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Chances are if you haven’t yet caught the Paramount Network drama Yellowstone, you’ve at least heard of it. The series debuted back in 2018 and became something of a smash hit, despite mixed critical reviews. In fact, the two-hour series premiere nabbed 2.8 million viewers, making it the most-watched original scripted series ever telecast on Paramount Network.
As the seasons wore on, the critical response warmed up and more people discovered this little drama. In fact, the fourth-season premiere nabbed an impressive 14 million total viewers, catapulting creator Taylor Sheridan to the top of the list of must-have TV writers. Naturally, Paramount renewed the show for a fifth season as well.
Interested in learning more about this record-breaking series? Grab those Stetsons and read on to learn how you can watch Yellowstone from the very beginning.
What Is Yellowstone About?
Yellowstone revolves around the Dutton family, a crew that controls the largest contiguous ranch in the United States. The ranch is constantly under attack from threats thanks to its proximity to land developers, a national park and a reservation. At the center of this fictional tale is a sixth-generation rancher named John Dutton and his family.
The series is shot entirely on location in Utah and Montana and is meant to feel like a big-budget, theatrical event each week. Add in all of those family dynamics and plenty of brawls (some of which definitely border on graphic), and the show is beloved, to say the least. In fact, this show was so anticipated there was a bidding war for it before it ever landed at Paramount.
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“[It was] the freedom, complete creative freedom and probably if there’s such a thing as too much, almost too much of it,” creator Taylor Sheridan told reporters, including SPY, about why he went with the network during the 2018 Television Critics Association press tour. “I told them my vision. I told them how I wanted to make it, and they agreed. And it’s not a model that television follows. So it was the freedom.”
How Many Seasons of Yellowstone Are There?
The first season of Yellowstone debuted on June 20, 2018. It consisted of nine episodes, including the two-hour premiere. A second, 10-episode season debuted in June 2019, followed by a third, 10-episode season in June 2020. The fourth kicked off its batch of 10 episodes in November 2021, with a finale that was watched by 9.3 million viewers earlier this year. The fifth season, which will be split into two seven-episode installments, is expected to air later this year. Production is scheduled to kick off in May, so we’ll have to wait a few months after that before the show will be ready for broadcast.
How to Watch Yellowstone Online
Yellowstone airs on Paramount Network, a.k.a. the newly rebranded Spike TV, which is also home to series like Waco and Heathers. So you would think a subscription to Paramount Plus would ensure access to all past seasons of Yellowstone as well, right? Unfortunately, the answer is a little more complicated than that.
If you want to access past seasons of Yellowstone in the United States, you’ll either have to purchase the individual seasons on Amazon, or you can also subscribe to Peacock and catch the first three seasons there. Season 4 is also being released on Peacock as of Monday, March 28.
Basically, Peacock snagged the rights to the series when it launched in 2020. Paramount Plus didn’t launch until March 2021, which is why the show doesn’t air there. A Peacock subscription is free for ad-based programming, but it doesn’t give you much content. If you’d like to upgrade, the premier tier goes for $4.99 a month, while the premier-plus, ad-free tier costs $9.99 per month.
How to Watch the New Season of Yellowstone When it Debuts
If you plan on watching the fifth season of Yellowstone on Peacock you may be waiting a long time. Streaming rights don’t kick in until 90 days after the season finale, which means it could very well be 2023 by the time the fifth season shows up online. If you want to watch the series as it unrolls, you’ll need to have cable or online access to a provider that carries Paramount Network. Alternatively, you can also download the Paramount Network app and catch Yellowstone there.
Who Stars in Yellowstone?
Kevin Costner was the big draw when Yellowstone debuted since he plays the family patriarch, John Dutton. Luke Grimes (American Sniper) plays his son Kayce, who is being groomed to take over the family business, Kelly Reilly plays his daughter Beth and Wes Bentley (American Beauty) plays his other son, Jamie. Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Brecken Merrill, Jefferson White, Gil Birmingham and Danny Huston also star.
Can I Watch a Trailer for Yellowstone?
Click through to see all four trailers for each season of this beloved show.
Yellowstone Season 1 Trailer
Yellowstone Season 2 Trailer
Yellowstone Season 3 Trailer
Yellowstone Season 4 Trailer
Is There a Yellowstone Spinoff?
As we mentioned, Yellowstone has definitely catapulted Taylor Sheridan to the top of his TV game. He was previously known for acting roles in shows like Sons of Anarchy or Veronica Mars, and for writing projects like Sicario and Hell or High Water. But Yellowstone has been his tour de force.
As such, Paramount has hired him to also helm Mayor of Kingstown as well as a prequel Yellowstone series called 1883. That show stars the likes of Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Isabel May, and launched in 2021. After it aired, Sheridan revealed the show was actually a limited series, and wouldn’t return for a second season despite several cliffhangers in the finale.
“I’m not someone who likes to tie everything up in a bow and explain how everyone lived happily ever after, or didn’t,” he told Deadline.
But sometimes when you have a good thing you just go with it, so we’re not questioning the about-face decision by Paramount to order up more episodes last month. No premiere date has been given, but for now, fans can catch the first 10 episodes with a subscription to Paramount Plus. Subscriptions start at $4.99 per month for an ad-based experience, or you can upgrade your plan to $9.99 per month to watch shows ad-free (except for live events).
Are There Any Other Yellowstone Spinoffs in the Works?
Here’s some more good news for fans: there are two additional Yellowstone spinoffs in the works. Paramount has announced another prequel series, 1932, is on the way, while another spinoff titled 6666, is in development.
1932 continues the story of the Dutton family by picking up during the Great Depression, although exact details and a cast have not yet been announced. 6666, meanwhile, follows a cattle ranch in West Texas in the 1960s.
In other words, we should all get ready for a lot more Yellowstone goodness in our lives.