There couldn’t be two less likely candidates to have overlapping audiences than the respective series launches that occurred in prime time last night. On the ancient-skewing CBS, with the compromised 60 MINUTES as a lead-in, was the latest entry into the YELLOWSTONE-verse–and the first that actually was premiering on what used to be called a broadcast network. On the far more progressive and legacy Sunday night destination still thankfully known as HBO was a brand spanking new limited series with a titillating storyline that certainly sought to take advantage of its lead-in–the season finale of the increasingly uptrending but still nichy British import INDUSTRY. In theory, it was possible to watch them back-to-back, though only an exceptionally TV-addicted person would probably do so. Well, I’ll own up to that characterization.
CBS’ MARSHALS–the only new scripted drama the network is attempting to launch this spring–has its storyline and pedigree deeply embedded with the Dutton family that propelled Taylor Sheridan to becoming a corporate savior, practically single-handedly propping up the linear afterthought Paramount Network (it still exists, though you’re forgiven if you forgot) and two struggling streaming services–direct competitor Peacock, which tremendously benefitted from the distribution division’s opportunistic back-end sale at a time when its own response to Netflix was still being figured out, and the eventual solution, Paramount Plus, whose raison d’etre was pretty much every other idea Sheridan pitched. MARSHALS is indeed a direct spinoff from this era, which gives it the truest tentacles to the phenomenon that was the Kevin Costner-fronted series. But unlike Sheridan’s most recent efforts, which were buoyed by the presence of other true theatrical legends including Harrison Ford and Sylvester Stallone, this relies more on folks much more recognizable from current efforts–most notably YELLOWSTONE itself.
As SCREEN RANT’s Emma McKenna previewed yesterday: