Yellowstone, which has already aired four and a half seasons, is a proven hit, with the cable western airing on Paramount Network and drawing big ratings numbers. But it now is going to have the chance to reach its largest audience ever as it is set to debut as part of CBS's 2023 fall TV schedule.
With writers and actors' currently on strike for a new labor agreement with studios, CBS's usual lineup of hit scripted shows aren't able to air new seasons in fall 2023. This includes NCIS season 21, Blue Bloods season 14, Fire Country season 2, Young Sheldon season 7, as well as new shows like Matlock and Elsbeth. While popular reality shows like Big Brother season 25, Survivor season 45 and The Amazing Race season 35 and more are going to be new, Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone is riding in to help fill things out.
Here is everything that you need to know about Yellowstone season 1's CBS debut.
Yellowstone season 1 CBS release date
Yellowstone makes its broadcast TV debut on Sunday, September 17 at 8:30 pm ET/PT. The series premiere is a two-hour episode, so it will run until 10:30 pm ET/PT.
Yellowstone will then be a fixture on Sunday nights for CBS, though how many episodes and at what time is going to depend on the NFL on CBS schedule. If CBS stations are only showing one NFL game in a given week, then Yellowstone will air two episodes back-to-back at 8 pm ET/PT and 9 pm ET/PT. If CBS has a doubleheader, then only a single episode of Yellowstone will air at 9 pm ET/PT. In any case, Yellowstone airs after 60 Minutes on CBS every Sunday.
Yellowstone season 1 has nine total episodes. It has not been confirmed by CBS if they plan to show additional Yellowstone seasons should it be needed after airing all the season 1 episodes.
This will be one way for Yellowstone fans to get their fix of the show this fall, as it seems all but certain the second half of Yellowstone season 5, the series' final batch of episodes, are not going to air this year as originally planned.
Yellowstone season 1 plot
Yellowstone follows the Dutton family, who own one of the largest continuous ranches in the US, and have to fight to protect it from a wide range of enemies. Here is the official synopsis for Yellowstone season 1:
"Yellowstone stars Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Kevin Costner as John Dutton, the patriarch of a powerful, complicated family of ranchers. A sixth-generation homesteader and devoted father, Dutton controls the largest contiguous ranch in the United States. He operates in a corrupt world where politicians are compromised by influential oil and lumber corporations and land grabs make developers billions. Amid shifting alliances, unsolved murders, open wounds and hard-earned respect, Dutton’s property is in constant conflict with those it borders — an expanding town, an Indian reservation and America’s first national park."
This is just the first part of what has become an expanding story. In addition to the five seasons of Yellowstone, there are two prequel series, 1883 and 1923, that have introduced us to more of the Dutton family tree.
Yellowstone season 1 cast
Here is the cast of characters that you are going to need to know for Yellowstone season 1:
- Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves, The Bodyguard) as John Dutton
- Luke Grimes (Happiness for Beginners, Fifty Shades of Grey) as Kayce Dutton
- Kelly Reilly (A Haunting in Venice, Calvary) as Beth Dutton
- Wes Bentley (The Hunger Games, American Horror Story) as Jamie Dutton
- Cole Hauser (Rogue, Good Will Hunting) as Rip Wheeler
- Kelsey Asbille (Fargo, Wind River) as Monica Dutton
- Gil Birmingham (Under the Banner of Heaven, Animal Kingdom) as Thomas Rainwater
- Jefferson White (Blindspot, God's Country) as Jimmy Hurdstrom
- Danny Huston (Succession, Wonder Woman) as Dan Jenkins
- Brecken Merrill (This Is Us) as Tate Dutton
- Wendy Moniz (FBI: Most Wanted, House of Cards) as Governor Lynelle Perry
- Forrie J. Smith (Dead Man's Hand) as Lloyd Pierce
- Ian Bohe (Teen Wolf) as Ryan
- Denim Richards (Good Trouble) as Colby
- Mo Brings Plenty (Jurassic World: Dominion, The Good Lord Bird) as Mo
Yellowstone season 1 trailer
Watch one of the first trailers for Yellowstone season 1 directly below:
How to watch Yellowstone
With Yellowstone season 1 coming to CBS, the show becomes more widely accessible than it ever has before. As long as you have a traditional pay-TV subscription, a TV antenna or a live TV streaming service that carries CBS (Fubo, Hulu with Live TV or YouTube TV), then you can watch when it airs live on CBS.
If you watch the show on CBS and then get the itch to find out what happens with later seasons, you can catch up with Yellowstone by streaming everything through the first half of season 5 on Peacock. Rerun episodes also air on Paramount Network, so if you have DVR capability you can record those and watch at your convenience.
