Is Yellowstone–the new original TV show from the new Paramount Network–a modern-day version of Dallas with grit, realism, and Kevin Costner?

Sure seems like it.

And that’s ok because, based on the writer, the show will work through and suffer through and eventually settle into something truly memorable and honest.

While it’s impossible to achieve the rating bonanza that Dallas struck during its original run in the ’70s and ’80s, Kevin Costner portraying a rancher in Yellowstone earns comparable marks for casting…thus far. Add in Wes Bentley, Gil Birmingham, Luke Grimes and rising star Kelsey Chow for a solid cast.

Time will tell, likely well beyond the first season, as to whether the show lives up to its hype. The gifted writer of acclaimed films with similar dynamics, a cast that supports the star (and then some), plus a part of the country serving as a wide-open setting for wide-open storylines is building up to something wild, yet somehow contained by the skin of everyone’s teeth with that beaten-down, albeit sturdy perimeter fence.

Will Yellowstone ever reach the level of brilliance and relevance of the cinematic western masterpiece Unforgiven? No.

But it can be forgiven for that.

P.S. An unforgettable trip to the perfectly picturesque, snow-covered Yellowstone National Park around 17 years ago sparked immediate intrigue in this show for me, which included snowmobiling around that park. There are wild stakes in that wild country. If the show is anything like my vacation with my dad, his best friend from college and his son, then this should be one hell of a great ride.