Latest news with #Godless
Elle
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
Finished 'Yellowstone' And '1923'? Here Are 7 Western TV Series To Watch Next
Yellowstone and its spin-offs have drawn an entirely new generation of TV viewers into the Western saddle — and believe us, this golden age of prestige Westerns is not only keeping the genre alive but also shaking it up. From rugged wagon trails to cunning law enforcement, these shows dive straight into the elements Yellowstone fans cherish most: breathtaking landscapes, complex family legacies, and heart-wrenching love stories. Whether you crave sweeping vistas or intense family drama, these series will satisfy your appetite for the world Taylor Sheridan has created. What's it about? Meet the Duttons before Montana even knew their name. 1883 is Yellowstone's prequel: a wagon trail epic of hope, heartbreak, and brutal new beginnings. Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill headline the saga that's thick with grit, dysentery, and the ultimate question — how much will you sacrifice for your family's future? Where can I watch 1883? Paramount+. What's it about? Picture a mining town run almost entirely by women (yes, really.) When outlaw Roy Goode stumbles into La Belle, the town's fierce heroines (played by Michelle Dockery and Merritt Wever) must defend their independence against bandits and old ghosts. Godless is the kind of Western series that women deserve. Where can I watch Godless? Netflix. What's it about? Swap the grandeur of Montana for Wyoming's quietly dangerous beauty, and sheriffs for, well, more sheriffs. Walt Longmire lives his life keeping the peace in Absaroka County, and solving crimes that blur the lines between tradition and justice. It's a modern cowboy drama with slow-burn charm and high-stakes drama. A must-see. Where can I watch Longmire? Netflix. What's it about? Join Raylan Givens — a trigger-happy U.S. Marshal — as he returns home to Kentucky, where family feuds and backwoods justice reign supreme. Expect shootouts, and a modern spin on the lone lawman archetype. Where can I watch Justified? ITVX, Hulu. What's it about? Imagine Yellowstone had a baby with Twin Peaks, and you'll just about get Outer Range, which tells the story of Wyoming rancher Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin) who discovers a mysterious void on his land, igniting a supernatural mystery with roots in family, greed, and existential dread. Where can I watch Outer Range? Prime Video. What's it about? Once you've finished Yellowstone, teleport to Prohibition-era Atlantic City via Boardwalk Empire. Nucky Thompson's reign is as cutthroat as any Dutton drama, weaving corruption and survival across lavish parties and deadly rivalries. Where can I watch Boardwalk Empire? NOW TV. What is The Abandons about? Set in the dust-choked hills of 1850s Oregon, The Abandons is the latest offering from Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter. It's got Gillian Anderson running wild in the wild, wild west, survivors on the edge, and enough family drama to keep us all glued to our screens. Per the official Netflix logline, the series '...tells the story of a group of diverse renegade families living on the fringes of society in 1850s Washington State. These lost souls band together to fight corrupt forces and do anything they can to save their land.' Where can I watch The Abandons? Filming started on the hotly-anticipated series in May 2024, so hopes are high that it will be available to stream soon on Netflix. Naomi May is a seasoned culture journalist and editor with over ten years' worth of experience in shaping stories and building digital communities. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard, where she worked across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Digital Editor at ELLE Magazine and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others. Naomi is also the host of the ELLE Collective book club.
