Once upon a time, there existed a mighty young western called Yellowstone, and from its building successes cane news that the Dutton family and more would be explored in spinoffs and prequels. And lo, Taylor Sheridan’s spinoffs and sequels have come, and have delivered much pain, suffering, and ratings bonanzas. (Dutton Ranch and Marshals are both in the Top 10 shows of 2025-2026.) But one long-ago announced follow-up has never surfaced amidst the coyotes and sagebrush: 6666.
Remember that one? Jefferson White’s Jimmy Hurdstrom was set as a lead, with the storyline being introduced in Yellowstone’s fourth season, where Jimmy was sent down to work with Sheridan’s Travis to make him a better cowboy. Yeah, you remember. Well, apparently Sheridan himself never intended to make such a spinoff, and would never fictionalize the trials and tribulations of the historic ranch’s butt-busting staff. Except…it definitely was going to happen, at least in studio execs’ minds.
Sheridan appeared on the Rodeo Time Podcast (via YouTube), where he was asked by host Dale Brisby about the Four Sixes show, to which the Lioness creator said:
There's never going to be one. I would never fictionalize that ranch.
At which point the host suggested that perhaps the reports were just people trying to score clicks online after Jimmy traveled down the ranch on the flagship drama. To which Sheridan replied:
People thought that that was gonna be it, but I would never do that. . . . If I was gonna try and make some kinda show about the 6666, now I'm making up lives. Now I have to invent a drama, right? We can't just watch some kid learn how to rope every single episode. So now I'm trivializing and fictionalizing something where real people work and they raise their families there. And I could never do that to them. I could never do that to the cowboys who've dedicated themselves and everybody that works on that ranch.
By all means, I have no issue with Taylor Sheridan not wanting to trivialize the lives of people that he cares about as an invested owner of that ranch. But I'm not sure why he has to talk about it as if it wasn't formally announced by the very studio he first signed an overall deal with. It took me not much time to find this 2021 press release from Paramount+ stating:
On the heels of the success of Paramount Network’s Yellowstone – #1 cable show of 2020 – Sheridan will create new series under his overall deal with ViacomCBS and MTV Entertainment that include both Mayor of Kingstown and Land Man, in addition to expanding the Yellowstone universe with 6666 (working title) and the previously announced Yellowstone prequel, Y: 1883 that was teased during Super Bowl LV.
Obviously this franchise is not one that sticks with names very well, with that pesky Y getting added to spinoff titles before being erased, as it went with 1883. But even if 6666 wasn't the final title, that was a project formally announced by Paramount as part of a creative deal. And it was referred to in subsequent press releases as well, so it wasn't a one-time fluke. In fact, it was officially shifted from Paramount+ to Paramount Network in May 2022, which is probably easier to do with a show that doesn't actually exist.
I also think if Sheridan wasn't ever interested in crafting a show set at the 6666 ranch, he probably would have shut those rumors down long before now. Granted, people like me were still out here talking about it like fools, thinking it might still come to light one day. After all, Matthew McConaughey only recently addressed his conversations with Sheridan about a new show, so nothing is totally impossible, right?
In the meantime, fans can watch all of the Yellowstone spinoffs, as well as Lioness, Tulsa King, Landman, and more of Taylor Sheridan's creations via Paramount+ subscription
