According to a report by Deadline, Paramount TV has order their first scripted series, which will premiere in summer 2018, after Paramount TV replaces Spike in January 2018. Yellowstone, the family drama series, has been written by Taylor Sheridan, one of the most sought after screenwriters in Hollywood, after writing two acclaimed films in the last two years: Hell or High Water and Sicario.
The 10 episode series will follow the Dutton family, a fictional family that lives in the wilderness of Montana, on the edge of Yellowstone National Park. Led by patriarch John Dutton, the Dutton’s owns the largest contiguous ranch in the United States, and are constantly put up against land developers, Native Americans, politicians, etc. trying to get their land. Yellowstone will begin filming this fall.
Sheridan said the following statement regarding the series:
The show is both timely and timeless. As much as it explores themes painfully relevant to the world today, it explores the very essence of family, and how the actions of one member can alter the course of generations.
Keith Cox, president of development and production for Paramount Network, said the following regarding the upcoming series:
It was on the page, beautifully written, cinematic, big scope, very complicated…It’s about that big, dysfunctional but exciting, sexy family based in Montana. That to me is exactly what I was looking for in a Paramount drama. I wanted to do something grounded, very authentic but very Americana, harkening back to these big, exciting fun dysfunctional families and also celebrating the heartland, the Midwest… Yellowstone exemplifies what a Paramount Network original dramatic series will be with premium storytelling, high production values, compelling characters, and the best talent behind the camera and in front of it…What I like about ‘Yellowstone’ is, it has dark moments and it actually has really humorous moments, and it’s very sexy but it’s also very violent too.
Art Linson and John Linson will be executive producers of the series, under their banner Linson Entertainment.
Lately, Viacom has been reordering it’s properties, focusing on six core channels: Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, MTV, Comedy Central, BET and Spike (aka Paramount TV). By introducing Paramount TV, they will be getting rid of Spike TV. They also announced in March that Heathers and American Woman, which had been in development at TV Land, will actually be switching over to Paramount TV. They hope to have 1-2 more scripted series for Paramount TV by the end of the year, with the number likely dependent on how Spike’s current show The Mist does, and if renewed will take one of those slots. Viacom has not yet completely gotten rid of CMT and TV Land, but will gradually begin to deemphasize the brands.
After achieving success in feature films, with Sicario starring Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin in 2015, and Hell or High Water starring Jeff Bridges and Chris Pine in 2016, Sheridan will be expanding into writing for television in the future. He is writing another series called Olympus, about a veteran who discovers that he is descended from Greek gods. He is also working on Soldado, the sequel to the 2015 film Sicario. He is also signed on to adapt Dark Invasion, a book by Howard Blum about an American spy in 1915, which will be produced by Bradley Cooper.
Stay tuned for more details about Yellowstone.