One Yellowstone Episode Ended Up On The 100 Most-Watched Telecasts Of 2023

It's a true testament to the popularity of "Yellowstone" that the Western series only aired one episode in all of 2023, and it was enough for the series to make it onto the most-watched primetime telecasts list, published by Variety.

Super Bowl LVII blew everything else out of the water, and "NCIS" was the most-watched scripted primetime TV series in terms of total hours viewed. However, "Yellowstone" made its mark, coming in at No. 52 on the list for Season 5, Episode 8 — "A Knife and No Coin" — which premiered on January 1, 2023. That airing on the Paramount Network garnered 11.4 million viewers. For context, the highest-ranking "NCIS" episode comes in at No. 55, so if "Yellowstone" had managed to air a complete season last year, it could've given the CBS procedural a run for its money. 

"Yellowstone" was more prominent on the 2022 list of most-watched telecasts. Six episodes ranked in the top 100, but it did have a bit of an edge due to strong showings from the Season 4 finale and the first few episodes of Season 5. And while 2023's list only had that one episode, the 2024 edition could have a lot more "Yellowstone," with the thrilling conclusion of Season 5 coming later in the year.

"Yellowstone" divided Season 5 into two sections. Part 1 aired between November 2022 and January 2023. In the modern era of content consumption, many people are used to waiting several years between seasons, but "Yellowstone" has found itself in the undesirable position of intense behind-the-scenes drama that has threatened to upend everything creator Taylor Sheridan has developed with the Dutton family. 

As if the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes weren't bad enough, Kevin Costner has been notoriously flaky on closing out the saga of John Dutton and his brood. As a result, it's unclear if Costner's character will appear all that much (if at all) for Season 5, Part 2. It's previously been reported that production on the final six episodes of "Yellowstone" should begin in the spring of 2024. That points to a quick turnaround, as "Yellowstone" Season 5, Part 2 is planning to premiere in November 2024. 

"Yellowstone" will march on with or without John Dutton so that fans can gain some semblance of closure. The question is what kind of ratings this drama will have for those six episodes. Some people may tune in out of morbid curiosity just to see how the show handles its lead character's potential absence. Or if Costner's gone for good, people may lose interest. "Yellowstone" will live on regardless due to its numerous spin-offs, but since those go directly to streaming, they don't qualify for Variety's most-watched telecasts list.