Netflix 6-Episode Western Drama Is Being Called The Australian Yellowstone

The romanticized notion of the cowboy, of ranchers who live by their own rules and represent the very idea of freedom, is something shared between Americans and Australians. Around the middle of the 19th century, both countries had an untamed “wild west” that spanned as far as the eye could see, and cattle ranching became a way to “settle” those wild lands. There’s a reason why there are so many great Australian westerns, from Jennifer Kent’s “The Nightingale” to John Hillcoat’s “The Proposition,” and those cowboy stories have turned into ranching stories. So of course the land Down Under is getting in on the latest and greatest cowboy-flavored fad, with a Netflix miniseries that clearly looks to be Australia’s answer to the Taylor Sheridan juggernaut “Yellowstone.” 

That show is the six-episode miniseries “Territory,” created by Australian outback drama experts Timothy Lee (the writer behind “Mystery Road”) and Ben Davies, who created the hit Aussie drama “Bondi Rescue” as well as producing the documentary series “Outback Ringer.” Whether you’re a “Yellowstone” fan looking for another series to scratch that soapy Western itch or you just want to see what ranchers get up to in the most remote parts of Australia’s outback, “Territory” should be the perfect watch. 

“Territory” tells the story of a fight for ownership of the world’s (fictional) largest cattle station, Marianne Station, which has been in the Lawson family for generations. After a suspicious riding accident takes out the Lawson heir things get complicated, and everyone and their mother makes a bid to take over the massive cattle operation.

One of the biggest draws of “Territory” is that it offers a different landscape than “Yellowstone,” as it was filmed on location across the Northern Territory and South Australia, in remote locations including the massive working, real-world cattle station Tipperary Station. Marianne Station is inspired by Australia’s Anna Creek Station, which is larger than the state of New Jersey. That’s right, the Lawson family and their many adversaries are fighting for an empire on land that’s larger than a U.S. state. Those are some serious stakes, and they come with larger-than-life characters to rival the Dutton family of “Yellowstone.” 

Robert Taylor stars as the aging patriarch Colin, who is about as toxic and misogynistic as they come. Eldest son Graham (Michael Dorman) was passed over for succession because he’s an alcoholic and married Emily (the always incredible Anna Torv of “Fringe” and “Mindhunter”), who comes from a rival clan of ranchers known for thieving. They will have to contend with evil mining company magnate Sandra (Sara Wiseman), Emily’s family, her ex, the Aboriginal community, and much more if they’re going to keep the Station.

Netflix is clearly trying to sell this series as their alternative to “Yellowstone,” which belongs to Paramount, and people seem to have gotten the message. Critics like The Hollywood Reporter’s Daniel Fienberg can’t help but make comparisons, while my own mother called to tell me to check out the series because “it’s like Australian ‘Yellowstone’ but only six episodes.” Six episodes is enough to introduce everyone to the characters and the world and hopefully get more stories greenlit.

If “Territory” has even a hint of the success of “Yellowstone,” we could easily see spinoffs and sequel series on Netflix, capitalizing on everyone’s love for these soapy shows about rugged families. After all, “Yellowstone” has more sequels and spinoffs than you can shake a stick at, and that’s even with Costner’s clear departure and the end of the flagship series. Only time will tell if “Territory” can grab the same audience, but it sounds like something fans of Sheridan’s vulgar and violent contemporary Westerns should love.