Express Tribune
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
'The Gilded Age' stars praise Merritt Wever's seamless debut as Monica O'Brien in season 3
Merritt Wever has joined The Gilded Age Season 3 as Monica O'Brien, the sister of Bertha Russell, portrayed by Carrie Coon. Her arrival was featured in Episode 4, following previous mentions of her character since the series premiere. In the episode, Bertha invites Monica to their home to attend Gladys's wedding to the Duke of Buckingham, fulfilling a request previously suggested by George Russell, played by Morgan Spector. The addition of Wever's character expands the Russell family storyline in the HBO series. Carrie Coon noted to Decider that Wever's performance was notable, sharing that she felt Wever fit in seamlessly on set and brought a truthful, natural quality to the role. Coon highlighted how working with actors like Wever contributes to ongoing learning for the cast. Morgan Spector also shared his experience working with Wever, highlighting the dynamic between George and Monica and how it added depth to the interactions within the family. Wever's previous work includes roles in Nurse Jackie, Godless, Unbelievable, Run, and Severance, demonstrating her adaptability across genres. In addition to Wever's introduction as Monica O'Brien, The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 4 also introduced Lady Sarah, played by Hattie Morahan, and a psychic portrayed by Andrea Martin, visited by Ada, played by Cynthia Nixon. Carrie Coon expressed appreciation for the additions to the cast, describing the season's expanded ensemble as an 'embarrassment of riches' for the production.
Newsweek
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
10 Best Western Shows to Watch If You Love 'Yellowstone'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Westerns offer some of the most compelling TV around. In this list we're counting down the 10 best Western shows you need to watch, and importantly, where to watch them. You'll almost certainly love the following series if you're into "Yellowstone," but watching Paramount+'s drama isn't a requirement. Whether you're addicted to the Dutton's dilemmas, looking for more shows like "Ransom Canyon," or crave an extra hit of "Godless," you'll love these top ranch dramas that are all streaming right now. Kevin Costner stars in Yellowstone Season 5 Kevin Costner stars in Yellowstone Season 5 Paramount+ If you'd prefer to live like a cowboy though, check out our inside look at Westgate River Ranch Resort and Rodeo. 10 Best Western Shows to Watch If You Love Yellowstone 1883 Where to Watch: Paramount+, Netflix This "Yellowstone" prequel traces the Dutton lineage back to the American frontier. Here, former Confederate army captain James Dillard Dutton (Tim McGraw) leads wife Margaret (Faith Hill) and family out West in search of a fresh start. It's an epic odyssey involving encounters with native Americans, poisonous snakes, and at one point a twister. And don't skip its sequel 1923, also on Paramount+, which stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. Godless Where to Watch: Netflix First off, "Godless" is a seven-episode miniseries, so don't worry about needing to be in it for the long haul. Set in 1884, it centers on a young outlaw (Jack O'Connell) on the run from his deranged former boss and mentor. He ends up, bizarrely, in a small New Mexico town populated almost entirely by women, giving this innovative Western a feminist gaze. Longmire Where to Watch: Netflix, Prime Video This neo-Western crime drama television premiered in June 3 2012 on the A&E network, making it the oldest show on this list. It follows Walt Longmire, a sheriff in - where else? - Wyoming. His whole deal is solving crimes, which means Longmire is pretty much a Western police procedural, only a lot more rural than the likes of "CSI" or "NCIS", and with several more horses. Justified Where to Watch: Hulu, FX Not a ranch drama per se, but no list of modern Westerns is complete without Raylan Givens. Played to perfection by Timothy Olyphant, this U.S. Marshal brings Old West justice to modern-day Kentucky with a fast draw and a faster wit. Razor-sharp dialogue, memorable villains, and Western swagger in a new setting. Outer Range Where to Watch: Prime Video If you fancy throwing a little sci-fi in your Western, check out "Outer Range." It's Prime Video's prestige Western series, starring Josh Brolin, Imogen Poots, and Lewis Pullman. Brolin plays a Wyoming rancher who, after discovering a mysterious black void on his land, deals with the increasingly cosmic fallout. Imagine "Lost" meets "Yellowstone" and you're along the right lines. Hell on Wheels Where to Watch: AMC+ / Paramount+ "Hell on Wheels" chronicles the historic construction of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1865, and gets its name from the colourful mobile encampment that followed its