Yellowstone is one of television’s biggest shows. In fact, the Yellowstone season 5 premiere drew 16 million viewers, making it the most-watched show on TV in all of 2022.
As the Yellowstone faithful know, the neo-Western follows the Dutton family, who control the largest contiguous ranch in the United States. Located in Montana near Yellowstone National park, the ranch is under constant threat from land developers, an Indian reservation and conservation activists. The sixth-generation owner, John Dutton (Kevin Costner), works hard to maintain his family’s legacy — with the help and sometimes hindrance of his adult children.
With Yellowstone ending with season 5 (which is still a long ways off, in November and December), you might be missing the family drama, political intrigue and dangerous action. While you can get a fix with the Yellowstone spinoffs 1883 and 1923, you can also fill the wait with other series that share some common themes.
Here’s a list of shows similar to Yellowstone to watch in the meantime.
'Outer Range'
This neo-Western feels like someone pitched it as “Yellowstone gets Lost.” Given the success of both of those shows, it’s not a bad idea. Josh Brolin stars as Wyoming rancher Royal Abbott, whose family is dealing with the disappearance of his daughter-in-law. On top of that, his neighbor is making a claim on some of the Abbotts’ land. Here’s where Outer Range diverges from Yellowstone: Royal discovers a mysterious, intermittent, swirling black hole in his west pasture. Why it’s there, what it does and what happens if anyone enters it are all unknown. Things get even more complicated by the arrival of an enigmatic hippie (Imogen Poots), who develops a connection with the void.
Watch on Prime Video
'Succession'
Yellowstone has long been compared to Succession, since both shows are about wealthy, powerful families seeking to preserve their business. Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is the patriarch in control of a vast media empire, much like John Dutton oversees his vast ranch. Logan also has three adult children who crave power and prosperity. Sometimes, they form an alliance with dear old dad; other times, they scheme to take him down. Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Shiv (Sarah Snook) may have many complicated feelings towards Pop, but he is undoubtedly an oppressive influence on all of them. There’s no escaping Logan’s shadow.
Watch on Max
'Ozark'
Like the Duttons, the Byrdes face life-or-death stakes in a rural setting. Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) is a financial advisor in Chicago who’s forced to move his family to the Ozarks when he gets entangled with a Mexican drug cartel. Along with wife Wendy (Laura Linney), he begins laundering money for them. Though they try to shield their kids Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz) and Jonah (Skylar Gaertner), the entire family gets involved in their illegal business. In addition to the danger posed by the cartel, the Byrds also have to contend with local crime families, the Langmores and Snells.
Watch on Netflix
'Justified'
The Wild West vibes of Yellowstone can also be found in this crime drama, which stars Timothy Olyphant as U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens. He plays by his own rules like John Dutton and is a bruiser like cowboy Rip Wheeler. When Raylan is assigned to his home county deep in the Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky, he dispenses his unconventional style of justice to local criminals. That makes him some enemies over the years, including the explosive Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), drug queenpin Mags Bennett (Margo Martindale) and mobster Robert Quarles (Neal McDonough).
Watch on Hulu
'Mayor of Kingstown'
Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan is expanding his TV empire with shows containing many of the same elements as his massive success: a rural setting, a family that wields power in the area, and questionable moral codes. The McCluskys keep the peace in their small run-down Rust Belt town, where incarceration is the only thriving industry. Mike McClusky (Jeremy Renner) acts as a broker between police, criminals, inmates, prison guards and politicians. The show explores themes of corruption, systemic racism, inequality and the injustice present in the prison industrial complex.
Watch on Paramount Plus
'Longmire'
Like Yellowstone, Longmire is a modern Western that takes place in a rural region adjacent to an Native American reservation, features gorgeous vistas, and tackles issues of family, loyalty, and tribal tensions. Sheriff Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor) investigates crimes in a fictional Wyoming county, with the help of deputy Vic Moretti (Katee Sackhoff) and longtime Cheyenne friend Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips). As he solves cases, Walt also deals with his wife’s recent death and a strained relationship with daughter Cady (Cassidy Freeman).
Watch on Netflix
'The Sopranos'
Tony Soprano and John Dutton have a lot in common. Both head contentious families; operate booming businesses; and face constant threats from outsiders. Tony (James Gandolfini) struggles to balance his life as a mafia capo with his obligations to wife Carmela (Edie Falco), daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and son A.J. (Robert Iler). Then, there’s his disapproving mother Livia (Nancy Marchand), histrionic sister Janice (Aida Turturro) and bitter Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese). It’s enough to give Tony panic attacks, so he turns to psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) for therapy. John Dutton should probably take a page from his book.
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'Deadwood'
Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) is a saloon owner in the 1870s who controls much of his town’s power. Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) is a former lawman who brings a sense of order and justice to where Swearengen claims to reign. The pair regularly tussle against episodes set throughout history with figures like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane taking center stage for a chain of episodes exploring life in the West. It's all about a lawless society and how its inhabitants end up getting by, even when the lowest of the low appear to be in charge.
Watch on Max
