legendary Sylvester Stallone, in his first major television role plays “The General,” which is certainly on brand for a Sheridan show. All of his popular properties have drawn in major talent when it comes to those patriarchal roles, with Yellowstone, 1883 and Mayor of Kingstown bringing in massive talents such as Kevin Costner, Sam Elliott, and Jeremy Renner. Based on the trailers and other clips, it would appear the major departure with this show, compared to the other Sheridan dramas, is that it is taking a more comedic route. Undoubtedly, it will not be a straight comedy with Sheridan at the helm, but the “fish out of water” premise is already a departure from James Dutton, or John Dutton, or Kingstown’s Mitch McLusky, as these are all men who are in their pure element, and often are four steps ahead of the situation. Manfredi, while comfortable with the skill set needed to build a criminal empire, is not accustomed to Oklahoma culture, and in most of the clips already shown, looks as if he will be making quite a few faux-pas. What will it mean having a Sheridan alpha male who doesn’t know exactly what’s going on? Who must rely on those around him not to simply carry out his orders, but to fit into this new world, and help him get his footing? The addition of comedian Martin Starr (who just worked with Stallone on Samaritan) also hints that Tulsa King is trying something new. Sheridan and his showrunners have often hired musicians in these previous shows (like Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Hugh Dillon, and Ryan Bingham) but never someone known for their comedy. With that casting alone, it stands to reason that Starr is primed to add more of a comedic tone with his character. “This was a fun departure for me,” Starr said. “Getting to journey down a road of becoming a weird part of a mafia family.” Co-star Andrea Savage, who will play Stacy Beale in Tulsa King describes the pilot as having a “fun life to it”. That doesn’t mean we can’t expect the visceral violence we’ve come to know in Sheridan projects. “In juxtaposition, you have the violent stuff, and I think that’s going to be really surprising for people to see, especially some of this humor from Sly”. Executive Producer Terrence Winter sums it up best. “The appeal of the mix of these two tried and true genres reminds me of those Peanut Butter Cup commercials where the peanut butter truck crashed into the chocolate truck. Now you’ve got something better than the two separate things. It was just so much fun.” Tulsa King premieres Sunday, Nov. 13 on Paramount+.
