Forget Dutton Ranch, Kurt Russell's 6-Hour Western Is Yellowstone's True Replacement Series

Published Nov 13, 2026, 10:00 AM EST Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts. Forget about Dutton Ranch, because Kurt Russell's emotional, six-hour Western is Yellowstone's real replacement. Taylor Sheridan's TV shows include a number of spinoffs centered around his Western TV series. This includes two prequels, 1883 and 1923, both set in their respective eras and following past members of the Dutton family. There's also the two spinoffs that have come out since the end of Yellowstone, those being Marshals, following Kayce as he works with Montana's US Marshals, and Dutton Ranch, which sees Beth and Rip building a new home in South Texas. But Sheridan's shared Western universe isn't his only intersection with the genre, having created a number of other popular stories that situate Western ideas into modern times. One of his most popular is Landman, starring Billy Bob Thornton, which blends Western action, business tensions, and family drama all into one. But the show stands on its own, away from the trappings of Yellowstone's setting. Instead, there's one other Western, starring Kurt Russell, that's become the perfect replacement for Sheridan's main franchise. That Western is The Madison, a family drama created by Sheridan that began on Paramount+ in 2026. The show follows Stacy Clyburn (Michelle Pfeiffer), matriarch of the Clyburn family based out of New York City. Following the death of her husband, Preston (Russell), in a plane crash, her family relocates to his Montana property near the Madison River to heal from their grief. Russell appears throughout the show in emotional flashback sequences. The show's setup is already Yellowstone in nature, but its future is where that comparison will become clearer. The Madison originally began production as a Yellowstone spinoff before it premiered as a standalone series. The Madison Season 2 Will Become Even More Like Yellowstone's Early Years The Madison season 1 laid the groundwork for the show, focusing on the family dynamics of the Clyburns as everyone deals with the grief of losing Preston in different ways. However, Stacy's decades-long connection to him is at the forefront, especially with the series' many flashback sequences. The show grounds itself in an emotional family drama presentation that makes it stand out from Sheridan's other shows. But, based on the end of The Madison season 1, the series might become closer to Yellowstone in season 2. By the time credits roll on season 1 of the Western family drama, Stacy has decided to stay in Montana despite the life she was leading in New York City. She's planning to build something in her new home to cope with the grief of losing her husband. This includes doing so with some of her family members, something that echoes early seasons of Yellowstone in the process. Russell has also teased major twists in The Madison season 2, further indicating there will be plenty of unexpected developments in the episodes to come. The Madison Is More Yellowstone-Like Than Dutton Ranch & Other Spinoffs Although it deals with a completely different set of circumstances, The Madison is actually more like Yellowstone than the series' official spinoffs. The Russell-led series puts its family dynamic first, with tension, conflict, and togetherness abounding in the shadow of grief. In the meantime, Marshals is more of a procedural series with a Western coat of paint, as Kayce and his crew deal with threats to Montana each week. Dutton Ranch is more Yellowstone defined, but mostly centers on Beth and Rip instead of a larger family dynamic. This makes The Madison a perfect replacement for the Western franchise. Even if it doesn't share the same Dutton blood as other series do, the family dynamic is a clear parallel to Yellowstone that makes it engaging and powerful. By coming at its premise from a place of grief and family bonds, it helps make the Western series just different enough so it doesn't retread anything the franchise has done. It stands on its own, while also being a perfect replacement. Release Date March 14, 2026 Network Paramount+ Showrunner Taylor Sheridan Cast Michelle Pfeiffer Stacy Clyburn Directors Christina Alexandra Voros Creator(s) Taylor Sheridan