You don't need to see 'Yellowstone' to watch its prequel '1923,' but you do need 2 different streaming services to watch both.
- You don't have to watch "Yellowstone" to see and enjoy its new prequel "1923."
- But you do need two streaming services to watch both.
Another "Yellowstone" prequel is streaming on Paramount — and I'm once again watching it without having ever seen "Yellowstone."
The new series, "1923," follows a new generation of Duttons, the ranching family portrayed in Taylor Sheridan's smash hit "Yellowstone."
The original series stars Kevin Costner as a powerful rancher and descendant of those we see in the prequel shows. Two episodes are currently streaming, with new ones debuting every Sunday.
"1923," which stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, picks up 40 years after "1883," which premiered last year. If you liked that series, you'll probably like this new one. Many of the beats are familiar, right down to the voiceover and the tough-to-watch brutality of the time period.
It's not exactly convenient to keep up with the "Yellowstone" universe, though. The series, the biggest on cable, airs new episodes on Paramount Network, with season five currently airing on Sundays. Eventually these episodes will be available to stream on NBCUniversal's Peacock, where you can stream past seasons. While Peacock is a rival to Paramount+, it's the home of "Yellowstone" because of a deal made before Paramount+ launched.
Spinoff series, like "1883" and "1923," stream on Paramount+. (Both of their first episodes aired on Paramount Network as well in a smart bit of cross-promotion, with the remaining episodes exclusively on the streaming service).
I don't have Peacock, but I do subscribe to Paramount+. The success of "Yellowstone" piqued my curiosity about "1883." The series was good enough and easy enough to watch without having seen "Yellowstone" that I am now watching "1923."
"1923" has received favorable reviews, with a 90% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It's also a hit — Paramount said the premiere episode was watched by 7.4 million viewers across linear telecasts and streaming.
Sheridan has more Paramount+ content on the way, including more "Yellowstone" spinoffs. He struck a deal with Paramount last year to develop content, and it appears to be paying off.