Why Taylor Sheridan's Next Yellowstone Spin-Offs & Original Shows Might Disappoint Fans

Taylor Sheridan is one of the most prolific creators working in Hollywood today. Known best as the creator of the ever-expanding "Yellowstone" franchise, the writer/director/actor/producer has made a name for himself as a man who knows how to craft a hit. His empire now spans a full universe of shows and several other original creations, which have become the cornerstone of the Paramount+ streaming service. But fans of Sheridan's work may not like what's on the horizon, as he may soon have to make some big compromises.

In a recent report from Puck, it's explained that Paramount is soon planning to license some of Paramount+ shows to other streamers/networks. This includes Sheridan's hits. This all comes amidst the Skydance merger with Paramount, which was announced last year. New leadership means changes. Netflix, Amazon, and Max were all said to be interested in the package that Paramount is putting together. That sounds like a good thing for Sheridan and fans of his work, right?

Here's where it gets tricky. The licensing of these shows is all about generating more revenue for the company. To that end, Skydance CEO David Ellison and his new head of streaming, Cindy Holland, are reportedly also seeking to make shows cheaper to further solidify the company's balance sheet. The report indicates they want to produce shows for around $9 million per episode. Currently, Sheridan's shows, which also include Sylvester Stallone's "Tulsa King," cost between $12 million and $16 million an episode. Therein lies the problem.

Sheridan is valuable to Paramount, but he's also not immune to the desires of the new regime. If they want shows to be made more cheaply, Sheridan may well have to bend to that. For fans, that may mean fewer big stars, smaller-scale productions, and/or less production value on the upcoming "Yellowstone" spin-offs or Sheridan's other originals. 

"Landman" has already been renewed for season 2, with more "Tulsa King" and "Mayor of Kingstown" also on the way. Not to mention "Lioness," and that's to say nothing of the "Yellowstone" spin-off shows, such as the recently announced Kayce Dutton procedural in the works for CBS, among others. The point is, Sheridan has a lot of shows on the air right now, and at $12 to $16 million per episode, that really adds up.

If Paramount could somehow cut down on those costs while maintaining strong viewership, it's easy to see the appeal. The trick is they also have to keep Sheridan happy, which might be tough. The report notes that Sheridan "is said to not be thrilled that the incoming Paramount regime is already looking at leveraging his hits to shore up weaknesses elsewhere." So, they're already not starting off on a good foot.

The fact of the matter is that most of Sheridan's shows wind up on the most-streamed watch charts, despite the fact that Paramount+ has far fewer subscribers than Netflix, Amazon, or even Max. The report also notes that Sheridan's deal with Paramount is up in 2028. Could he move somewhere else in a few years? Mike Flanagan ("The Haunting of Hill House") moved from Netflix to Amazon. Why not Sheridan? That's something Paramount needs to consider in all of this.

In the meantime, fans need to hope that Paramount doesn't sacrifice quality in the interest of savings too much. There is a balance to be struck here. The media landscape is more uncertain than it's arguably ever been. Being cost-effective seems wise. At the same time, going so far as to make a given show look like a cheap imitation of itself isn't wise, either. We'll have to see how this all shakes out in the coming months/years.

You can grab "Yellowstone: The Dutton Legacy Collection" on DVD or Blu-ray from Amazon.