Part of the reason why 1883 and 1923 aren’t perfect replacements for Yellowstone is because they’re traditional Westerns. Yellowstone is a neo-Western due to its setting in the modern day, and there just aren’t many great neo-Western shows out there. There is, however, one neo-Western starring Timothy Olyphant that works as a perfect replacement for Yellowstone, and it’s modern setting makes it even more similar than 1883 and 1923. It’s actually one of the best Western TV shows ever made, and any Yellowstone fan is basically guaranteed to find something to love about Justified.

Justified Is A Great Neo-Western That Yellowstone Fans Will Love
Justified Is A Fantastic Neo-Western Story That Has So Much To Offer To Yellowstone Fans
Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens in Justified.
How Justified Compares To Yellowstone (And Which Is The Better Neo-Western)
Justified & Yellowstone Both Feature Western Action, Settings, & Drama, But Justified Is A More Consistent Show
The clearest similarity between Yellowstone and Justified is in their genres. Both shows focus on characters who were seemingly born too late trying to find a way in a world that has passed them by. Raylan would function a lot better if he could just kill the fugitives he hunts, while Yellowstone characters like John Dutton II (Kevin Costner) would love a world where cattle ranchers could just kill anyone who wanted to take his land. They also get into a lot of trouble because of their old approaches to life, and there’s plenty of drama in each.

A close-up of Kevin Costner as John Dutton in Yellowstone
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Yellowstone didn’t invent the Neo-Western genre, and as good as it is, it didn’t perfect it either.

As for which show is better, it’s hard to say definitively. Yellowstone certainly leans more into the soap-opera side of things, where family dramas become the main focus of the show. Justified, on the other hand, starts off as much more of a detective procedural with an overarching story happening in the background, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea. It comes down to personal preference, but on paper, Justified is probably a better show than Yellowstone. Justified was much more consistently good throughout its six seasons – and it’s spinoff, Justified: City Primeval – and it didn’t have the pacing problems Yellowstone and its spinoffs often suffer from.

Justified Showed How To Do Neo-Western On TV Before Yellowstone
Without Justified, Yellowstone Probably Never Would Have Happened
Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens smirking in Justified City Primeval
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