The cast and crew of Taylor Sheridan’s new series “1883” can’t stop hyping it up, just one week before the season premiere.
Earlier this week stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill sat down with Parade to talk about their experience creating the show. McGraw and Hill star as James and Margaret Dutton, the ancestors of modern-day “Yellowstone” character John Dutton.
The family travels west to seek a new life and new roots, among the Great Plains of Montana. Along the way, it looks like they run into quite a bit of trouble and chaos. But we’d expect nothing less from a Taylor Sheridan show.
He’s also the creator of “Yellowstone,” the Paramount Network show that put his cowboying and ranching universe on the map. “Yellowstone” quickly rose up to become one of the greatest cable shows of all time, even hitting record numbers for its fourth season. Part of the reason McGraw and Hill decided to take on the roles in “1883” was because they loved Sheridan’s work so much.
“I liked that it was a mix of Game of Thrones and The Godfather,” McGraw said of “Yellowstone.” Talk about an epic crossover.
But the “1883” star isn’t wrong. The political machinations, deep family bonds, struggle of man vs. nature, all come into play in “Yellowstone” as well as the two franchises McGraw named. Throw in some Western ideology, and you’ve got “Yellowstone” nailed down to a T.
But “1883” promises to stand on its own, with new characters, a different kind of storyline, and a historical universe we’ve not been exposed to on “Yellowstone.”
‘1883’ Star Sam Elliott Says Show ‘Stands On Its Own’
Every Sunday night, viewers catch a tantalizing glimpse of “1883” when they turn their TVs on to the Paramount Network. Sheridan is working overtime to promote “1883” to his “Yellowstone” fanbase, hoping the audiences will like both shows.
But even without the “Yellowstone” fan base, “1883” star Sam Elliott sees the prequel series as its own entity.
“They just pump so much life into this,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “You can call this a spin-off or a prequel to Yellowstone or whatever you want. But for my money, it stands on its own.”
With such a stellar cast and crew, we have no doubt he’s right. Aside from Hill, McGraw, and Elliott, the show also boasts appearances from Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, Billy Bob Thornton, and even Tom Hanks. And, Sheridan promised even more surprise guest star appearances in later episodes.
Knowing Sheridan and how he approaches his work, we have no doubt he’ll create a show and world that audiences will lose themselves in. Just like they lose themselves in “Yellowstone” every week. Maybe that’s the only similarity between the two, despite the connected storylines. We’ll have to wait until next Sunday, Dec. 19, to know for sure.
