Netflix adds classic series with 83% on Rotten Tomatoes — but you'll have to get through the first season

I knew there was a reason to stay signed up for Netflix! The streaming supergiant has taken a break from releasing its own originals to upload a modern classic show that you'll need to binge watch (at least Netflix UK has).

This show is Yellowstone which was added to Netflix UK's library on Thursday, January 30. Yes, that show Yellowstone, the one which has remained one of the biggest US shows ever since it debuted in 2018.

Yellowstone, if you've somehow never heard of it, is set in Montana on the Yellowstone ranch of the powerful Dutton family. It follows their attempts to maintain a hold on this family-run institution against political maneuvering, business deals to take it over and keep its borders protected against various threats.

Kevin Costner leads the charge as the patriarch John with Wes Bentley, Kelly Reilly and Luke Grimes all playing members of his family.

The show was a pretty huge deal for a few years as a gripping Western drama and has spawned numerous spin-offs including 1883, which looks at the founding of the ranch, and 1923 which shows the Dutton family weathering some tough years. More are in the works.

Yellowstone technically wrapped up its fifth and final season at the beginning of 2025 though fans are convinced that more series will come; it's not clear whether that's the case although signs point to the show following The Walking Dead's model in spinning off continuation shows of various characters.

If you're excited to watch the show on Netflix, just be warned: while the series' overall rating on Rotten Tomatoes is a glowing 83%, its first season sits at a rather less complimentary 58%. By all accounts (from both fans of the show, and detractors), the first season has a plodding pace which can put some watchers off. I can attest, I couldn't get through season 1.

If you can get through the first batch of episodes, though, it sounds like the show becomes a bona-fide sensation. Who knows, maybe its addition to Netflix will make me try again.

The various spin-offs aren't coming to Netflix; you'll need to sign up for Paramount Plus to watch them. That streaming service is also where Yellowstone was before coming to Netflix, and it remains on there too.

In the US the spin-offs are also on Paramount Plus but the main series isn't coming to Netflix. Instead, you can watch it on Peacock.