TV Guide has released its’ list of the “100 Best Shows on TV Right Now, and it’s no surprise to see Yellowstone make the cut. The show just announced cast additions for its’ fifth season and a second spinoff series, 1932, is on the way. And there’s plenty of Emmys buzz as nominations near.
Of the “100 Best Shows on TV Right Now?” TV Guide ranks Yellowstone 27th.
“Yellowstone Season 4 wasn’t Taylor Sheridan’s best work. But it was the moment when the Paramount Network’s modern western went from being a hit show to being a bona fide cultural phenomenon that everyone across the country gathered to watch together every Sunday night. It’s a hit in a way shows aren’t anymore, thanks to Sheridan’s distinctive writing, iconic characters like Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser), and its general ability to give people something they can’t get anywhere else. It’s an all-American crowd-pleaser that never fails to deliver big, bold moments.”
‘1883’ Tops ‘Yellowstone’
Mathews actually ranks 1883 one spot higher at number 26.
“Yes, 1883 ranks higher than the original series. Creator Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel spin-off revitalized the traditional western in a way TV hasn’t seen in decades. 1883 resurrects an ancient strain of western television that goes back to Wagon Train in the 1950s and turns it into a widescreen epic. 1883 tells a story about how the west became America seen through the eyes of young pioneer woman Elsa Dutton (Isabel May), who finds spiritual meaning in the freedom, beauty and brutality of frontier life. We can’t wait to see what Sheridan and David Oyelowo do with the story of legendary U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves in upcoming offshoot 1883: The Bass Reeves Story.”
Those are the words of Liam Mathews of TV Guide. Did he get it right?
Taylor Sheridan recently told CBS that Yellowstone nearly didn’t happen because everyone in Hollywood said that “Westerns are dead.” Sheridan is proving they are alive and well.
The Rest of the Top 100
Among other series notable to Outsiders that make the Top 100 is Ozark at number 39. Danielle Tuchiano says of the show, “What was impressive about Ozark was how the hit Netflix crime drama always managed to inject sly humor into twisted scenarios.”
Survivor is hanging in there at number 83 after 22 years and 42 seasons. Formula 1: Drive to Survive checks in at number 99. Outer Range lands at number 100. Of the latter, Tim Surette says, “The weirdest show to ride Yellowstone’s coattails is this western with sci-fi frills that stars Josh Brolin as a cowboy who finds a giant hole in his Wyoming pasture.”
TV Guide’s Top 5? 1. Abbott Elementary. 2. Better Call Saul. 3. Severance. 4. Succession. 5. Pachinko.
