‘Dutton Ranch’ Shocker! Show Boss Is Out Just 3 Weeks Before Premiere

Kelli Boyle April 24, 2026, 11:07 am

Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler and Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton in Dutton Ranch, episode 1, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. — Emerson Miller / Paramount+.

Dutton Ranch showrunner Chad Feehan has reportedly been fired from the Yellowstone spinoff just three weeks before the series premieres. The Paramount drama stars Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser reprising their roles as Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler.

Feehan was the showrunner and executive producer of Taylor Sheridan‘s Lawmen: Bass Reeves before signing on as showrunner for Dutton Ranch, which premieres on Friday, May 15. Feehan is also credited with creating the new series, based on characters created by Sheridan and John Linson. Reilly, Hauser, Sheridan, and 101 Studios’s David Glasser were reportedly unsatisfied with how Feehan handled production of Season 1, according to a report from Puck.

Should Dutton Ranch get renewed for Season 2, which seems likely, given the track record of Yellowstone/Sheridan shows, Feehan will not return, Variety reports.

Showrunner struggles on Sheridan TV shows are becoming a pattern. Tulsa King went into production of Season 4 with no showrunner, Variety previously reported. Before that, Tulsa King showrunner Dave Erickson was supposed to write, executive produce, and showrun the Frisco King spinoff starring Samuel L. Jackson. Sheridan is writing the first season instead and Erickson was removed from the show before it started filming.

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Here’s the official series description for Dutton Ranch: “As Beth and Rip fight to build a future together — far from the ghosts of Yellowstone — they collide with brutal new realities and a ruthless rival ranch that will stop at nothing to protect its empire. In South Texas, blood runs deeper, forgiveness is fleeting, and the cost of survival might just be your soul.”

Dutton Ranch premieres with two episodes on Friday, May 15, at 8/7c on Paramount Network. It will also come out on May 15 on Paramount+. After the two-episode series premiere, one episode will come out weekly on the linear channel and streaming service.

Dutton Ranch, Series Premiere Friday, May 15, 8/7c, Paramount Network, Streaming on Paramount+

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