'Masterpiece' Western series fans hail 'best ever made' is available to stream on Netflix

Netflix viewers will be pleased to learn that a Western series that has received rave reviews is now streaming on the platform. 1883 is an American Western drama miniseries created by Taylor Sheridan that premiered in 2021 on Paramount+.

The series is chronologically the first of several prequels to Yellowstone (2018-24) and is the second television series in the Yellowstone franchise. It stars Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, Marc Rissmann, Audie Rick, Eric Nelsen, James Landry Hébert, and Noah Le Gros in main roles. The series details how the Dutton family came to own the land that became the Yellowstone Ranch and is narrated by May. Consisting of ten episodes, the series concluded in 2022.

The series synopsis reads: "1883 is a prequel to Yellowstone that follows the Dutton family as they leave the post-Civil War-era South and embark on a perilous journey west through the Great Plains to seek a better life in Montana. They join a wagon train heading to Oregon, but eventually settle in Montana, establishing what would become the Yellowstone Ranch. The series depicts a stark, intense story of westward expansion, focusing on the challenges and dangers of their trek across untamed America."

1883 has an impressive 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics' consensus stating: "1883 can feel too overdetermined to be a properly rough-hewn Western, but viewers will want to saddle up for Sam Elliott's commanding star turn."

One person described it as the "best TV", stating: "This is about as good as TV could ever get. Beautifully filmed, brutal but never gratuitously so. Elsa's voice-over would not appear to be to everyone's taste, but I loved it. Mesmerising, haunting, moving and quite simply stunning. Sad it only has 10 episodes, as feel I could watch this magnificence forever."

Another reviewer wrote: "I have to admit that the series 1883 is an absolute masterpiece! Elsa Dutton is such a captivating character. The way she tells the story is what truly makes it for me. I honestly can't stop thinking about it!"

1883 is available to stream now on Netflix.