A Guide To The Yellowstone Universe

4 months ago

The spin-offs explained

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A brand new sequel, Madison, has been announced in Taylor Sheridan and John Linson’s sprawling Yellowstone universe – but that’s not the only spin-off in the works. Struggling to keep track of all of the moving parts? Here’s a guide to all of the shows in the Yellowstone universe and the timelines they cover.

The Yellowstone Universe Explained

Yellowstone

Yellowstone follows the Dutton family from 2018 to 2023 across five seasons. Led by patriarch John Dutton, the family controls Montana’s – and the US’s – largest contiguous ranch, and the series delves into their struggles to maintain the vast swathe of land against threats spanning land developers, political corruption and Native American tensions.

1883

1883 is a prequel series to Yellowstone which follows the post-Civil war generation of the Dutton family in 1883. Having ran for only one season, we see the Dutton family embark on a journey in the titular year, westward across the Great Plains from Tennessee to Texas, before joining a wagon train on route to Oregon. The family faces harsh environments, confrontations with Native American tribes and internal family struggles, with the series concluding with the family settling in Montana, establishing the Yellowstone Ranch we see in Yellowstone.

1923

A sequel to 1883 and another prequel to Yellowstone, 1923 follows another generation of the Dutton family, this time in a period of significant upheaval. The prohibition, a historic drought and the early days of the Great Depression all play a role in the struggles of the Dutton family. At the centre of 1923 is patriarch Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) and his wife Cara (Helen Mirren), and it is in 1923 that Jacob becomes the livestock commissioner, beginning the Dutton family’s political influence. One season has aired, with a second season soon to follow.

Harrison Ford as Jacob Dutton and Helen Mirren as Cara Dutton in 1923 streaming on Paramount+ 2022. © James Minchin III/Paramount+

Madison

A sequel to Yellowstone, picking up where the former ends. Reports have circulated suggesting Madison was once under the working title ‘2024’, a project to which Matthew McConaughey was attached. However, new details peg Michelle Pfeiffer as the lead star, playing a New York City matriarch who moves to the Madison River valley in central Montana with her family. Officially in the works, filming is underway with hopes Madison will air in 2025. Read more about what to expect here.

6666

This is another potential Yellowstone spin off, though no confirmation that it will actually happen. If it gets the greenlight, 6666 will be set on the historic Four Sixes Ranch in Texas, exploring the lives of cowboys and ranchers (crucially not the Dutton family), and focusing on the challenges and traditions of ranch life in Texas.

1944

1944 is another proposed prequel to Yellowstone, which will follow Ford and Mirren’s 1923 series. Again, no confirmation just yet on whether 1944 will get the go ahead but, if it does, it will introduce another generation of the Dutton family, this time during the WWII era. Set not so long after 1923, we expect to see a return of Spencer and Alexandra Dutton, or Jack and Elizabeth Dutton, as they raise the next generation of the family.