Ransom Canyon is based on New York Times best-selling author Jodi Thomas’ series of the same name, advertised as “a family saga Western romance” (via jodithomas.com). It’s evident from the trailer that the series starring Friday Night Lights’ Minka Kelly and Transformers‘ Josh Duhamel will 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 despite Yellowstone season 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 the Ransom Canyon trailer, it’s obvious that the new series is Netflix’s answer to Yellowstone. The show will follow Staten Kirkland, the protagonist of Thomas’ original story. In the synopsis for Ransom 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 legacy in its last generation. The Ransom Canyon characters are akin to Kevin Costner’s John Dutton’s family, who fight to maintain their hold on the family’s land legacy until the Yellowstone season 5 finale.
Minka Kelly plays Quinn O’Grady, set up as a potential love interest to Josh Duhamel’s Kirkland by the trailer. Yet while the ranch setting and cowboy themes look and sound a lot like Yellowstone, 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 the Yellowstone 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 like Ransom Canyon that are keen to reproduce the modern Western’s success. Sheridan’s scripted series are 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. While Ransom Canyon may initially appear to be a carbon copy of Yellowstone, its release will determine whether it could actually be considered a match to Sheridan’s work, adding something new to the TV genre.
Sheridan has continued his legacy with Landman, and Netflix’s show also incorporates the Texas saga’s influence. Seen in the trailer, Ransom Canyon blends ranch life in Montana with the Texas sun and Friday night football games that distinguish Landman. That said, the Ransom Canyon story will need to be as innovative and provocative as Sheridan’s to truly compete. Still, Thomas’ Ransom Canyon book was published in 2015, three years before Yellowstone‘s 2018 debut. Viewers can trust that Netflix’s show will offer a story inspired wholly outside of Sheridan’s work.
