Keeping up with the Dutton family! Fans have been hooked on Yellowstone since its 2018 premiere — in part due to the wild, wild, west that it explores.
While the Paramount Network series has been slighted by awards shows and voters — it has only earned one Emmy nomination since its start — more than 11 million people watched the show’s season 4 finale in January.
What makes Yellowstone so popular? The Kevin Costner-led show is a compelling mix of soapy melodrama and a gritty modern cowboy story. It also stars Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton, Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton, Wes Bentley as Jamie Dutton and Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler.
“The foot is still down on the gas pedal,” Costner exclusively told Us Weekly at the Paramount Upfronts in May 2022 of the show’s future. “It’s holding up the way the first four seasons did. So, I was really happy about that.”
The Oscar winner continued: “I feel like we’re going the right direction. It’s not so easy to catch a high point. It’s not so easy to stay there. And I think the writing is really staying at a level that’s important.”
Viewers far and wide seem to agree having latched onto the Dutton family’s story, which surrounds their life on a large cattle ranch in Montana. The drama has since inspired several spinoffs by creator Taylor Sheridan, including 2021’s 1883, which stars Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Sam Elliott and Isabel May, and the upcoming series 1923, 6666 and 1883: The Bass Reeves Story.
Sheridan’s take on the modern-day western is certainly catching on and Yellowstone’s incredible scenery has furthered fan’s love of the show, which is gearing up for season 5.
“At the end of the day, to go to some of these locations where most people have never been, where you’re opening up a new world, and all of these places or characters in the story, to me, it’s fascinating,” Sheridan told Deadline in January 2022.
Many of the locations he speaks of are actually situated in the western United States, which helps bring authenticity to the episodes.
Instead of the usual Los Angeles soundstage, Yellowstone films throughout Montana. For example, the Dutton Ranch shoots in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley not far from Yellowstone National Park.
Fans of the Paramount hit can road trip from one show haunt to another by following Us’ Yellowstone location guide below: