Lawmen: Bass Reeves Showrunner Explains Why Series is No Longer a Yellowstone Spinoff

Lawmen: Bass Reeves premieres Sunday, November 5th on Paramount+.

By Nicole Drum

Lawmen: Bass Reeves arrives on Paramount+ Sunday, November 5th, but while the series was previously billed as a Yellowstone spinoff, specifically a spinoff of Yellowstone prequel 1883, the David Oyelowo-starring series is now its own, standalone project. Now, series creator and showrunner Chad Feehan explains the reason for that shift and it turns out that the story they wanted to tell about Reeves predates 1883.

Speaking with TVLine, Feehan explained that Lawmen: Bass Reeves being an 1883 spinoff was "an idea that we briefly talked about" but the more he learned about Reeves, the more that changed and resulted in the series no longer being directly connected to Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone and its prequel series following the Dutton family.

"But for me, once I learned some of the things I didn't know about Bass' life and decided where we wanted to start the story and where we wanted to end the story, it preceded 1883," he explained. He went on to add that the eight-episode series will take place from roughly 1862 to 1877 — ending six years before 1883, the year the Dutton story begins.

What is Lawmen: Bass Reeves About?

Lawmen: Bass Reeves tells "the untold story of the most legendary lawman in the Old West" and "follows the journey of Reeves (Oyelowo) and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi. Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during the course of his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost to his beloved family. Lawmen: Bass Reeves is an all-new, standalone anthology series and future iterations will follow other iconic lawmen and outlaws who have impacted history."

"Bass Reeves was an extraordinary man who lived an extraordinary life at an extraordinary time in American history," Oyelowo told Entertainment Weekly previously. "He was enslaved, he went on to fight in the Civil War, he escaped enslavement during that time, lived with Native Americans for a number of years where he learned a bunch of skills that became applicable when he went on to be a deputy marshal, and had a career that spanned nearly 40 years in law enforcement."

"My goal, my hope, my ambition for this has always been to have an opportunity to contextualize the contribution of Black People to this country in a way that colors outside of the lines of what we have normally seen," he said.

Who Stars in Lawmen: Bass Reeves?

The series stars Oyelowo, who also serves as an executive producer on the series, Lauren E. Banks, Demi Singleton, Forrest Goodluck, Emmy Award winner Barry Pepper, Honorary Oscar recipient Donald Sutherland, Emmy Award nominee Dennis Quaid, Shea Whigham and Garrett Hedlund as guest stars, and, in recurring roles, Joaquina Kalukango, Lonnie Chavis, Grantham Coleman, Tosin Morohunfola, Dale Dickey, Rob Morgan, Ryan O'Nan, Margot Bingham, Mo Brings Plenty, Justin Hurtt-Dunkley, and Bill Dawes.

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Lawmen: Bass Reeves debuts with two episodes on Paramount+ on November 5th.

Are you looking forward to Lawmen: Bass Reeves? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section!

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