An '1883' producer explains how the 'Yellowstone' prequel's story will continue without a season 2
Paramount recently announced additional episodes for its "Yellowstone" prequel "1883."
Executive producer David Glasser said not to expect a season two, but that the story would continue.
He said that the "Yellowstone" prequels could be viewed collectively as an "anthology series."
"1883," Paramount+'s prequel series to Paramount Network's "Yellowstone," aired its finale on February 27, and the episode seemed to complete the main characters' story arcs. After a long journey across the American West, they had reached their destinations and some main characters had died.
But two weeks earlier, the company Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS) announced during an investor presentation that it had ordered more episodes of the series, stopping short of saying it had been renewed for season two.
"1883" and "Yellowstone" executive producer David Glasser told Insider during an interview this week that fans shouldn't expect a second season, but that the story would continue.
He declined to specify what form the new episodes would take. But Paramount also announced another prequel series, "1932," and Glasser said it's safe to think of the prequels together as an "anthology series," implying that more could be on the way.
"If you're a fan of the Dutton family and the saga bringing you to the current day [portrayed in 'Yellowstone'], what will come is that continued saga," he said.
Glasser said that Sheridan knows how "Yellowstone" will end, no matter how many seasons it continues for. And he had conceived of the 1800s history of the Dutton family when he first started writing "Yellowstone," long before "1883" was a reality.
"He knows every character and backstory," Glasser said. "He told me the 'Yellowstone' ending the day we started. When that happens, I don't know. But he knows where every character ends up."
"Yellowstone," which stars Kevin Costner as the powerful rancher John Dutton, concluded its fourth season in January and Paramount Network quickly renewed the series for season five. The season-four finale was viewed by 9.3 million viewers the day it aired, making it the biggest cable telecast since 2017.
The streaming rights to "Yellowstone" belong to NBCUniversal's Peacock, which nabbed them in 2020 before Paramount+ launched in March of 2021. But Paramount is still taking advantage of the show's popularity. Creator Taylor Sheridan recently renewed a lucrative deal with the company to make original series, including the "Yellowstone" spinoffs and "Mayor of Kingstown."
The strategy has paid off. Paramount+ said that "1883" was its biggest original-series debut yet when it premiered in December. The Paramount company added 9.4 million subscribers in Q4 2021 across its streaming platforms (which also includes Showtime), 80% of which came from Paramount+.
On the franchise's success, Glasser said that Sheridan, who grew up on a ranch in Texas, was able to tap into an audience he knows well.
"Taylor's a cowboy," he said. "His writing comes in the evenings. His days are spent being a rancher and farmer. He knows his audience well and he served up something that was for that audience."
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