'Yellowstone': '1923' Spinoff Sets Massive Record

1923 is setting a new benchmark for Paramount+ as Taylor Sheridan's latest installment in the Yellowstone franchise, starring Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford, became the most-watched premiere ever in the U.S. upon its debut last week. 

The streamer announced Dec. 19 that 1923 had drawn 7.4 million total viewers across Paramount+ and linear telecasts, which included a premiere on Paramount Network, two encores and an airing on CMT. This eclipsed other breakout debuts for the streamer, including Halo and Sheridan's 1883, Mayor of Kingstown and Tulsa King.

1923 follows on the heels of 1883, introducing a new generation of the Dutton family and exploring the early 20th century when pandemics, historic drought, the end of Prohibition and the Great Depression all plagued the mountain west. In addition to Ford and Mirren, 1923 also stars Darren Mann, Michelle Randolph, James Badge Dale, Marley Shelton, Brian Geraghty, Aminah Nieves, and Jerome Flynn.

"The Yellowstone universe continues to break records, with our latest chapter, 1923 scoring as the most watched premiere ever on Paramount+ and debuting as the #1 new cable premiere of the year on linear," said Chris McCarthy, President/CEO Paramount Media Networks & MTV Entertainment Studios in a statement. "Taylor Sheridan continues to tap a cultural nerve that has proven irresistible to viewers from across the country and around the world, with this newest installment showing no signs of slowing down – proving yet again the power of our franchise strategy to fuel the future of Paramount+."

"Anchored by Taylor Sheridan's incredible vision and the performances of legends Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford, we felt confident this next chapter of the Dutton family origin story would resonate with audiences," added Tanya Giles, chief programming officer of Paramount Streaming. "We are thrilled with the record-breaking early response to the first episode and can't wait to introduce more audiences to this incredible journey of perseverance, heartbreak and adventure set amongst the backdrop of the Mountain West."

"Taylor continues to write the most epic stories shot with cinematic beauty," added David C. Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios. "His scripts attract not only the best actors working today but the best crew around and we are so fortunate these huge audiences tune in to be a part of his universe every week. We can't thank MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount+ enough for their continued support on this incredible journey."