Why Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone Spin-Off Show 6666 Will 'Never' Happen

Taylor Sheridan's "Yellowstone" juggernaut will continue expanding, until either morale improves or the heat death of the universe finally arrives (whichever comes first), but at least one proposed spin-off series is officially no more. The writing has been on the wall for "6666" for quite some time now, as the possibility was first teed up back in Season 4 of "Yellowstone" and received very little in the way of updates since then. That wasn't for a lack of trying, however, as young and troubled rancher Jimmy Hurdstrom (Jefferson White) was sent packing for the greener pastures of Texas to work at the so-called Four Sixes Ranch (based on a real, historical, Texas ranch). At one point, the plan seemed to be for him, his lover Emily (Kathryn Kelly), and possibly Teeter (Jennifer Landon) to headline the new series. Unfortunately, that no longer appears to be the case.

The disappointing news comes straight from the horse's mouth, as Sheridan recently made an appearance on the Rodeo Time podcast (via Deadline). When the topic of "6666" came up, the "Yellowstone" creator definitively shot that idea down without even missing a beat, stating:

"There's never going to be [a Four Sixes spin-off]. I would never fictionalize that ranch [...] People thought that that was going to be [made], but I would never do that."

Sheridan's reasoning, however, makes plenty of sense.

It's tough to blame fans for assuming that a "6666" spin-off series would happen, joining several prior four-digit franchise expansions like "1883" and "1923" (and non-numbered ones, such as "Marshals" and "Dutton Ranch"). As Taylor Sheridan himself goes on to mention in his podcast appearance with Rodeo Time, the potential was certainly there through the volatile character of Jimmy. "I've actually got on my computer all the scenes of Jimmy at the Four Sixes, pulled out and strung together, and it makes its own perfect little movie. You watch him go there as this misfit, and leave a man and a respected cowboy."

So what gives? As it turns out, Sheridan was deeply uncomfortable with the idea of taking an actual ranch — where people live and work to this day (and which Sheridan actually ended up purchasing in 2021) — and inventing characters and stories just for the sake of filling out a new show. He explained:

"To me, if I was going to try and make some kind of a show about the Four Sixes, now I'm making up lives, now I have to invent a drama. We can't just watch some kid learn how to rope every single episode. So now I'm trivializing and fictionalizing something where real people work and they raise their families there. And I could never do that to them. I could never do that to the cowboys who've dedicated themselves and everybody that works at that ranch."

As a storyteller so invested in authenticity, it's easy to see why this would be a bridge too far for him. Sheridan has left Paramount in favor of NBCUniversal, but for "Yellowstone," the universe continues — even without "6666" on its roster.