From ‘1923’ To The Original Series: Every ‘Yellowstone’ TV Show, Ranked

Few TV series have made as resounding an impact on contemporary pop culture as Yellowstone.

Among the most popular shows of the 2020s yet, one can almost describe Yellowstone as the critically hailed successor to Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and The Sopranos in terms of its sensational popularity. As further proof of its well-loved status among mainstream audiences, Yellowstone’s success has also paved the way to a number of spin-off shows over the last several years, including the upcoming 1944, The Madison, 6666, and Y: The Marshals. 

With so much additional Yellowstone content on the way, we decided to take a look back at every entry in the series’ continuity to date, ranking them in order from worst to best.

3. 1883

The first in what seems poised to be a long line of Yellowstone spin-offs, 1883 proves the series’ eminent potential to create storylines every bit as compelling as its original TV counterpart. Winding the clocks back to the dying days of the Wild West, 1883 simultaneously succeeds as a prequel story for the Dutton brood as well as a rip-roaring Western drama, complete with plenty of cowboys, Civil War veterans, wandering wagon trains, and pulse-pounding shootouts sprinkled throughout its relatively short 10 episode story arch.

2. 1923

Jumping ahead 40 years from 1883’s narrative, 1923 retains the same indelible storytelling as both Yellowstone and 1883 before it. Compared to its narrative forebears, however, 1923 has the added benefit of notable cast members Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, each of whom excel in their roles as the Prohibition-era Dutton family. Taking the Duttons’ story forward in exciting new directions, 1923 serves as yet another exciting chapter in the family’s canonical journey, forcing them to confront such historical hardships as corrupt land barons, rival farmers, severe drought, and the early stages of the Great Depression.

1. Yellowstone

The one that started it all, showrunner Taylor Sheridan hit a pocket of purest gold when it came to Yellowstone. The ultimate fusion between a family drama, a neo Western, and a hard-boiled crime series, Yellowstone had everything fans could ever hope to see in a sprawling TV series, unfolding like a visionary cross between The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Deadwood, and Succession wrapped into one oversized package. A Shakespearean study of power, land, and legacy, it’s a captivating drama that never slows down or lets up in any of its five seasons, bucking along like a rampaging bronco that refuses to be saddled or tamed.