Yellowstone may have launched multiple spin-offs, including 1883 and Marshals, but viewers keep coming back to the original — and for some, best.
The Taylor Sheridan series, which ran for 53 episodes across five seasons from 2018 to 2024, recently re-entered Paramount+’s global top ten, landing at number six as of October 27. Currently, the series outranks its follow-up series, Dutton Ranch, and Lioness, an ongoing series also created by Sheridan, on the worldwide Paramount+ chart.
For those unfamiliar, Yellowstone follows “the Dutton family, led by John Dutton (Kevin Costner), who controls the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States,” as described by Paramount’s official synopsis for the show.
“Amid shifting alliances, unsolved murders, open wounds, and hard-earned respect – the ranch is in constant conflict with those it borders – an expanding town, an Indian reservation, and vicious business rivalries.”
Alongside Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, and Wes Bentley portray John’s children, with Cole Hauser, Brecken Merrill, and Kelsey Asbille rounding out the Dutton family in the show’s main cast. Other stars have appeared throughout the show’s run, including Mo Brings Plenty, Danny Huston, and Jennifer Landon.
A cultural juggernaut, Yellowstone is widely credited with reviving the western for the streaming era. The genre, once one of Hollywood’s most popular genres, has wavered in popularity in recent decades, but the Paramount series has helped introduce the western to younger generations.
The show’s popularity has spawned its own Yellowstone television universe, including the prequels 1883 (2021–2022) and 1923 (2022–2025), as well as the sequel shows Marshals and Dutton Ranch, both of which launched in 2026. Other Yellowstone spin-offs are also reportedly in development.
While Taylor Sheridan has produced other popular shows since the launch of Yellowstone, such as Lioness, Landman, and Tulsa King, there’s something about the franchise-launching series that keeps viewers coming back for more.
