Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown, and 1883 may just be the start of Taylor Sheridan’s universe. As the famed screenwriter’s stories continue to wow audiences and draw in record-breaking ratings, there is renewed talk about expanding Sheridan’s hold on the TV scene with even more new shows, with some potential titles even growing the Yellowstone universe.
Chris McCarthy, President and CEO of MTV Entertainment Group, opened up about the possibility of expanding Sheridan’s roster of titles in a recent interview with Deadline following the premiere of Mayor Kingstown. Centered on the McClusky family and set in the small town of Kingstown, Michigan, where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry, the series debuted on Sunday, Nov. 14 on both Paramount+ and on Paramount Network immediately following Yellowstone Season 4, Episode 3. The premiere episode followed in its predecessor’s footsteps of drawing in massive numbers. The new series, headlined by Jeremy Renner, drew in 2.6 million viewers and a 0.9 in 18-49 in Live+Same Day, with ViacomCBS also confirming that Mayor of Kingstown “ranks as the #1 original scripted drama on Paramount+ since its rebrand from CBS All Access with the highest consumption in day 1.”
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McCarthy said Mayor of Kingstown is “exceeding expectations on a very competitive night with NFL football,” and they “feel really really good about where we are and about how it’s going to continue to grow.” The success ofMayor of Kingstown‘s rollout, in which episodes air on Paramount Network following Yellowstone and are also available on Paramount+, where it will solely air following the upcoming Sunday episode, could lead to further Sheridan-created series with a similar structure. McCarthy revealed the rollout is part of “a strategy to use Yellowstone as a launch pad for new original series in the Taylor Sheridan universe.” McCarthy added, “We really believe in these linear platforms as a great launch pad. There is also a large amount of audiences that consume the majority of their content from linear, we love those audiences and want to give them great content to enjoy.”
Next to follow in that rollout format is 1883, the Yellowstone prequel series set to premiere on Sunday, Dec. 19. McCarthy said they are “confident that the series will cast a wider net, bringing in new audiences, setting a bigger foundation for the Yellowstone universe.” McCarthy also teased among the potential future series is Land Man, “a upstairs/downstairs story set in the world of oil rigs,” that is currently in development. A second Yellowstone spinoff, 6666, has also been confirmed to be in the works. That series will also find a home at Paramount+, which you can subscribe to by clicking here.