Fans of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone got a treat this evening when Paramount + dropped the first teaser for 1923, Yellowstone‘s much-anticipated second prequel series. It follows hot on the heels of 1883, which nabbed the streamer’s best debut for an original program when it made its debut last December. While it was a surprise to learn that 1883 was only ever planned to be a one-and-done, 1923 seems to pick up right where it left off.
James Badge Dale stars as John Dutton, the father of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton Jr on Yellowstone (previously played by Dabney Coleman in flashbacks). By the period covered in 1923, his parents, James and Margaret (played by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill on 1883), aren’t around anymore, and he works for his father’s brother Jacob, played by Harrison Ford. Previously, it was revealed that Jacob and his wife Cara (Helen Mirren) are childless and have become the new patriarch and matriarch of the Dutton ranch. According to the latest synopsis:
1923, the next installment of the Dutton family origin story, will introduce a new generation of Duttons led by patriarch Jacob (Ford) and matriarch Cara (Mirren). The series will explore the early twentieth century when pandemics, historic drought, the end of Prohibition and the Great Depression all plague the mountain west and the Duttons who call it home.
In addition to Ford and Mirren, 1923 also stars Darren Mann (“Animal Kingdom”), Michelle Randolph (“A Snow White Christmas”), James Badge Dale (“Hightown”), Marley Shelton (“Scream”), Brian Geraghty (“Big Sky”), Aminah Nieves (“Blueberry”) and Jerome Flynn (“Game of Thrones”).
Given that description, I think it’s safe to say that 1923, set for a two-season limited run, will cover much more than the titular year, as The Great Depression started in 1929, and prohibition ended in 1933.
Overall, this looks like another great addition to the Taylor Sheridan universe, which, if you haven’t dug into it yet, is worth diving into. Yellowstone is consistently excellent, while Mayor of Kingstown was one of the most underrated shows of the last few years. Tulsa King, starring Sylvester Stallone (read our review), is yet another solid addition to the growing canon.
1923 premieres on December 18th, with follow-up episodes beginning two weeks later on January 1st. So hopefully, 1923 will be all the rage in 2023!