laborers. Throwing together an uneasy collection of mercenaries, prostitutes, and saloon-owners, the show is packed with plenty of rough Frontier drama and rich characters more than happy to keep on delivering it. Joe Pickett Where to Watch: Paramount+ Based on the popular novels by author C.J. Box, "Joe Pickett" follows a Wyoming game warden (Michael Dorman) fighting for justice in a small town. That often involves putting a stop to rural crime, political corruption, and land-grabbing deals. Geographically it's the closest series to Yellowstone: this takes place in the wilderness surrounding Yellowstone National Park. Ransom Canyon Where to watch: Netflix "Ransom Canyon" is Netflix's answer to "Yellowstone." Starring Josh Duhamel as the stoic West Texas rancher tackling disputes in both land and love, it's a slightly gentler watch than Paramount+'s often explosive series, but just as gritty, and dripping with drama. Walker: Independence Where to watch: CW, Max This is to "Walker" what "1883" is to "Yellowstone." A prequel set way back in the late 1800s, it's the origin story of Cordell Walker, the legendary Texas ranger of the show's title. "Walker: Independence" follows the protagonist's ancestor Abby Walker as she journeys out West in search of love and liberty. A great entry point if you've never seen Walker before, offering a light, frothy dose of frontier adventuring. American Primeval Where to watch: Netflix One of the more recent entries on this list, "American Primeval" released January 2025 on Netflix. It's set set in 1857 during the Utah War, and revolves around violent clashes between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and competing organizations in the turbulent region. The story centers on a mother (Betty Gilpin) and her son who are escorted on their violent journey by mysterious mountain man Isaac (Taylor Kitsch).
The Star
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
'Dept. Q' review: A dazzling display of decidedly dark material
When people go through life habitually inflicting verbal, mental, or emotional (and occasionally physical) blunt force trauma on others, it's tough to get a handle on them, let alone begin to like while we quickly write off such types in our personal spheres without considering their "backstory" (and sometimes suffer that fate ourselves), fictional characters have an easier go of things in our estimation as readers or viewers. This is very much the case with detective Carl Morck (Matthew Goode, The Good Wife, Watchmen's Ozymandias and Abigail's absentee dad), the fractured soul who is front and centre of the new, bingeable noir mystery Dept. Q. Goode's knack for instantly connecting us with Morck's haunted interior – among others, he affects a particularly hollow gaze and vulnerable posture while walking around with a palpable defensive wall of irascibility as his exterior – helps put the viewer quickly at ease with the investigator, regardless of how every other character reacts to or behaves around him. Plus, Morck's sharp as a tack, that one. Sometimes, as cutting as a razor, or bruising as a truncheon, depending on the mood you catch him in. 'So tell us, Mr, uh, Peacemaker, why should we let you join the Justice Gang? Oh wait, you're not here auditioning for the DCU?' Based on the Danish novels by Jussi Adler-Olsen (10 so far, all in the process of getting movie adaptations back home), Dept. Q transplants the setting to Edinburgh, Scotland, where Morck himself is a fish out of water. The series is the third Netflix production for showrunner Scott Frank after Godless and The Queen's Gambit, this time in collaboration with screenwriter/playwright Chandni Lakhani, a former script editor on Black Mirror. It's a winner right out of the starting gate. The very English (in this version, at least) Morck, still fixated on the 1966 World Cup win, finds himself thrust into a makeshift department handling cold cases after the startling opener of this nine-episode series. A neat narrative trick introduces us to his first case, and there are so many delights – large and small, including how "Department Q" gets its name – to be found throughout that I will do my best to steer clear of anything that might give these away. It's also intriguing to see how his motley crew comes together, from Syrian asylum seeker Akram (Alexej Manvelov, Jack Ryan Season Three's Russian defence minister) to PTSD sufferer Rose (a luminous Leah Byrne) to Morck's long-suffering (and currently struggling) partner James Hardy (Jamie Sives, Ned Stark's ill-fated captain of the guard from Game Of Thrones). 