Cliff Notes – Series praised as ‘best ever made’ now available to stream on Netflix

Streaming Availability: The acclaimed series 1883, a prequel to Yellowstone, is now available for streaming on Netflix UK, having first aired in 2021 on Paramount+.
Critical Acclaim: The series has received an impressive 89% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes, surpassing Yellowstone‘s score of 83%, with fans praising its storytelling and cinematography.
Cast and Cameos: Starring real-life couple Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, 1883 features notable cameos from Tom Hanks and Billy Bob Thornton, enhancing its appeal to viewers.

Series praised as ‘best ever made’ now available to stream on Netflix

A series dubbed by some as the ‘best ever made’ has been made available for streaming on Netflix UK.

Created by series mastermind Taylor Sheridan, the American Western 1883 is the first of two prequels to fan favourite TV show Yellowstone, and first aired in 2021 on Paramount+.

Following the Dutton family on their journey through the Great Plains of America, the show stars real-life couple Faith Hill and Tim McGraw as James and Margaret Dutton.

Leaving the poverty of Texas behind, the pair seek pastures new – accompanied by former military captain Shea Brennan (a tough-as-nails Sam Elliot).

Like Yellowstone, 1883 was released to great critical and fan acclaim, spanning ten episodes in its single-season run.

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With 1883 first dropping on Netflix earlier this year, viewers can delve into the first chapter of the Duttons’ story now.

Sam Elliot stars in Yellowstone prequel 1883 (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)

Tim McGraw stars along with real-life wife Faith Hill (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)

1883 currently boasts an 89% positive score from critics on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes – beating Yellowstone’s own combined score of 83%.

Fans have praised the show since its release, with X user SuperDuperGreen describing it as ‘by far, the best show ever made.’

In a lengthy tweet, this user went on to call it a ‘truly inspiring, beautiful and sad story.’

‘This is about as good as TV could ever get,’ said Rotten Tomatoes user Clive E. ‘Beautifully filmed, brutal but never gratuitously so.’

‘This one’s a brutal ride through the wild west. The struggle, the sheer brutality of the time, it all hits you like a freight train,’ said Fair Dinkum C.

Sharon W wrote: ‘It is an intricate tale of loss and determination. I was entranced from start to finish.’

Country musician Faith Hill plays frontier woman Margaret Dutton (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)

In addition to its principal cast, the series also included cameos from Tom Hanks and Billy Bob Thornton as General George Meade and Marshal Jim Courtright, respectively.

Hanks’ wife, Rita Wilson, also makes a guest appearance as Carolyn, a local storekeeper.

1883 was followed by 1923 a few years later, which ran for two seasons and starred Harrison Ford as James’s older brother, Jacob, and Helen Mirren as his wife, Cara.

Yellowstone culminated with its fifth season last year, although its story is set to continue with spin-offs 1944, The Madison, Y-Marshals and Dutton Ranch.

Former James Bond Timothy Dalton also appears in its sequel, 1923 (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)

Reflecting on the often gruelling experience of filming 1883, star Sam Elliot told The Hollywood Reporter: ‘Everybody suffered — on all sides of the camera — everyone who was there.’

‘That Montana weather cut right through you no matter what you had on,’ agreed LaMonica Garrett, who plays Pinkerton agent Thomas.

‘Add a legit 1883 corset to that!’ laughed Hill. ‘And then try to go to the restroom. We became very friendly pretty much the first week of filming. All bets are off. If you gotta go, you go find a tree and make it happen.’

Actor LaMonica Garrett struggled with the fearsome frontier weather (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)

However, making a period Western wasn’t without its own rewards.

‘The great reward is we got do something really special and people responded to it,’ said Power of the Dog star Elliot.

‘It’s been a long time since a good period Western had been done. And I don’t think one has ever been done that had so many truths come to the surface. It brought a whole other reality to that genre.’