We’re at a point where any show associated with Taylor Sheridan and having that Western neo-noir vibe makes us wonder if the show is part of the Yellowstone universe.
Sheridan’s last venture is Lawmen: Bass Reeves, where he serves as an executive producer. The series was previously designed to be a spin-off of Yellowstone, but a lot has changed since then.
Paramount+ has been cashing in every opportunity they’re getting to make a universe out of Yellowstone. We’ve had two spin-offs, 1883 and 1923, and separate projects such as Tulsa King starring Stallone and Mayors of Kingstown set in the same Western backdrop.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves, based on the life and times of the titular Black U.S. Deputy, was no different when it first went into making. It was supposed to be a prequel to 1883, set in the Yellowstone universe. However, creator Chad Feehan changed his mind for valid reasons and confirmed in an interview about the same.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves is not a part of the Yellowstone universe. It was originally supposed to be a spin-off, but the creator changed his mind since the events of Lawmen: Bass Reeves did not coincide with that of 1883, a spin-off of Yellowstone.
No, it is not. Lawmen: Bass Reeves is not set in the Yellowstone universe and is not related to the series or its spin-offs. However, the two shows have a similar setting and theme as they belong to the modern Western crime drama genre.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves is based on the true story of the titular character, who served as a U.S. Deputy in the Indian Territory in the mid-1800s. Although it deals with themes similar to Yellowstone, it is not a spin-off to the series.
Yellowstone, in contrast, is set in the present day and is not a true story. So, the two shows are not related. However, Lawmen: Bass Reeves was originally designed to be a prequel to 1883, a spin-off of Yellowstone. It was supposed to be set in the same universe as 1883 and Yellowstone.
However, the creator dropped the idea because the timeline of the shows was not matching up. Moreover, Bass Reeves is based on a true story, so the timeline and the accuracy of the events are important, unlike the other fictional shows.
2. Why Yellowstone is No Longer a Spin-off of 1883
Creator Chad Feehan has confirmed that they pondered upon the idea of making Lawmen: Bass Reeves a spin-off of 1883, but they ultimately changed their minds. The events of Bass Reeves take place before 1883, roughly between 1862 and 1877. So, connecting it to 1883 would make no sense.
Here’s Chad Feehan’s quote from his recent TVLine interview:
“[It was] an idea that we briefly talked about. 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. The show takes place from, roughly, 1862 to 1877.”
On the other hand, 1883 is fictional, while Lawmen: Bass Reeves is a true story. It will work better as a standalone series rather than a spin-off.
3. About Lawmen: Bass Reeves
Lawmen: Bass Reeves is an American Western television series created by Chad Feehan, who also serves as showrunner, and executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, Feehan, David C. Glasser, David Oyelowo, Jessica Oyelowo, David Permut, Christina Alexandra Voros, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari and David Hutkin.
It is based on the life of the first black Deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River, Bass Reeves. The series premieres on Paramount+ on Sunday, November 5, 2023, with back-to-back episodes.
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