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The Triumph and Tragedy of ‘Yellowstone’

The story of Yellowstone is the story of modern Hollywood—complete with all the egos, dysfunction, botched strategy pivots, the #metoo movement, and, despite it all, incredible creative execution and financial windfalls. Here’s what actually happened, according to multiple sources close to the show.

Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan
Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Matthew Belloni
January 7, 2022

In the Hollywood of 2022, even the runaway hits can cause bouts of anxiety. Just ask Shari Redstone. Her ViacomCBS possesses a truly miraculous property in Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan’s soapy western that finished its fourth season this week as not only the most-watched series on linear cable; it’s pretty much the only thing in all of scripted television that is growing its audience year-over-year. The finale rose to 9.3 million same-day viewers—a crazy 81 percent increase from last season. If only Redstone cared about her cable TV business.