Is it weird that Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren have done a TV show?
To some extent, yes. It absolutely plays to the trend of film actors turning up on television because the writing has more room to breathe, and there is more variety in the kinds of roles television offers them. That said, Helen Mirren began on television, was the star of Prime Suspect, before migrating to film.

Right, so it really is a franchise.
Yep. But keeping it all together can be a little complicated. Yellowstone, the first series, is on Stan because Stan signed a deal with its US studio, Paramount Television, when there was just one show. Then, when it came time for 1883 and 1923, both were commissioned in the US by Paramount for the studio’s streaming platform, Paramount+, so they both ended up on Paramount+ here when that platform launched locally.

It’s just those three shows, then?
For now, yes. Another series, 6666, is in development and is set in the present day on the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas. And a spin-off to 1883, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, is in development. Paramount has given the show’s creator Taylor Sheridan a fairly free hand, given the immense popularity of the shows he has created for them.

So, if I have just stepped into the Yellowstone world, at what point in the story should I begin?
Depends. Star Wars is a good touchstone here. They suggest either the release order (so, for Star Wars, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 7, Rogue One, 8, 9), the chronological order (1, 2, 3, Rogue One, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) or the “machete” order, which is a balance of chronology, preservation of mystery (“I am your father!”) and a focus on good films only. So, Rogue One, 4, 5, 2, 3, 6.

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How do I translate that into Yellowstone, 1883 and 1923?
You could go in release order, which would be Yellowstone, 1883 and then 1923, or story chronology, so 1883, 1923 and then Yellowstone. In truth, however, 1883 was a bit iffy, so the smart money is to split the difference and just watch 1923 to start. It’s easy too: we’re only two episodes in, so you will be all caught up in a jiffy. And if you’re curious about how it all ended up a century later, you can then watch Yellowstone. That’s almost 50 episodes over five seasons, so save it for rainy weekends.

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Reward your time with these three TV shows

Stanley Tucci and David Tennant are perfectly cast in the four-part unpredictable crime drama, Inside Man. A wry Tucci is a death row inmate (and former professor of criminology) who has a sideline with his cellmate in solving unsolvable crimes.

In the Australian comedy series Colin From Accounts, boy sees girl, girl flashes nipple, boy hits dog with his car. The pair end up with a $12,000 vet bill and one disabled dog. It’s not the usual meet-cute. Nothing about this series is “usual” and that’s why we love it.

With around eight-minute episodes, Flats is a comedy series about a man returning from prison hoping to be reunited with his girlfriend and son. Written and directed by Melburnians Darren L Downs and Will Weatheritt (who also stars) it features a cast of largely non-actors and is one of the best YouTube shows yet.