“Feels So Middle America”: Yellowstone Creator Details HBO’s Brutal Rejection Of Hit Western Show
Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan details HBO’s brutally dismissive rejection of what eventually became the mega-hit Western franchise.
Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan recounts HBO’s brutal rejection of the now mega-hit Western franchise. Focusing on the Dutton family as the owners of the largest ranch in Montana, Yellowstone has emerged as an enviable success in a television landscape with relatively few. Its most recent season 5 premiere drew more than 12 million viewers, building upon previous popularity and inspiring other networks and streamers to try their hand at the Western genre. Sheridan’s flagship series has also led to spinoffs and prequels, headlined by the likes of Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Hollywood Reporter, in which Sheridan also discussed the ongoing issues with Yellowstone star Kevin Costner, the franchise creator mentions that the show could have ended up on HBO. Sheridan recalls attending lunch at an upscale place in West L.A. Yellowstone co-creator John Linson directly asked an unnamed HBO vice president why they didn’t want to make the show. Read the response below:
“We go to lunch in some snazzy place in West L.A. And [Yellowstone co-creator] John Linson finally asks: ‘Why don’t you want to make it?’ And the vp goes: ‘Look, it just feels so Middle America. We’re HBO, we’re avant-garde, we’re trendsetters. This feels like a step backward. And frankly, I’ve got to be honest, I don’t think anyone should be living out there [in rural Montana]. It should be a park or something.’ “
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Yellowstone Has A Lot In Common With A Few HBO Dramas
Despite its setting and genre, Yellowstone shares commonalities with Succession. Though the tone and focus are different, both are bombastic dramas that revolve around dysfunctional family dynamics. Though that is a general descriptor that even partially applies to HBO’s Righteous Gemstones, it highlights how the HBO executive responded to Sheridan’s retelling with prejudice about the location and thrust of the narrative.
It’s not the first time Yellowstone‘s lack of consideration has sparked discussion. The franchise has only recently joined the conversation for major awards, being nominated for its first Emmy in 2021 for its production design. The counterargument is that, as one of the most popular TV shows, making a mega-producer out of Sheridan and revitalizing the Western genre, Yellowstone doesn’t need the awards acclaim that could potentially boost a smaller and underseen show.
Sheridan’s recollection may spark a conversation about the elitism and dismissiveness in the HBO VP’s response. That’s a much bigger conversation sparking classism and what cultural tastes reveal about more serious divides. It’s even something Sheridan himself has already addressed, bluntly rejecting simplistic ideas about Yellowstone‘s themes.
