Taylor Sheridan has built a television empire with the Yellowstone franchise, and his latest spin-off, Marshals, continues to ride high—even if it can't quite outpace CBS's reigning crime thriller Tracker. The latest Nielsen ratings for the week of May 11 to May 17 show Marshals pulling in over 7 million viewers, trailing Tracker by fewer than 100,000. While the gap is narrow, it underscores the fierce competition between Sheridan's neo-western universe and the network's procedural juggernauts.
Marshals, which premiered on CBS on March 1, follows Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) as he steps into the role of a U.S. Marshal. Created by Spencer Hudnut, the series expands the Yellowstone mythology beyond the Dutton ranch, blending neo-western grit with a case-of-the-week format. Despite its strong viewership, the show has drawn mixed reviews, holding a 42% critics' score and a 27% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus calls it a "ham-fisted trek" that lacks the narrative spark of its predecessor.
Yet, critical reception hasn't dampened audience enthusiasm. According to FlixPatrol, Marshals is currently the number one show worldwide on Paramount+, proving that the Yellowstone faithful prefer to stream their neo-westerns on demand. This streaming dominance aligns with Sheridan's broader success on the platform, where the Yellowstone franchise keeps riding high, with both Marshals and Dutton Ranch dominating the charts.
Sheridan's influence extends far beyond Marshals. The Yellowstone universe now includes prequels like 1883 and 1923, both created by Sheridan, as well as Dutton Ranch, which was created by Chad Feehan. While Sheridan isn't directly involved in the network television spin-offs, his original vision continues to fuel the franchise's expansion. His creative partnership with Paramount has been lucrative, but it's evolving: his movie deal recently ended, and his streaming and television deal is set to expire in a couple of years. He's already looking ahead to a new partnership with NBCUniversal.
On the big screen, Sheridan is returning to theatricals with the action film F.A.S.T., directed by longtime collaborator Ben Richardson and starring 1923's Brandon Sklenar. He's also writing a Call of Duty adaptation for Paramount, set for a 2028 release and directed by Peter Berg. Meanwhile, his earlier work continues to resonate: Taylor Sheridan's 'Sicario' duo dominates global streaming, proving his neo-western and thriller instincts have lasting power.
The success of Marshals on streaming, despite its network ratings gap, highlights a key trend: audiences are increasingly choosing to binge Sheridan's neo-westerns on their own terms. As 'The Madison' proves neo-westerns are binge-worthy gold on Paramount+, the platform's library of Sheridan content remains a powerful draw. For now, Marshals may trail Tracker in linear ratings, but its streaming numbers suggest the neo-western genre has plenty of life left.
Stay tuned to ShowtimeSpot for more updates on Taylor Sheridan's expanding universe and the latest in entertainment news.