'So, detective, is that a tennis ball in your hand, or are you just stressed to see me?' They're not just passengers on Morck's mopey train, either, with each contributing immensely to the investigation. Yes, singular. Dept. Q has its investigators looking into one case for the duration, and while this sounds like it could bog things down or veer off course along the way, rest assured that it doesn't. There are moments when feelings of being gaslit/catfished cross over from the screen to the viewer, but it (sort of) works out in service of understanding and unravelling the central mystery. The acting ensemble is flat-out brilliant, including Kate Dickie (GOT's Lysa Arryn of the Eyrie) as Morck's fed-up but opportunistic supervisor Moira, Kelly McDonald (Giri/Haji, No Country For Old Men) as his fed-up and perplexed therapist Dr Rachel Irving, Chloe Pirrie (the mother-in-flashback from Queen's Gambit) as ambitious prosecutor Merritt Lingard, and Stephen Burns (Mark Bonnar, The Rig S1) as her pompous boss Lord Advocate Stephen Burns. It doesn't matter what each character's station in life may be, since Morck treats everyone with a mixture of barely-there tolerance and ever-present disdain, though sometimes his actual regard for them (ranging from grudging respect to, horrors, affection) slips through. It should be a crime to have this much fun watching something with such a grim premise. But yes, the series offers loads of it, neatly woven into the decidedly dark twists and turns of the story. Credit to Clark and Lakhani for deftly balancing the grim with the grins, giving us unexpected LOL moments amid the sombreness and occasional burst of violence. Goes to show that, just as the show's promotional material declares, "not all causes are lost", the same goes for its characters, some of whom do manage to hang around till the end. Bring on the rest of it! All nine episodes of Dept. Q are available to stream on Netflix.
Business Insider
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Netflix hitmaker Scott Frank on Hollywood: 'People are afraid now.'
Scott Frank figured out how to thrive in Hollywood. Now he's doing it at Netflix. But the writer/director has advice for young people who want to follow in his footsteps: Try something else. If Frank were starting out his career in 2025, he said he wouldn't mess around with movies or television. "I'd want to go work in the gaming world, where I think there's some really interesting stuff going on," he told me this month. That's quite a comment coming from someone who spent years as one of the most in-demand writers in the movie business, and has now established himself as a reliable hitmaker for Netflix. " Dept. Q" — his third series for the streamer, following his "Godless" western and the pandemic megahit "The Queen's Gambit" — is his take on the British mystery genre, and it's been near the top of the Netflix charts since it debuted in May. But Frank says the wave of digital distractions and options makes it incredibly difficult for traditional movies and TV to capture audience attention today. For all of Netflix's massive success, it still lags behind YouTube in terms of time viewers spend on screens, he notes. And teens are now spending an astonishing two hours a day on TikTok. "So, how do you get people to go to the movies? How do you get people to pay attention to your show? There's so much stuff," he tells me. "Whereas gaming — you're not folding your laundry while you're playing a game. You're not texting while you're playing a game. You're involved. And that seems to me like an opportunity for storytelling." That won't be an opportunity for Frank himself — "I'm too old," he says — and he says he'll continue to try making movies and TV shows. He'd love to make a second season of "Dept. Q," which is based on a series of crime novels by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen. You can hear my full conversation with Frank on my Channels podcast. The following is an edited excerpt from our chat: Peter Kafka: Some Netflix shows and movies seem like they'll generate huge numbers, but don't feel like they have cultural resonance. But it seems like people are talking about your show. Do you feel that? Scott Frank: You're certainly correct in that a lot of the movies, in particular, don't leave much of a ripple. There's not a lot of cultural wake. That being said, they are watched a lot, and people enjoy watching them and seek them out. And Netflix has 300 million worldwide subscribers, so way more people are going to watch your movie. As opposed to something getting released in theaters that no one watches, and it doesn't create any kind of long tail, either. With the television shows, it's a little different. Because when they hit, they tend to leave a mark. They tend to resonate. What accounts for that? Is it simply because there's more of it? There's 10 episodes, so you're spending more time? And there's more reason to talk about it, because it's episodic — you can tell people, "Wait till you get to episode five?" Yes, yes, yes, and yes. I think that's why. It's a different sort of investment. When you're sitting down to watch a show, you are hoping that it's something you're going to stick with. Whereas when you're watching