1883 Looks Like The Hit Paramount+ Needed

The new Paramount+ series "1883" debuted this weekend, and according to Deadline, it set a record for the streamer's most watched original series premiere. The "Yellowstone" prequel from Taylor Sheridan more than doubled the previous record across all the service's platforms. As the report states, it followed the airing of "Yellowstone" on Sunday, December 19, 2021 and nabbed 4.9 million total viewers in Live+Same Day in the Nielsen ratings. Pretty great, and well-deserved.

If you're not familiar with the series, "1883" tells the tale of the ancestors of the Dutton family of "Yellowstone" fame as they travel in covered wagons from Texas to Montana where they finally settle. The series stars Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Isabel May, Sam Elliott, LaMonica Garrett, Audie Rick, Marc Rissmann, Eric Nelsen and James Landry Hébert, and has cameos from Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Hanks. If you want to jump in, we have a handy dandy character guide for you, straight from the mouths of the actors on the red carpet for the premiere and the press junket.

"1883" reportedly retained 65% of its "Yellowstone" lead-in, and if you haven't watched it yet, you absolutely should. I've seen the first three episodes, and I'm totally hooked. Particularly of note is relative newcomer Isabel May, who plays the young Elsa Dutton. Her vitality and almost-modern joy in adventure are wonderful to watch and gives the viewer another reason why so many people braved this perilous journey. 

LaMonica Garrett and Sam Elliott as brothers in arms are a powerful duo too. Just read what they have to say about each other's roles in our character guide. It's a friendship for the ages between a former Buffalo Soldier and his Captain, who now work for the Pinkerton Agency in Texas. The series also highlights the struggles of immigrants from Europe who often took the journey West with little to no preparation for what was ahead. 

"1883" is just the latest Taylor Sheridan offering on Paramount+, with "The Mayor of Kingstown" starring Jeremy Renner currently airing in addition to "Yellowstone." 

"The results of 1883's debut are truly phenomenal," said Tanya Giles, Chief Programming Officer, ViacomCBS Streaming said. "The day 1 streaming numbers coupled with the results of the linear sampling effort, and social response from our audience show the tremendous promise for this series."

Have you watched "1883" yet? Let us know what you thought @slashfilm.