With production on television and movies shut down for the foreseeable future due to the ongoing writers' and actors' strikes, networks are looking for creative ways to fill the fall programming void. CBS will rely on a mixture of reality television along with a hefty dose of Taylor Sheridan's hit television series Yellowstone.
CBS announced its 2023 fall programming schedule and while football will make up the bulk of its Sunday entertainment, post-football evenings will consist of episodes of Yellowstone.
Paramount Network's hit series will make its broadcast debut on Sunday, September 17 at 8:30 p.m. Additional episodes of Yellowstone will air every Sunday night with the exact number shown depending on the football schedule. If CBS is airing an NFL double-header, only one Yellowstone episode will be shown. If there is only one game planned, then two episodes will be shown back-to-back.
Currently, Yellowstone seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4, along with the first have of 5 are available to stream on Peacock. The hit series is set to end with the second half of season 5, which is expected to premiere later this year. New episodes stream on Paramount Network.
Although Yellowstone is already one of the most popular television series, bringing it to broadcast television -- especially after football -- will introduce the Dutton family to an even broader audience. By having reruns each week, it could give newcomers a chance to catch up before the final half of season 5 releases later this year.
Yellowstone is a neo-Western drama that primarily follows the Dutton family, owners of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, the largest ranch in Montana, and the conflict that comes with that. With various entities looking to take their land, the Duttons rely on a mix of business, politics and sometimes violence to hold on to their land.
Yellowstone stars Kevin Costner as John Dutton, the patriarch of the Dutton family and main character of the series. Costner is a big reason for the show's success but reported scheduling conflicts resulted in the actor departing from the series. There have been all sorts of rumored reports but it's currently unclear whether or not Costner's John Dutton will return in Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2. In any case, the series is scheduled to end after the upcoming season 5 run.
Thankfully, the show's popularity has produced multiple spin-offs and side-projects. Fans can currently watch the two prequel series, 1883 and 1923, on Paramount Plus.