1883 rides again, and this time you don't have to be a Paramount Plus subscriber to enjoy the entire Yellowstone prequel series. In what is sure to be one of the highlights of its summer TV schedule, Paramount Networks is airing all 10 episodes of 1883 on broadcast TV for the first time (the first two episodes did air on TV previously, but not the final eight), meaning it's free to watch if you have the channel as part of your TV setup.
The first two episodes of 1883 are going to air on Sunday, June 18 (a fitting Father's Day gift), at 8 pm ET/PT on Paramount Network. Each subsequent Sunday is going to feature another episode of the series, until the 1883 finale on (presumably) August 13.
Originally premiering in December 2021, with all 10 episodes written by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, 1883 follows the Dutton family as they make their way west with a wagon train from Texas in hopes of a brighter future. The series starred Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Sam Elliott, Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, Marc Rissman, James Landry Hébert and Gratiela Brancusi. The show was nominated for three Emmys for its epic score and cinematography.
The series, piggybacking on the massive fandom of Yellowstone, became an instant hit on Paramount Plus and led to the franchise's next prequel series, 1923, which stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren and is heading into its second season.
While the first two episodes of 1883 did air on TV, as have other Sheridan-created shows 1923 and Tulsa King to help drum up interest, this appears to be the first time that a Paramount Plus original series is going to be made available to watch in its entirety for non-subscribers.
Having 1883 air on Paramount Network may be a move to satisfy fans for the longer-than-expected wait for the second half of Yellowstone season 5. It was originally anticipated that Yellowstone would return in the summer after pausing season 5 in January, but reported scheduling conflicts with Kevin Costner came up and has pushed the planned final six episodes to a November debut. It was also announced that those episodes are going to mark the end of Yellowstone's run, though a Yellowstone sequel series is already in the works and apparently coming in December.
In order to watch 1883, you need to have access to Paramount Network. The cable channel is available through traditional pay-TV plans (always good to check if your plan carries it though), while you can also access the channel through live TV streaming services, including FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sing TV and YouTube TV.
