Paramount Network has been taking viewers on a wild ride in the fourth season of the rancher drama Yellowstone. The Dutton family is fighting their most intense and uphill battle yet — and that’s saying a lot for a series that left us with bated breath following its season 3 finale. Bombs, guns, attacks, and the charm of a cowboy or ranchhand are pieces of the Yellowstone puzzle that fans have put together.
They’ve also been drawn to the story of the Dutton family as a whole. A casual viewer may wonder what on earth the Duttons have done to garner so many enemies. A seasoned fan knows where to look when an attack is planned and crosses names off the list until they’ve reached their target. The Duttons have been at this for a long time, generations, which leads to the premise of the new Paramount Plus series, 1883.
1883 is the story of patriarch John Dutton’s great grandparents, James and Margaret Dutton, as they travel west looking for wonder, promise, and a new life. With their family and the few belongings they’ve got, they embark on a journey that will be both beautiful and heartwrenching.
The new series premiered on Dec. 19 and it set a record for Paramount Plus, the streaming service that ViacomCBS operates, drawing in 4.9 million viewers Live+Same Day in the first 24 hours as Deadline reports. 1883 now stands as the largest premiere of a new cable series since 2015.
Deadline also shares that Tanya Giles, Chief Programming Officer of ViacomCBS Streaming, had this to say about the debut of 1883.
“The results of 1883’s debut are truly phenomenal. The day 1 streaming numbers coupled with the results of the linear sampling effort, and social response from our audience show the tremendous promise for this series.”
Chris McCarthy, President and CEO of ViacomCBS Media Networks, shared the following sentiment about existing hits and building the success of Paramount+.
“The success of Taylor Sheridan’s 1883 is another proof point of our unique model to leverage our linear platforms and franchise our biggest hits to supercharge Paramount+.”
Yellowstone has a fanbase that stretches far and wide, so it’s no surprise that 1883 is premiering with record numbers and an already expectant fanbase. Yellowstone has been sprinkling in sneak peeks and previews of what fans could expect from its new series to already adoring fans, and the storyline immediately grabbed their attention.
1883 has a story to tell and an all-star cast to describe it. Starring Tim McGraw, Sam Elliott, Isabel May, Faith Hill, and LaMonica Garrett, the series is cementing its place in the Yellowstone universe and the larger entertainment realm as a whole.
You can watch the first two episodes of Sheridan’s 1883, the Yellowstone prequel, streaming on Paramount Plus now.
