Here's Exactly How CBS Censored Yellowstone: What We've Been Missing?
On CBS, Rip won't cuss.
Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone is the ultimate pop culture phenomenon, not only as the biggest Western (well, neo-Western) on television, but also as a remarkable example of incredibly thoughtful and well-executed storytelling. Originally conceived as a feature film, Sheridan himself wrote the script from the very beginning, giving us an eye-opening tale of intrigue, corruption and bloodshed in the state of Montana.
Unfortunately, as we enter the fifth month of the strike by WGA and SAG-AFTRA members who continue to fight tirelessly for the future of the television and film industries, we will not be able to see the final chapter of the Dutton family story anytime soon. So that is a good reason to revisit the show, especially now that it is on CBS.
However, cable and broadcast standards are different, so Yellowstone had to go through a certain amount of censorship. Let's take a look at how the show has changed.
Broadcast standards
Yellowstone doesn't shy away from the explicit, providing viewers with edge-of-your-seat thrills. There are plenty of murders, sex scenes, and the occasional use of profanity (especially when it comes to Cole Hauser's Rip.). So it's not surprising that when the show aired on the Paramount Network, it was rated TV-MA, the television equivalent of an R rating for movies.
But the Paramount Network is a cable channel, and it doesn't have to meet the same standards as regular broadcast networks, as in the case of CBS. Even though the time slot for the new rerun is Sunday night, it's far more likely to be seen by minors.
The CBS version of Yellowstone
In order to attract a much larger audience, CBS had to adjust to a TV-14 DSLV rating, which meant that the show could be seen by anyone over the age of 14. Of course, censorship changes followed.
However, according to network representatives, such changes are not critical and do not greatly affect the consistency and integrity of the narrative. Explicit scenes, including violence and sex, are edited. Obscene language is simply muted, although automatic dialog replacement is often used in such cases when dialog is re-recorded in post-production.
Only time will tell how much of an actual impact this will have on the story. The first episode of Season 1 of Yellowstone aired on CBS on September 17, and the next episode, now the third one, will air on October 1.