New Series On Legendary Lawman Bass Reeves To Premiere Next Month

The creator of Yellowstone is the co-executive producer of a new series about legendary lawman Bass Reeves.

Reeves is considered the most significant deputy marshal in U-S history.

But because of the color of his skin, Reeves hasn't had the attention he deserves until recent years.

A new series about Reeves, produced by Taylor Sheridan and David Oyelowo starts streaming Nov. 5 Paramount Plus a month from tonight, and it has a lot Bass Reeves fans excited.

A new Bass Reeves series on Paramount Plus has some big names, like Emmy Award Winner Donald Sutherland and Academy Award nominee Dennis Quaid.

Co-Executive Producer David Oyelowo has big boots to fill, starring as Reeves.

Muskogee author and historian Jonita Mullins is looking forward to the show's release.

"I'm excited to see Bass Reeves is finally getting his due. as far as being featured in a series or a movie," Mullins said.

Bass Reeves was a legendary lawman, working out of hanging Judge Isaac Parkers' court in Fort Smith.

It's estimated Reeves arrested as many as three thousand people during his career, including his own son for murder, and his minister for selling illegal whiskey.

“If circumstances were different he would be up there with Wyatt Earp, or Bill Tilgman, or some of the very well-known Marshals," Mullins said.

Reeves was one of the most respected and feared lawmen in Indian and Oklahoma Territories, working 32 years as a deputy marshal, when most out of Fort Smith worked less than five.

"With this Taylor Sheridan production, we'll see the focus on him, and people are going to learn what an awesome individual he was," Mullins said.

Reeves finished his remarkable law enforcement career as a police officer in Muskogee.

While Reeves was well known during lifetime, after statehood, few people outside the region knew much about him, until recently.

"It's sad that it took so many years for it to happen, but we know people of color were marginalized for years and his story simply got lost," Mullins said.

Part of the Bass Reeves revival is due to Author Art Burton's meticulously researched book about Reeves called “Black Gun, Silver Star.”

"Bass was so tough if he spit on a brick it would break," Burton said.

Burton considers Reeves as the greatest frontier hero in U-S history.

"The greatest lawman in the wild west was from Oklahoma."

Mullins is glad people are learning more about Bass Reeves, she hopes the new series is historically accurate, while capturing what made Bass Reeves so remarkable. She hopes people come away with an appreciation of Reeves.

“I want them to see him as a man of integrity, as a man who overcame a lot of obstacles in life, a lot of challenges. He overcame slavery, he overcame illiteracy, he overcame racism, he overcame Jim Crowe, he never let any of those things keep him from achievement."