1883, the prequel series to the hit Paramount series Yellowstone, has been renewed for season 2. Created by Taylor Sheridan of Sicario, Hell or High Water and Wind River fame, the show follows an earlier generation of the Dutton Family as they journey west to eventually establish what would become their ranch in Yellowstone.
With the biggest new cable series premiere since 2015, and a very favorable 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, 1883 has proven to be yet another feather in the cap of Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe, helped by a strong cast that includes Sam Elliot, Billy Bob Thornton, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. In addition to its excellent broadcast numbers, 1883 was the most-viewed series premiere on Paramount+ ever and took the number-one spot for most streamed drama series, collecting 2.6 million viewers. It is not the only Yellowstone prequel spinoff series in the works, either, as ViacomCBS (soon to be renamed Paramount) has announced another Sheridan-led series, 1932, which will tell the tale of the Dutton’s during the prohibition years.
During its investor day on Tuesday, Viacom CBS announced that 1883 season 2 is officially confirmed (via Variety). The follow-up season will continue to follow the Dutton’s journey to the fabled American West over the Great Plains. New episodes will also continue laying the groundwork for the other in-universe shows, such as Yellowstone and 1932.
The expansion of an already popular property such as Yellowstone with the order of 1883 season 2 come sas no surprise, as the race between the streamers starts to heat up. Even though Disney, Netflix and Amazon still dominate the industry in terms of raw numbers, the future is looking bright for Paramount+, as the end of the fourth quarter saw the streamer break records by adding 7.3 million subscribers. This takes the total number of subscribers to 32.8 million, almost double the 16.5 million it had at the end of the first quarter. Viacom CBS will be looking to recreate the wild success of 1883’s debut with season 2 and other Sheridan-led projects, as they could prove to be a big driver in the number of new subscribers. This was outlined by CEO Chris McCarthy, who described the ratings of shows like 1883 as a way to “supercharge” Paramount+.
Whilst the future certainly looks bright for the service, Paramount+ still lacks behind its competitors in a few vital areas, most importantly spending. Whereas ViacomCBS hopes to increase its total spent on streaming content to $6 billion by 2024, Netflix spent $17 billion on content last year, exceeded only by Disney, who spent $25 billion. Also, whilst 1883 is certainly a popular show, it doesn’t quite match the massive viewership of its parent show Yellowstone, which is not available on Paramount+ as the streaming rights were sold to NBC/Peacock. Therefore, it remains to be seen if 1883 season 2ill help to continue the upward trend in subscribers and help one of America’s oldest broadcast companies sit at the table with the streaming giants.
