As Paramount continues to expand its Yellowstone Universe TV shows, the audience behind the franchise’s success expects the upcoming spin-offs to relay the authentic, addictive drama of its first three shows. Paramount Network and Taylor Sheridan began the journey with Yellowstone in 2018. Though it premiered to mixed and average reviews, subsequent seasons pulled high approval ratings that didn’t only keep the show running but birthed two spin-off prequels, 1883 and 1923.
Retaining Sheridan as the creator, Paramount+ announced 6666, another spin-off show centered around Yellowstone’s 6666 cattle ranch in February 2021. This was followed by Bass Reeves, a spin-off series to 1883 announced in May 2022, and then 1944, another prequel series that will serve as a sequel to 1923. Other Paramount shows created by Sheridan, such as Land Man, Tulsa King, and Mayor of Kingstown, are thematically similar to the Yellowstone franchise. They are nonetheless not part of the Yellowstone Universe, at least for now. Here are the show in Yellowstone ranked by Rotten Tomatoes’ critics scores.
3. Yellowstone – 84%
The Yellowstone Universe TV shows began with Yellowstone, a neo-Western drama starring Kevin Costner as John Dutton. The fate of Yellowstone Season 6 has been uncertain as the future involvement of its leading man is in doubt. Yellowstone without Costner wouldn’t be the same; this might nudge Paramount to wrap up the series and focus on pursuing other successful spin-offs of the series. Should that happen, the series would be ending on a high note.
Yellowstone premiered on June 20, 2018, to lukewarm reception from critics. Yellowstone Season 1 received a 56% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Viewership of the series improved with subsequent seasons and so did the ratings. Yellowstone Season 2, Season 3, and Season 4 respectively received 89%, 100%, and 91% approval ratings. The first part of the series 5th season has an approval rating of 84% and overall, the show is rated 84% on Rotten Tomatoes with an average audience score of 75%.
The hit series follows Kevin Costner’s John Dutton, the patriarch of a powerful family of ranchers. His family owns the largest contiguous ranch known as “the Yellowstone” and must contend with several ills of society revolving around the shared borders of the Yellowstone Ranch. Other top casts of the show include Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, and Kelsey Asbille. Jefferson White, Brecken Merrill, Gill Birmingham, Forrie J. Smith, Ian Bohen, and Denim Richards also portray notable characters in the series.
2. 1883 – 89%
The tremendous success of the first TV show in the Yellowstone Universe inspired a prequel series titled 1883. Announced in February 2021 as Y: 1883, 1883 premiered on December 19 of that same year on Paramount+ starring Sam Elliott as Shea Brennan, Tim McGraw as James Dillard Dutton, Faith Hill as Margaret Dutton, and Isabel May as Elsa Dutton. Other main cast and characters of the miniseries which aired for only ten episodes are LaMonica Garrett as Thomas, Eric Nelsen as Ennis, Marc Rissmann as Josef, and Audie Rick as John Dutton Sr.
1883 concluded in February 2022 on a positive note with multiple nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards. It received an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average audience score of 83%. The second installment in the Yellowstone Universe, 1883 goes back in time and follows the Dutton family of the post-civil war generation, detailing how they became owners of the Yellowstone Ranch. The success of 1883 inspired another Taylor Sheridan-helmed series, Bass Reeves. The 1883 spinoff series will follow Bass Reeves, the first black Deputy U.S. Marshal, and Nigerian-British actor David Oyelowo has been cast for the role.
1. 1923 – 90%
Instead of 1883 Season 2, Paramount shifted its focus on a sequel show, 1923, which became the 2nd prequel series to the original show and the third TV show in the Yellowstone Universe. Having aired eight episodes for Season 1, 1923 was renewed for Season 2 in February 2023. Set 40 years after the events of 1883, 1923 continues to follow the Dutton family as they live through significant moments of the era. The show stars Helen Mirren, Harrison Ford, Brandon Sklenar, and Julia Schlaepfer respectively as Cara Dutton, Jacob Dutton, Spencer Dutton, and Alexandra.
1923 premiered on December 18, 2022, to rave reviews. Its debut episode pulled 7.4 million viewers to become Paramount+’s biggest debut of all time. The series has a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with a 66% audience score. 1923 Season 2 will also air eight episodes and is speculated for release in late 2023 or early 2024. More than that, 1923’s success incentivized another prequel series to Yellowstone titled 1944. Already in development, 1944 will premiere as a sequel to 1923.
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