Following the premiere of its fifth season, the critically acclaimed neo-Western drama Yellowstone has once again broken rating records across all target groups.
Over 12.1 million viewers tuned in to watch the opening of Season 5 of the series that was produced by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson on Sunday, November 13. This represents a significant increase in viewership compared to the previous season.
12.1 Million people tuned in to watch the season debut of the ‘anti-woke’ neo-Western thriller The Yellowstone on the Paramount Network. This result sets a new record for the network in terms of viewership.
The highly anticipated first episode of the series, which starred Kevin Costner, 67, as the patriarch of the Dutton family, also featured a tragedy that befell the Dutton family in the form of a car accident. Additionally, the episode explored potential issues for the new governor with the nearby national park and his conflicted son Jamie Dutton, who was portrayed by Wes Bentley.
Most Viewers Are Under The Age of 50
Despite airing on the Paramount Network, Yellowstone had the most number of viewers under the age of 50 of any show that didn’t involve the National Football League in 2017. It even beat out all of the series that was broadcast on the other networks.
Some reviewers have referred to the show as “anti-woke,” and earlier this year, it was acknowledged by the Screen Actors Guild Awards with a nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
The series showed signs of being at the top of the ratings in all demographic categories, with a gain of 52 percent among people in the age range of 18 to 34.
The premiere of Yellowstone Season 5 attracted a record-breaking 12.1 million viewers, which is an increase over the previous record of 11.2 million viewers which was set by the first episode of Yellowstone Season 4.
This number was arrived at by tallying together the totals for the Paramount Network, CMT, TV Land, and Pop. After that, the premiere was shown again on Sunday, this time on all four networks for a total of two times.
The sitcom has been a huge hit for the relatively obscure cable channel Paramount Network which is sometimes referred to as a niche channel.
Why Critics Call It Anti-Woke?
The series, which has been termed “anti-woke” by some critics, was finally recognized by the SAG Awards earlier this year; nevertheless, it continues to be absolutely hated by the Emmys, with some believing that this is because of the reputation of the show as being conservative.
The show was described as a “conservative fantasy liberals should watch” by the New York Times, while a critical review published in The Guardian referred to it as “Game of Thrones placed on a ranch.”
A mere six years ago, the New York Post labeled the Sheridan-written Jeff Bridges film Hell or High Water as being “nearly undone by its Marxist leanings.” This is a far cry from the time when the New York Post made this assessment.
The Season 5 premiere of Yellowstone has set a new ratings record for the series with 12.1 million viewers. https://t.co/aTKSOHhvfd
— IGN (@IGN) November 15, 2022
The members of the cast have stated that the acknowledgment they receive from the show’s ever-expanding fan base is the real award, and they have dismissed the numerous snubs that have been directed their way.
Despite the fact that the show did not walk away with a trophy, Kelsey Asbille, who plays the role of Monica Dutton, stated that it was a wonderful experience to be there with their colleagues from the industry.
She made the statement that “being at the SAG awards altogether was very meaningful,” but added that “awards are obviously not what it’s all about.” “This is a fantastic job, and we couldn’t be happier to be here,” they said.
In the meantime, Jefferson White who plays the role of Jimmy Hurdstrom on the show, has remarked that he hopes that things will turn around for the show with the premiere of season five.
He elaborated, saying, “I love these performers, and I think they are doing wonderful work. I hope this season gets accolades because of both of those reasons.”
I hope that other people recognize that, but also it really is true that the fan’s response to it is the recognition that these actors deserve, and we are so lucky to have that. Wes Bentley, who plays Jamie Dutton, stated the following at the season five premiere: ‘I personally don’t think awards validate anything.
“As they say, that is an honor: nevertheless, as far as it saying if we are doing anything good or not, that is not what that is…”
He went on to say that many shows don’t receive the recognition they deserve, while many others do receive it despite not being deserving of it. It all comes down to the consensus of each individual academic institution.
“I am confident that we have been successful because there are so many people viewing it.” The conversations I have with fans are far more in-depth than those I have with other people.
Gil Birmingham who plays Tribal Chairman Thomas Rainwater and is also in the cast, agreed with him and added, “Hollywood is a fickle beast.” I believe that it is more significant that we have won over the minds and hearts of the people in the audience and the people who are our admirers.
Despite the fact that the show did not walk away with a trophy, Kelsey Asbille, who plays the role of Monica Dutton, stated that it was a wonderful experience to be there with their colleagues from the industry.
She made the statement that “being at the SAG awards altogether was very meaningful,” but added that “awards are obviously not what it’s all about.” “This is a fantastic job, and we couldn’t be happier to be here,” they said.
Final Words
In the meantime, Jefferson White, who plays the role of Jimmy Hurdstrom on the show, has remarked that he hopes that things will turn around for the show with the premiere of season five.
He elaborated, saying, “I love these performers, and I think they are doing wonderful work. I hope this season gets accolades because of both of those reasons.”
“I hope that other people recognize that, but it really is true that the fan’s response to it is the acknowledgment that these performers deserve, and we are so happy to have it,” she said. “I hope that other people understand that.”