It’s no secret that “Yellowstone” is one of those once-in-a-decade types of shows that has everyone talking around the virtual water coolers. And while fans eagerly await what we now know to be the final episodes of the show’s critically-acclaimed run, “Yellowstone” has created an itch in viewers that just needs to be scratched now, and we can do that via similar type shows.
And sure, we could suggest other super popular series like “Ozark” and “Succession” that also include messy families involved with shady dealings, but odds are you’ve seen them already. And if not, you definitely should whether you like “Yellowstone” or not. These are just the facts. We could also recommend the two “Yellowstone” prequel series “1884” and “1923,” but that’s kind of a given if you’re already a fan of the original. But speaking of, fans who prefer those two offerings over the present day story will not be disappointed with this list either.
So let’s saddle up this bad boy and get going with the 15 best shows to watch while you wait for “Yellowstone” season five to return.
“Deadwood”
This popular HBO series is set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, following its growth from camp to town along with the area’s annexation by the Dakota Territory. With Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane leading the way as real-life Deadwood residents Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen, respectively, this show is driven by that same Wild West mentality that John Dutton still seems to be holding onto in “Yellowstone.” Airing for just three critically acclaimed seasons from 2004 to 2006, “Deadwood” notched eight Emmy wins on its way to eventually being considered one of the best shows ever, not to mention one of the best shows to be canceled too soon after a bit of an abrupt ending.
In an attempt to right that wrong, “Deadwood: The Movie” arrived 13 years after the series went off the air and was a satisfactory ending to the original story. Better late than never.
“Last American Cowboy”
If you’ve ever watched “Yellowstone” and wondered if ranches like that really still exist in Montana, well then this reality series from Animal Planet has your answer: Heck yes! It follows three cattle-ranching families in Montana as they deal with the day-to-day duties of life on a ranch, along with the bigger issues that come with the calving/selling seasons. The subjects include a small mom-and-pop operation, an old school ranch still using horseback and other traditional methods, and the state’s largest ranch where the owner has ditched his horse for a helicopter to look after the animals. And sure the drama isn’t quite as cut-throat as you’ll find watching “Yellowstone,” but the producers manage to milk it for plenty of tense and interesting moments.
“Blue Bloods”
Much like “Yellowstone,” this series features a respected veteran actor starring as the patriarch of a family where his kids are generally following in his footsteps in one way or another. Only this time it’s police work instead of ranching. Tom Selleck stars in this long-running CBS drama as police commissioner Frank Reagan, with Donnie Wahlberg as his police detective son, Will Estes as his beat cop son, and Bridget Moynahan as his daughter who is also an assistant district attorney. She’s no Beth Dutton, but she can definitely be a badass when she wants to. “Blue Bloods” is packed with plenty of family drama to go with its action and procedural elements, and is clearly doing a few things right as it has finished in the top ten in ratings six of the past seven years, and has been renewed through season 14 as of 2023.
“Big Sky”
The crime drama series “Big Sky” was created by storytelling mastermind David E. Kelly – who recently brought us “Big Little Lies” – and is based on C.J. Box’s “The Highway” book series. And if the title didn’t already give it away, this show takes place in the great state of Montana and delivers much of that scenery you’ve come to expect and love watching “Yellowstone.” This one follows a private detective and an ex-cop as they solve crimes throughout the state, starting with a series of child abductions at the hands of a truck driver. Katheryn Winnick and Kylie Bunbury are the main centerpieces for this ABC show, which also includes recurring stars like Jensen Ackles, Reba McEntire, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and Ryan Phillippe.
“Monarch”
Along with featuring Kevin Costner’s former “Bull Durham” co-star, Susan Sarandon, this show can be easily linked to “Yellowstone” because of its multigenerational family drama and the common theme of honoring and protecting the family name. Sarandon, along with real-life country star Trace Adkins, star as the reigning queen and king of country music whose reputation and legacy is put into danger. That leaves their kids – led by actress Anna Friel – to try and hold things together while also focusing on their own successes. “Monarch” only lasted one season for Fox and Hulu, but that was enough time to pack in plenty of big-name country music guest stars, and some pretty catchy original music to boot. Get it, boot?
“Justified”
Similar to “Yellowstone,” this one takes place in rural places with the kind of folks that tend to operate loosely with the law, and the likes of which you would only want to cross paths with under the most pleasant of circumstances. Developed by Graham Yost and based on stories by Elmore Leonard, this one stars Timothy Olyphant as U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, who has a tendency to enforce his own brand of Wild West-style justice where he operates in eastern Kentucky. This, of course, doesn’t go over well with the criminals he’s after or the bosses he answers to. But his way of doing things definitely worked for the rest of us considering “Justified” ran for six critically-acclaimed seasons and picked up eight Emmy nominations and two wins, going to guest stars Margo Martindale and Jeremy Davies. And hey, why let a good thing die? Because sure enough, seven years after the show ended, FX announced the Olyphant-led limited sequel series “Justified: City Primeval” will be arriving in mid-2023. And in looking at the show’s successes the first time around, you could say executives were certainly justified in bringing it back.
“Tulsa King”
Sure this crime drama series has a big-time leading man mostly known for films and it highlights an organization that leans into the criminal side of things, but for the biggest similarity between “Yellowstone” and “Tulsa King” look no further than Taylor Sheridan. The co-creator of “Yellowstone” is also the driving force behind “Tulsa King,” which stars Sylvester Stallone as a mafia capo who is handed Tulsa, Oklahoma after he’s released from a 25-year prison stint.
