Following the release of two spin-offs (Marshals and Dutton Ranch) in 2026, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone is now one of the biggest franchises on television. And it could have been even bigger. Lawmen and The Madison were originally conceptualized as Yellowstone spin-off series but were remodeled as standalone shows. There are now four spin-offs, which puts the neo-Western franchise in the same category as the mega worlds of NCIS, Law & Order, The Walking Dead, and Power.
Marshals and Dutton Ranch each cater to different sections of the Yellowstone fanbase. The former is for those who liked the original show’s thrills and violence, while the latter is for those who preferred the drama. As a fan of the original, I think that it’s better to watch both of them as each offers fresh insights into the chaotic adventures of the Duttons while painting a bigger picture of Montana. Interestingly, both shows have marked the end of a common franchise tradition.
Taylor Sheridan Didn’t Write Any of the 2026 ‘Yellowstone’ Spin-Offs
Taylor Sheridan is known to be very hands-on with his shows. He not only wrote all five seasons of Yellowstone, but he also penned the prequel spin-offs, 1883 and 1923. A look at Marshals’ credits reveals that the recently concluded Season 1 had six writers while Dutton Ranch has seven. Sheridan isn’t a showrunner on either series and is only credited as an executive producer. What’s going on? Is Mr. Paramount+ (and the future Mr. Peacock) finally getting tired? Although Sheridan has been opposed to the practice in the past, it’s interesting that he chose to have writers’ rooms for Marshals and Dutton Ranch. He believes his shows turn out better when he comes up with all the ideas.
In a previous interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Yellowstone creator said:
“I’m really interested in the dirty of the relationships in literally every scene. But when you hire a room that may not be motivated by those same qualities – and a writer always wants to take ownership of something they’re writing – and I give this directive, and they’re not feeling it, then they’re going to come up with their own qualities. So for me, writers rooms, they haven’t worked.”
So, why has Sheridan chosen to do something he doesn’t like? The super writer-producer is likely overwhelmed at the moment. From Landman to the upcoming Call of Duty movie, he has a lot on his plate. His empire has grown bigger than ever, which makes it impossible for him to handle everything. Even for Sheridan’s beloved Yellowstone franchise, delegating was inevitable. Sheridan also struck a deal with NBCUniversal to make movies and TV shows for the company starting in 2029. He’s presumably in the process of crafting new ideas for his future employer, which makes it impossible for him to focus on the Duttons and Montana.
Taylor Sheridan Is Right… Things Are Better When He Doesn’t Delegate
Marshals and Dutton Ranch aren’t the first Taylor Sheridan shows to use writers’ rooms. But the choice to do that for these two shows is eyebrow-raising, since they both cover areas where he is an expert. Previously, Sheridan delegated when the story didn’t involve cowboys and military personnel. Tulsa King and Mayor of Kingstown are great examples. However, Sheridan’s decision to handle most things by himself appears to be right. History proves that there is always chaos whenever he leaves the job to others. For example, despite Dutton Ranch’s glowing reviews, the showrunner, Chad Feehan, isn’t returning. Reports indicate that both Sheridan and the lead actors weren’t happy with how Feehan handled the production and completion of Season 1. Things seem to be okay in Marshals (for now), but the show had terrible reviews, suggesting that perhaps Sheridan should have written the episodes himself.
Similar problems have occurred over at Tulsa King. Celebrated writer Terence Winter (The Sopranos, The Wolf of Wall Street) has kept on breaking up and making up with Sheridan over the years due to creative differences. One season, he is the showrunner; the next season, he isn’t. It’ll be interesting to see if such problems continue to pop up in the future, considering that his empire is only going to get even bigger. It’s evident that things are better when he handles everything, but he just won’t be able to do that. Perhaps he should trust others and hope for the best.
