From ‘Longmire’ to ‘Dark Winds,’ these shows have family drama, rule-breaking cowboys and shady Western operations just like ‘Yellowstone’
Yellowstone might not be back just yet, but there’s no need to despair.
Since premiering in 2018, the Paramount Network series centered around a multi-generational (and highly dysfunctional) Montana ranching family has garnered a dedicated fanbase and critical acclaim. But it’s been over a year since the first half of season 5 aired, and the network announced that the final episodes — which will close out the entire series — won’t be released until November 2024.
With the Hollywood writers strike and Kevin Costner’s exit from the show, there have been valid reasons for the delay, but the fact remains: Yellowstone fans will have to until later this year to get their Dutton family fix.
Thankfully, there are many more Western-style dramas available to keep viewers busy until the show returns.
From other series by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan to crime thrillers set in the Wild West, here are 12 shows Yellowstone fans can enjoy now.
1883
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The best cure for a lack of Duttons? More Duttons.
1883 is a prequel miniseries to Yellowstone that details how John Dutton’s ancestors James and Margaret Dutton — played by country superstar duo Tim McGraw and Faith Hill — established the family’s ranch.
The show, which aired between 2021 and 2022, follows the Duttons as they take the treacherous wagon train from Texas to Montana and face all the dangers that come with a new frontier.
1923
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After 1883, dive right into Sheridan’s follow-up series, 1923.
Starring Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford as Cara and Jacob Dutton, heads of the fictional Yellowstone Ranch at the time, this show first aired in 2022 and is another prequel to Yellowstone set 40 years after 1883. It further explores the origins of the Dutton empire and the bloody battles that had to be fought in order to build it.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves
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Sheridan’s latest exploration of the American West isn’t related to Yellowstone, but it’s packed with Old West law men, criminals and plenty of larger-than-life characters.
The 2023 show, Lawmen: Bass Reeves, recounts the previously untold story of legendary United States marshal Bass Reeves (played by David Oyelowo), who brought over 3,000 outlaws to justice during his 30-year career.
Dennis Quaid and Donald Sutherland also star in the show, which is part of an anthology series that will follow other iconic lawmen and outlaws in future seasons.
Longmire
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This A&E-turned-Netflix series has everything fans love about Yellowstone — family drama, a rugged cowboy protagonist and a stunning Western backdrop — with an extra dose of crime-solving.
Based on author Craig Johnson’s mystery novels, Longmire (which ran from 2012 to 2017) is about a widowed sheriff in small-town Wyoming who’s trying to maintain his sanity while keeping the peace.
The show’s stars include Robert Taylor, Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips and Zahn McClarnon.
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Fans who love Yellowstone solely for those Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) moments will enjoy the rugged, rule-breaking lead in Justified.
Timothy Olyphant stars in this FX series about U.S. marshal Raylan Givens, who moves back to his hometown in rural Kentucky to clean up its crime-ridden streets. The show, which ran for six seasons from 2010-2015, sees Givens’ past allegiance to some questionable old friends complicate his quest for justice and the moral code he follows.
If that’s not enough, Justified: City Primeval hit screens last year. The revival series sees the return of Olyphant as U.S. marshal Givens, who is now in Miami, though the action quickly moves to Detroit. His daughter, Willa, is now 15 and played by the actor’s real-life daughter, Vivian Olyphant.
Deadwood
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Set in the 1870s, Deadwood first aired in the early 2000s and sees Olyphant take on a role in another Western drama, this time with even more lawlessness based in a South Dakota camp.
Created by David Milch, the show ran for three seasons and was inspired by real-life historical events in South Dakota, as the land was annexed and the population grew with more settlers.
The HBO series, which also stars Ian McShane as bar owner Al Swearengen, is perfect for Yellowstone fans who love historical fiction and sweeping Western landscapes.
Hatfields & McCoys
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Costner was arguably made for Westerns. That’s why Yellowstone was such a natural fit — and it’s also why this Emmy-nominated miniseries about the infamous real-life Hatfield-McCoy feud worked so well.
The Dances with Wolves star and Bill Paxton lead this 2012 mini series — which is set in the late 1800s — as the patriarchs of the famous families. Following the Civil War, tensions escalate, and drama ensues.
The Son
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Like Yellowstone, this AMC series follows the rise (and potential fall) of a family empire. Only this time, the family in question is a Texas ranching and oil dynasty with Pierce Brosnan as cattle baron Eli McCullough.
Spanning 150 years, The Son (which ran from 2017 to 2019) is an epic story about power, wealth and bloodshed in the West. It’s based on a 2013 novel of the same name by Philipp Meyer.
Outer Range
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Like Yellowstone, this 2022 neo-western drama also takes place on a family ranch. But instead of battling land developers, the family at the center of Outer Range is confronting a much more ominous threat: a mysterious black void that appears on their pasture in Wyoming.
Fans of Schitt’s Creek will love seeing Noah Reid in his cowboy getup, and all Yellowstone fans can appreciate a brooding Josh Brolin playing a conflicted rancher trying to keep his family safe.
Dark Winds
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The building tensions between ranchers and Indigenous peoples are just a small part of the larger narrative in Yellowstone. If you want more in-depth storytelling about the experience of Indigenous peoples in the West, tune into Dark Winds.
Based on a series of novels by author Tony Hillerman, this psychological thriller first aired in 2022 and follows Navajo Nation police officer Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) and his deputy (who is also a rising undercover FBI agent) Kim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) trying to solve a string of mysterious murders on their reservation in the 1970s — and unmask the powerful forces trying to cover them up.
The McBee Family Dynasty: Real Life Cowboys
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If fans are looking for the same highs and lows of ranching and family drama found in Yellowstone, they should look no further than The McBee Family Dynasty: Real Life Cowboys.
This reality series follows a real-life ranching family in rural Missouri, much like the Duttons, who share an inside look at their business, McBee Farm and Cattle. as well as their personal affairs with audiences.
The show stars family patriarch Steve McBee, who is recently divorced, along with his sons Steven Jr., Jesse, Cole and Brayden and features tensions over who will take over the family business as well as their issues with enemies in their community. The McBee Family Dynasty: Real Life Cowboys promises to unveil the realities of being in a family like the Duttons.
Succession
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While far from a Western, Succession shares many of the same themes as Yellowstone. Both are about wealthy, powerful families and the next generation’s struggle for control. Only in Succession, the family business is a media conglomerate instead of a ranch.
The four-season series (which ran from 2018 to 2023) shines with actors like Kieran Culkin and Matthew Macfadyen leading the cast and enough sibling backstabbing to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
