Netflix’sRansom Canyonshow looks a lot like Taylor Sheridan’s neo-WesternYellowstone, and it could be a good watch for fans of the series who need more cowboy action in the upcoming weeks while waiting for the screenwriter’s next offshoot.Ransom Canyoncomes fromWednesdaycreator April Blair and explores themes of love, family, and legacy. Netflix will release the new series on April 17, coming after the two-hour1923season 2finale, which will conclude the Dutton family’s Prohibition-era war on April 6.
Ransom Canyonis based onNew York Timesbest-selling author Jodi Thomas' seriesof the same name, advertised as “a family saga Western romance” (viajodithomas.com). It’s evident from the trailer that the series starringFriday Night Lights’Minka Kelly andTransformers' Josh Duhamelwill stay true to the book’s themes, with similarities to its contemporaries that are probably not coincidental. Sheridan’s Dutton TV shows have experienced outstanding viewership despiteYellowstoneseason 5, part 2’s divisive reception, and others are keen to replicate its success.
Ransom Canyon Is Very Much Netflix’s Answer To Yellowstone
Ransom Canyon Looks Like Yellowstone
Watching theRansom Canyontrailer,it’s obvious that the new series is Netflix’s answer toYellowstone.The show will follow Staten Kirkland, the protagonist of Thomas' original story. In the synopsis forRansom Canyon,Thomas calls Kirkland “the last descendant of Ransom Canyon’s founding father.” Therefore,Netflix’s new series tells the tale of a family’s ranching legacyin its last generation. TheRansom Canyoncharacters are akin to Kevin Costner’s John Dutton’s family, who fight to maintain their hold on the family’s land legacy until theYellowstoneseason 5 finale.
Minka Kelly plays Quinn O’Grady, set up as a potential love interest to Josh Duhamel’s Kirkland by the trailer. Yet whilethe ranch setting and cowboy themes look and sound a lot likeYellowstone,the show’s preview focuses primarily on its love stories, of which there are at least three. While love was a vital element of life for those living on theYellowstone Dutton Ranch, romance wasn’t the main draw of Sheridan’s show, which incorporates more elements of a traditional Western, comprising action and political drama to offset the romance.
Yellowstone’s Huge Influence On TV Is Evident In Shows Like Ransom Canyon
Netflix Wants Its Own Successful Contemporary Western Story
Regardless of the finer details that separate the series,Yellowstone’s influence is evident in shows likeRansom Canyonthat are keen to reproduce the modern Western’s success.Sheridan’s scripted seriesare known for revitalizing the genre with fresh neo-Western stories, which are subversive and give viewers a different picture of life in the American West. WhileRansom Canyonmay initially appear to be a carbon copy ofYellowstone,its release will determine whether it could actually be considered a match to Sheridan’s work, adding something new to the TV genre.
Ransom Canyonblends ranch life in Montana with the Texas sun and Friday night football games that distinguishLandman.
Sheridan has continued his legacy withLandman,and Netflix’s show also incorporates the Texas saga’s influence. Seen in the trailer,Ransom Canyonblends ranch life in Montana with the Texas sun and Friday night football games that distinguishLandman.That said, theRansom Canyonstory will need to be as innovative and provocative as Sheridan’s to truly compete. Still, Thomas’Ransom Canyonbook was published in 2015, three years beforeYellowstone’s 2018 debut. Viewers can trust that Netflix’s show will offer a story inspired wholly outside of Sheridan’s work.
Source: jodithomas.com
Ransom Canyon
Cast
Ransom Canyon is a drama set in a small Texas town, where tensions escalate as three ranching dynasties vie for land, legacy, and love.
Yellowstone
Yellowstone follows the Dutton family, led by patriarch John Dutton, as they defend their expansive ranch against external threats from land developers, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park. Released on August 14, 2025, this series examines the complex dynamics and violent conflicts surrounding the largest contiguous ranch in the United States.
