CBS has shortened the title of the series premiering March 1 to just plain Marshals.
Maybe CBS was afraid too many snarky critics would refer to the show as Why Marshals?
Whatever the reason, the network has quietly changed the title of Y: Marshals — the upcoming Yellowstone spin-off showcasing Luke Grimes’ Kayce Dutton as a dedicated lawman — to just plain Marshals. It will premiere under that name March 1 on CBS.
According to Tony Maglio of The Hollywood Reporter, CBS spokespeople insist Y: Marshals was always a “working title,” and has now the series has been finalized” under its shorter, simpler tag. But Maglio questions whether there might be another reason: Paramount (which owns CBS) might be eager to keep the new series separate and distinct in the minds of viewers after Yellowstone producer and co-creator Taylor Sheridan announced plans to pull up stakes.
“Soon enough,” Maglio wrote, “Sheridan will be leaving Paramount from the greener pastures of NBCUniversal. His film deal moves over in a matter of months, though his television contract still has nearly two years left.”
“Sheridan will leave all of these shows behind when he rides off into that sunset,” Maglio wrote. “It is possible that Paramount, who attempted to retain Sheridan only to lose him to its biggest rival, wants to optically move away from Sheridan’s greatest creation (keep an eye on the Dutton Ranch working title!) should Marshals go on when its creator sheriff moves to another town. Or maybe it’s just because Y: Marshals was a confusing name. (You know, like a silent ‘Y.’)”
It should be noted that Marshals episodes will be available on Paramount+ after their CBS premieres. Meanwhile, all five seasons of Yellowstone will continue to stream on Peacock (which, not incidentally, is an NBCUniversal product).
Here is the official Marshals logline: “With the Yellowstone Ranch behind him, Kayce Dutton (Grimes) joins an elite unit of U.S. Marshals, combining his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring range justice to Montana, where he and his teammates must balance family, duty and the high psychological cost that comes with serving as the last line of defense in the region’s war on violence.”
In addition to Grimes, other Yellowstone alumni who have signed on for Marshals include Gil Birmingham, Mo Brings Plenty, and Breckin Merrill. Birmingham will be back as Chief Thomas Rainwater, with Mo Brings Plenty returning as Mo, Rainwater’s close friend and confidant, and Merrill again portraying Tate Dutton, son of Kayce Dutton.
Newcomers include Tatanka Means (Ransom Canyon, Killers of the Flower Moon), Arielle Kebbel (Rescue: Hi-Surf, Ballers) and Ash Santos (Pulse, Mayor of Kingstown) as Kayce Dutton’s fellow U.S. Marshals; Brett Cullen (Apollo 13, Joker) as Harry Gifford, head of the U.S. Marshals in Montana; and Logan Marshall-Green (Big Sky, And Just Like That…) as Pete Calvin, a friend from Kayce’s time in the military.
There’s still no word yet about whether we’ll be seeing Yellowstone co-star Kelsey Asbille return as Monica, Kayce’s wife and Tate’s mother. At this late date, it’s probably safe to assume that the character has joined the dearly departed. Maybe so Kayce can become romantically involved with other women when he’s not chasing bad guys? Hey, Y not?
