American Primeval has had a lot of time in the sun since its debut on January 9, spending most of the time since then at #1 on Netflix. At least in the US. Now, it’s been booted down to #2 for the second time, and not just by a night of WWE RAW.

This unsparingly grim Netflix western draws from a tradition of works eager to push beyond sanitized frontier myths. Here’s a supplementary guide.

Jim Bridger, played by Shea Whigham, was a real life pioneer who built the town of Fort Bridger, which features in the series and was a real town. Brigham Young, played by Kim Coates, was also a real life figure. He was the head of the Mormon church at the time and had his own army known as the Nauvoo Legion.

There's a new update about American Primeval season 2 on Netflix that is rather surprising to hear for fans of the show.

You don't have to spend the next month rewatching season 1 because Netflix just dropped a brand new TV show that is giving MAJOR Yellowstone universe vibes. Set in 1857, American Primeval is all about family and survival,

Westerns – thanks to shows like Yellowstone – have come back in a huge way. And what’s more: American Primeval tackles a fascinating subject, which is America’s only indigenous religion: Mormonism and it’s (literal) war for legitimacy.