a movie, you know: "I have a couple hours, an hour and a half, I'm gonna watch this thing." I don't have an easy answer other than to say that, for me, the engagement and narrative in the world right now have never been higher. During the Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes a couple of years ago, AI didn't start off as the big issue, but then became one, or at least the dominant talking point. What did you make of that discussion then? And how are you thinking about AI and tech now? Tech has been a bit of a disaster for the country in many ways, but it's also been an amazing boon to the world. I just think that these guys run the companies, so many of them are compromised and … Let's narrow it down to your world. We could have the other discussion … But I think it affects my world because they now own my world. We probably were striking against the wrong people that time. Because we're owned by tech people now. This is increasingly more and more a tech business. And so, ultimately, we're at the whim of these people at the very top of these companies. We saw after, after the election, everybody's sort of paying, essentially bribes to [ Donald Trump ]. So that affects us. That really does affect the business. People are afraid now. And so you see that. You see people are too careful. They're afraid because of the political climate, or they're afraid just because it's an era of consolidation and there just aren't that many places to go if you upset a studio chief? I think all of the above. I just think it's all at the same time. Also, the ground is shifting. This business hasn't landed where it's going to land yet, and people keep looking backwards and saying, "No, we just need to get moviegoing back to where it was." That boat's sailed. That's not gonna happen anymore. So we're not thinking about, "Well, what is the business now? What does the business want to be?" The audience is trying to tell us, and we're not listening. How do you feel about using tech and AI in your work? There's one theory that says someone's going to type in a prompt and the AI spits out an entire movie. The more conservative argument is, "We're going to improve flows, and instead of using 10 visual-effects people, you could do it with four or eight." The even more positive spin is, "Those eight to 10 visual-effects people could do much better work." We've always used versions of that. If it wasn't proper AI, there were always ways to shortcut those kinds of things, to create a smoother workflow and all of that. If an actor couldn't do a certain stunt, and we wanted to put their face on something else, that's been happening, and that's going to get easier. Which is scary if you're an actor. I think the bigger problem is not making stuff with AI, but deciding what to make with AI. That's the bigger threat, at least for me, in the immediate sense. Have you played around and asked ChatGPT to write a script in the mode of Scott Frank? Yeah. It was silly. But if you want to write a letter, a business letter or something … my wife needed to write this letter, and she just thought, "Let's see what ChatGPT said," and she sent me the letter and it was damn good. It was really good. I think it's more about the future of the algorithm. The algorithm is great for marketing after something's done. [But] it's death to the industry to use it to decide what to make because you're gaming something. And if everybody's using the same algorithm, it becomes a snake that eats its own tail eventually. That's my big fear. You started in Hollywood the old-fashioned way — you moved there and spent years trying to get work as a writer. I wrote one script over and over that no one wanted — " Little Man Tate" — until somebody wanted it. What would that path look like for you now if you wanted to get into making movies or television? Would you move to LA, for starters? That's easy. I wouldn't go into movies or television. I'd go into games. If I were 24 now, I'm not gonna fuck around with movies or television. I want to go work in the gaming world, where I think there's some really interesting stuff going on. Other than the fact that lots of people play games, what's appealing to you? They seem pretty narratively limited. But they're at the beginning, in a way. I mean, the first movies were narratively limited, too. And I wonder what you can do with them. I'm really curious. I just feel like that world is way more interesting. You know, more people watch YouTube stuff and TikTok stuff than Netflix. YouTube is No. 1 [for time spent] and Netflix is way down [the list]. And then the next closest thing, Disney, is way down. And people on average spend two hours a day on TikTok. So that's what you're competing with. So your next project is an immersive game … No. I'm too old. There's a series of "Dept. Q" books. Will you do more of them? I'd love to. It's up to Netflix. I would absolutely love to.