This marks Sly’s first starring role in a scripted series and he thoroughly impressed both fans and critics throughout the show’s first season on Paramount+. And to match Stallone’s commanding presence in front of the camera, Sheridan enlisted Terrance Winter as showrunner of the first season, who comes in with a resume that includes hit series like “The Sopranos” and “Boardwalk Empire.” And by the way, if you want yet another Sheridan creation on Paramount+ with an A-list leading man, you should also check out “Mayor of Kingstown” with Jeremy Renner.
“The Son”
This Western drama series is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Philipp Meyer, who also helped co-develop this project. The multi-generational tale stars Pierce Brosnan as Texas rancher Eli McCullough, who was raised by Comanches and who would go on to become a big-time cattle and oil baron. And as America is becoming a superpower, we watch as Eli goes from a hard-working family man to a cold and calculated killer, while trying to keep his empire intact for future generations. Definitely some “Yellowstone” vibes there. Interestingly, Sam Niel was originally supposed to star but he backed out, leaving the door open for Brosnan who hadn’t starred in a scripted series since his breakthrough role in “Remington Steel” in the early 1980s.
“Longmire”
Taking place out West in Absaroka County, Wyoming, this crime drama series is based on Craig Johnson’s best-selling mystery novels. It stars Australian actor Robert Taylor as Sheriff Walt Longmire, a man who is dedicated to his work but also hiding the pain of recently losing his wife. And along with the rural setting, this series beckons similarities to “Yellowstone” in how it showcases relationships between Native American characters and others. In fact, among the supporting cast is Lou Diamond Phillips as Henry Standing Bear, a close friend of Sheriff Longmire’s. Despite having a strong three-season start on A&E as one of its highest-rated shows ever, “Longmire” was ultimately not renewed there and instead went to Netflix for its remaining three seasons.
“Bloodline”
From the creators of the hit FX show “Damages,” “Bloodline” follows the Rayburn family in the Florida Keys where things revolve around the parents’ long-running business, a local inn – it’s like “Yellowstone” but with beaches instead of pastures. Eventually, though, the Rayburn’s status as hard-working pillars of the community is put to task when dark secrets from their past begin floating to the surface. The tight-knit group starts to fall apart and good people are forced to consider doing bad things as the tension and drama continue to build.
Among the praise for this Netflix original was plenty of love for the ensemble cast led by Kyle Chandler, who was joined by names like Sissy Spacek, Linda Cardellini, and Ben Mendelsohn, the latter of which was Emmy-nominated three times and picked up one win for his performance.
“Sons of Anarchy”
The number one reason to check out this crime drama series is because of Taylor Sheridan. But no, he wasn’t the creator of this one but rather a character on the show. With the story revolving around a biker gang in California, Charlie Hunam stars as Jax Teller, a biker struggling with balancing his involvement with his outlaw friends and being a father.
The impressive and revolving supporting cast includes names like Katey Sagal, Drea de Matteo, Maggie Siff, Ron Perlman, Jimmy Smits, and of course, the aforementioned Sheridan, who appeared in 21 episodes as a Deputy Police Chief named David Hale. It was the last recurring role for Sheridan in a series until he cast himself as the likable cowboy Travis Wheatley in “Yellowstone.”
“The Sopranos”
The hierarchy of The Dutton Yellowstone Ranch and their general way of doing business – intimidation, brute force, etc. – basically makes “Yellowstone” a mob story that just so happens to be set in rural Montana. But if you’re looking for an actual story about the mob, there’s no better TV show than “The Sopranos.” James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano is the centerpiece of this series as he juggles issues in both his real family and his work “family,” while seeing a therapist to try and help with panic attacks. The series was created by David Chase and ran for six seasons on HBO, racking up 111 Emmy nominations and 21 wins including Outstanding Drama Series and multiple Lead Actor and Actress awards for stars Gandolfini and Edie Falco.
“Hatfields and McCoys”
This three-part miniseries has plenty to please “Yellowstone” fans: a Western setting, feuds over land ownership, and a leading role occupied by Kevin Costner who plays Devil Anse Hatfield across from Bill Paxton’s Randall McCoy. The story dramatizes the famous and bloody feud between two families on the West Virginia/Kentucky border in the years following the civil war. The miniseries was a huge hit with fans and critics, earning 15 Emmy nominations and picking up five wins including Outstanding Lead Actor for Costner and Outstanding Supporting Actor for Tom Berenger. And by the way, Costner didn’t just star in this project he also served as a producer and even contributed some of the music via his band, Kevin Costner and Modern West. What can’t the man do?
“Joe Pickett”
Based on characters created by novelist C.J. Box, this neo-Western series blends crime and drama as it follows the life of a Wyoming game warden and his family in a small town near Yellowstone National Park. An ever-changing political and socio-economic climate amps up the drama in this one, which was initially released on Spectrum Originals and then later on Paramount+. Following strong performances in the show “For All Mankind” and the film “The Invisible Man,” New Zealand actor Michael Dorman stars as the titular character in this series. And while you’re sure to recognize a handful of other veteran actors popping up when season two comes out later this year, perhaps the most recognizable face you’ll see is that of David Alan Grier. Hey DAG!
“Outer Range”
One of the most common ways people describe this show is to call it ‘“Yellowstone,” but with sci-fi elements.” And, well, that’s absolutely true. Josh Brolin executive produces and stars in this one as Wyoming rancher Royal Abbott doing what ranchers do best – protecting his family and fighting for his land. And on top of the disappearance of his daughter-in-law and a rival family trying to take his land, things are made even more complicated when he discovers a mysterious black void in his pasture. Classic scenario. Joining Brolin is a cast that includes Imogen Poots, Noah Reid, and Lili Taylor, and after a well-received first season on Prime Video the show is set for a second campaign in the coming months.
