The numbers are in for Taylor Sheridan’s latest series, and they show the Yellowstone creator still knows how to pull in an audience. The Madison, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell, pulled in 8 million global streaming views during its first 10 days on Paramount+. The series launched on March 14 with its first three episodes, and the remaining three arrived on March 21.
According to Paramount+ internal metrics, this marks the most-watched first season launch for any Sheridan series to date. The show also became the creator’s biggest debut among women 35 and older.
The Madison’s Debut Performance Compared to Other Sheridan Shows
While The Madison claims the title for best series launch, it does not beat every Sheridan project in overall viewership. The second season premiere of Landman earned 9.2 million streaming views in just two days earlier this year.
For context, the original Yellowstone premiere on Paramount Network in 2018 drew 5 million viewers. The prequel 1883 brought in 4.9 million, and 1923 opened with 7.4 million premiere viewers. The Madison sits comfortably above all those first-season debuts based on the new streaming view metric.
The series also performed well with industry tracking. Luminate ranked The Madison among the Top 5 most-watched streaming series for the week of March 13 to 19. When measured by streaming views—which divides total viewing time by runtime—the show actually led all series during its first week.
What The Madison Is About
The six-episode drama follows the Clyburn family, who relocate from New York City to Montana’s Madison River Valley after dealing with loss. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Stacy Clyburn, a wealthy New York woman whose husband, played by Kurt Russell, dies in a plane crash while returning from a fishing trip with his brother.
Stacy and her family move temporarily to the brother’s ranch in Montana, where they attempt to heal and reconnect with the values her husband loved. The show explores the contrast between urban and rural living, a theme common in Sheridan’s previous work.
Matthew Fox, Will Arnett, Patrick J. Adams, Beau Garrett, Elle Chapman, Kevin Zegers, and Ben Schnetzer also appear in the series. Christina Alexandra Voros, who worked on Yellowstone, directs all six episodes.
Critical Reception and Viewer Response
The series has drawn mixed responses from critics. Variety gave the show a 40 score, noting that while Pfeiffer delivers a “powerhouse performance,” the story runs thin at times, depending more on landscape shots and music than strong dialogue and plot development.
Some critics pointed out that the show’s dialogue includes simple life lessons and familiar ideas about family and traditional values. The contrast between Montana and New York also came across as too one-sided for some reviewers.
Taylor Sheridan attended the New York City premiere on March 9, a rare appearance for the writer-producer.
“I can’t stand these things, so for me to be at one means I’m really proud of the project, which I am. I don’t make anything. I write things down and then I bring together a cast and a crew and I ask them to go make it. And trucking cameras across rivers and up mountains. So I have a chance here to do what I don’t get to do often, which is call them out and thank them personally for their sacrifice and their commitment.”
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Second Season Already Filmed
The Madison has already secured a second season, though Paramount+ has not officially announced the renewal. Kurt Russell shared details about how the two-season commitment allowed him to join the project despite scheduling conflicts with his Godzilla series.
Russell told Entertainment Weekly that the production schedule shifted to film his scenes for the first season before moving into the second season’s production.
The first season consists of six episodes, all now streaming. Viewers in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and India can watch The Madison on Paramount+, with Indian audiences also able to access the series through JioHotstar.
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