We’re just a few weeks away now from the release of yet another Taylor Sheridan series that’s coming to Paramount Plus — Great Depression Era 1923It is a sequel to 1883 (also a Sheridan-created show) and a prequel to Sheridan’s Kevin Costner-led YellowstoneThe biggest show on TV right now is ‘The Big Show.
It has been called a Red State. Game of Thrones, and while the prolific Paramount Plus show creator has always resisted such descriptions of his hit dynastic drama that’s built around a sprawling Montana cattle ranch, what’s not in dispute is just how much of a TV hitmaker Sheridan has become in recent years. The Paramount network certainly can’t get enough of him, with half a dozen Other Sheridan series are either currently in production or will be soon available (including 1923).
The cast for the latter includes Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford — in what will be his first major TV role — who will portray an earlier generation of Yellowstone’s Dutton family members survived pandemics, drought, Prohibition’s end, and the Great Depression all the while protecting their home.
It is amazing how large a series can be Yellowstone is — its Season 5 premiere in November, for example, drew a cumulative viewership of 12.1 million, making it the biggest scripted series premiere of 2022 — you might assume this is the current audience favorite of all of Sheridan’s Paramount series.
According to the Rotten Tomatoes data however, it tells us that there is a Possibly slightly Different story.
There are currently four Sheridan dramas available, three on Paramount Plus and one on Netflix. Yellowstone Peacock currently streams 1883 — which follows an early generation of Duttons as they head west to settle in Montana — actually has the highest Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score of them all at the moment (89%).
In terms of the highest audience score for the time being, that honor actually goes to a Sheridan drama that’s received less critical attention than the other three: Bürgermeister von Kingstown Again, it was an astounding 89 percent. That series, starring Jeremy Renner and Kyle Chandler, tells the story of a family of power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan — a company town, where the prison system is the main industry.
Here are the critics’ and audience scores, together, for all four current Sheridan shows:
Worth noting: Those scores do, at a minimum, assign a number to people’s subjective preferences, but while they tell us which shows are more “popular” as of this writing, it’s also worth keeping in mind the apples-to-oranges nature of the comparison.
Sylvester Stallone led the Sylvester Stallone team Tulsa KingsFor example, a few weeks ago, aired its first episode. YellowstoneThe meanwhile, has five seasons under its belt. 1883 was always envisioned as a one-season show — and the second season of Bürgermeister von Kingstown In January, it will happen. These shows will receive more critical and ratings attention. And the scores for Sheridan’s newer and less-established Paramount Plus shows, like Tulsa KingsAs they add more episodes, it is likely that their opinions will change.
All of this said, however, it is important to note that the following: Lots There are many TV creators to choose from. And Sheridan — who famously abhors writers’ rooms and prefers to craft everything about all of his shows himself — still has a ton more in the works and coming to Paramount Plus soon.
These shows include:
More Paramount Plus news: Paramount Plus Now: New Movies, Shows and Sports (December 2022).