1923, the long-awaited prequel to Yellowstone made its debut on Paramount+ and came out of the gate swinging, with an estimated 7.4 million viewers on its debut. This makes the new series Paramount’s biggest debut ever and marks the second in a big year for the series after the summer premiere of Top Gun: Maverick.
In 2018, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone premiered, introducing fans to the Dutton family, primarily made up of patriarch John (Kevin Costner) and his kids Kayce (Luke Grimes), Beth (Kelly Reilly), and Jamie (Wes Bentley). The Dutton family are the owners of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, the largest ranch in Montana and one of the largest ranches in the world. The series premiered to 2.8 million viewers worldwide, though Variety reports that the season 5 premiere brought in about ten times that.
In contrast with the Yellowstone premiere, Taylor Sheridan’s latest project and the newest expansion to the Yellowstone universe, 1923, has recently premiered on Paramount+ to 7.4 million viewers, over three times that of its predecessor.
‘1923’ Makes ‘Record-Breaking’ Premiere on Paramount+
With Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren in the lead as Jacob and Cara Dutton, 1923 introduces Yellowstone fans to a new generation of Duttons, owning the Yellowstone Ranch during the tail end of WWI. The series will follow the Duttons through pandemics, droughts, the end of Prohibition, and the beginning of the Great Depression, introducing them to hardships both inside and outside the family that test their resolve. Brandon Sklenar, Darren Mann, James Badge Dale, and Marley Shelton also star.
Regarding the initial success of 1923 on Paramount+, Paramount executive Tanya Giles told Variety the following:
Chris McCarthy, President/CEO of Paramount Media Network, praised the Yellowstone universe’s ability to “break records” as 1923 becomes “the #1 new cable premiere of the year on linear.”
1923 made its debut on Paramount+ yesterday, December 18th, 2022. The series, created by Taylor Sheridan and produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios, and Bosque Ranch Productions, is available to stream on Paramount+. Episode 2 will premiere on December 25th.
