An article in Variety says: “Yellowstone” ended the season as the only non-sports show to average over 10 million viewers a week — at 11.6 million. (CBS’ “NCIS,” next in line, is just shy of that, at 9.8 million).
I must admit I got lost in Yellowstone and didn’t follow it after the first season. I tried its popular prequel “1883,” but stopped watching after a while. I didn’t care for one of the characters. However, I did watch all the next Yellowstone prequel “1923,” an American Western drama television series that premiered on December 18, 2022, on Paramount+.
It was often over the top violent. But the love story between Spencer Dutton and Alexandra kept me watching. Now HE was a true romantic hero!
The setting was Montana in 1923. How true was the history the show portrayed?
It was very true.
From ‘1923’: Why the Great Depression Is Already Underway in Montana
Those who paid attention in history class may recall that the Great Depression in the United States officially took place between 1929 and 1939. The stock market crash of 1929 kicked off this era, sending Wall Street into a panic. By 1933, an estimated 15 million Americans were unemployed, and close to half the country’s banks had failed.
Historic Montana says: The Great Depression came early to Montana, beginning in 1918 while the rest of the country thrived. Drought and reduced demand for agricultural products following World War I forced many farmers to default on wartime loans, causing widespread bank failure.
From Montana.gov: Cattle and sheep ranches continued to take advantage of Montana's abundant grasslands. Passage of the Enlarged Homestead Act in 1909 brought tens of thousands of homestead farmers into the state looking for inexpensive land. Wheat farming was popular until an extended drought, and a drop in market prices after World War I, ruined many farmers. The homestead "bust" forced many farmers to abandon Montana.
Montana's post-World War I depression extended through the 1920s and right into the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Even the horrible portrayal of the Indian boarding school rings with truth.
From '1923': How Realistic Are the Brutal Boarding School Scenes? In taking viewers inside Native American boarding schools, creator Taylor Sheridan is shining a light on government-sanctioned abuse in the late 19th and early 20th century. Yes, Indian boarding schools were real and yes, they were as brutal as the one depicted in 1923.
If you enjoyed the series, you might want to look at where it was filmed in Where was 1923 filmed? Guide to all the filming locations in Montana & Africa
I have romances and romantic mystery series set in Montana. Check them out!
Hi Jan: I've watched Yellowstone but not the other 2. Nice to see that truths are mixed into the stories, but I wouldn't want to live in either time. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI've watched all of 1923 that was filmed and I'm irked that the story was left hanging. The nephew is still trying to get to Montana and he's separated from his new wife. They're supposed to meet up again at the Dutton Ranch. And it also left the Indian girl's story up in the air. No idea when there will be more episodes. I tried to watch 1880 but couldn't stomach any more of the violence and the way the women were treated so I stopped after the third episode. To me, that's not romance or at least the way a husband treats a wife.
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