2026 has undoubtedly been Taylor Sheridan’s year. Season 3 of Spec Ops: Lioness is dropping new episodes weekly, and it’s currently one of the biggest shows in the world. This year also saw three Yellowstone spin-offs drop. The Madison, a standalone spin-off set in the same universe, was the first to hit our screens, before being followed up by Marshals and the eagerly awaited Dutton Ranch. Outside of the western franchise, Sheridan’s Tulsa King is also set to drop its fourth season in late 2026 (although this hasn’t been officially confirmed). But despite all those amazing shows, there’s one Taylor Sheridan series that people keep coming back to, and it’s still one of the biggest shows in the world.
Lioness is currently the biggest show on Paramount+ globally, thanks to its ongoing third season. However, even with Sheridan’s ridiculous number of new Yellowstone spin-offs, fans can’t get enough of the core series. Yellowstone is one of the main reasons to subscribe to Paramount+, and it’s proving its longevity by remaining the third most popular series on the platform globally right now. It’s also far from the only Sheridan series that’s trending on Paramount+. Dutton Ranch currently sits in fourth, with Tulsa King in 10th place. Yellowstone was always going to remain a prominent series on Paramount+, but for it to beat out its own sequels, Sheridan’s other Paramount series, and the entire Star Trek franchise, two years after airing its final episode.
The ‘Yellowstone’ Universe Survived a Horrendous Fall-Off
When Yellowstone first aired in 2018, it quickly captured people’s attention. The partnership of Kevin Costner and Sheridan brought the western genre into the 21st century, as the series followed the Dutton family as they fought to protect their gargantuan ranch. It took a while to find its footing with critics (Season 1 holds a 58% Rotten Tomatoes score), but, by the second and third seasons, it had critics and audiences singing its praises. Season 3 even holds a prestigious 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
But Season 4 changed the formula. A falling out between Taylor Sheridan and Kevin Costner led to Season 5 being split into two parts, with Costner being written out of the second half. That second half felt incredibly rushed. It was nowhere near as bad as Game of Thrones‘ finale. But the final season of Yellowstone felt like a letdown to many. However, the success of The Madison, Marshals, and especially Dutton Ranch has put the franchise back on the map.
Taylor Sheridan’s Time at Paramount Is Coming to an End
Even though he has several Yellowstone spin-offs and sequels to pre-existing series in the works, Taylor Sheridan and Paramount+ will be parting ways in the near future. The TV producer has signed a mammoth deal with NBCUniversal. It isn’t exacfly clear what will happen to the Yellowstone franchise, as the IP rights are held by Paramount Skydance. However, Paramount has made it clear that it wants the streaming platform to be known for more than just Sheridan’s shows. What that will actually look like is anyone’s guess.
- Release Date
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2018 – 2024-00-00
- Network
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Paramount Network
