Taylor Sheridan is a lot of things — a tamer of horses, a prolific screenwriter, and a Paramount+ wunderkind. Crucially, he also has achieved the unthinkable: for his “1923” series, he corralled Harrison Ford into the world of television, an all but unexplored medium for the veteran actor. Not that Ford strictly thinks of “1923” in terms of television. “To me it doesn’t make any difference, it’s just where you see it really,” Ford told The Hollywood Reporter. “‘1923’ is really like a movie you can see at home if you want.”
The series certainly plays out as such. Starring Ford and equally inimitable screen actress Helen Mirren, “1923” serves as a prequel to “Yellowstone” and follows the trials and tribulations of Sheridan’s oft-explored Dutton family in Montana. Like “Yellowstone” before it, “1923” combines elements of westerns and soap operas.
“1923” may feel like a movie, but it plays out in eight distinct episodes covering the inner circle of Duttons and other characters in their orbit: Jacob (Ford) and his adversaries; Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves) and her harrowing experience at a Catholic boarding school; Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph) and Jack’s (Darren Mann) familial woes at home; and Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) and Alex’s (Julia Schlaepfer) romance abroad. All eight episodes range from 48 to 70 minutes long.
More episodes of 1923 are on the way
When Taylor Sheridan first cooked up “1923,” he envisioned the prequel series as a single-season venture, much like its predecessor, “1883,” which ended in such abrupt violence that it even shocked Paramount executives. For Sheridan, the upcoming second season of “1923” is really part two of his overall vision. The cast has all but confirmed that Season 2 will be the series’ final installment. “I think of it as one piece,” Brandon Sklenar told The Hollywood Reporter in a “1923” cast panel. “There’s just a split in the middle, but it’s all one piece.”
Season 2 of “1923” is on the way, and the show’s sophomore effort will also reportedly comprise eight episodes. When exactly those episodes will land, however, is still up in the air. Filming was set to begin sometime this year, but with potential production delays owing to the writers’ strike, fans may have to wait until 2024 to catch new episodes of “1923.” Sheridan, however, is nothing if not efficient. Shooting on Season 1 began in July 2022 and was out by that December.
Luckily for “1923” fans, there’s plenty more in the “Yellowstone” universe to tide them over until then. “1883” is streaming in full on Paramount+, as is the flagship series itself, which boasts over 50 episodes. The final installment of “Yellowstone” is also scheduled to premiere in November 2023. Plus, fans can look forward to the “Yellowstone” sequel series, which is already in the works.