Taylor Sheridan’s Brand New TV Series Shot In Fort Worth Builds Cowtown Buzz — Your First Look at Bass Reeves and Its Texas Scenes

Interest continues to buzz around Fort Worth native Taylor Sheridan’s myriad television projects ― especially the ones that shoot in and around Fort Worth. Sheridan is certainly boosting Cowtown’s credentials as a filmmaking destination. Sheridan’s new series called Lawmen: Bass Reeves, starring David Oyelowo as the real lone ranger ― based on a historical real-life African American deputy sheriff — got shot at several historic locations in Fort Worth, Glen Rose, Weatherford, Stephenville and Strawn, Texas.

And now Paramount+ is unveiling the first look at images from the new show, along with a preview teaser for the highly-anticipated original series. Lawmen: Bass Reeves will premiere this fall. Scroll through this story to get looks at these exclusive first images, with many of them shot in Fort Worth.

The Emmy Award-nominated Oyelowo also serves as one of the show’s executive producers, along with Lauren E. Banks, Demi Singleton, Forrest Goodluck, Barry Pepper, honorary Oscar recipient Donald Sutherland and Emmy Award nominee Dennis Quaid.

While many Baby Boomers and Gen Xers may remember watching reruns of the Lone Ranger television series, which ran for five seasons beginning in 1949 on ABC, that show was merely a riff on reality. Clayton Moore’s masked lawman rode his trusty steed named Silver (of hi-ho-Silver fame) as the intro music trumpeted his dramatic advance.

That Lone Ranger’s sidekick was an “original person” (the preferred term for Native American according to Lakota actor Mo Brings Plenty of the Yellowstone cast, who is also a part of the Bass Reeves cast). Jay Silverheels’ Tonto character had few lines on that original Lone Ranger show and he was really a caricature, speaking only stilted English.

The updated version from Taylor Sheridan gets back to the historical character, introducing viewers to a lone ranger they never dared to imagine, proving once more that truth is more interesting than fiction.

“Lawmen: Bass Reeves will bring the legendary lawman and outlaws of the Wild West to life. Reeves (Oyelowo), known as the greatest frontier hero in American history, worked in the post-Reconstruction era as a federal peace officer in the Indian Territory, capturing over 3,000 of the most dangerous criminals without ever being wounded,” a release notes.

Bass Reeves is just the first in the LAWMEN series that the prolific Sheridan has planned. It is an anthology series with future iterations that will follow other iconic lawmen and outlaws who have impacted history.

The cast also includes Shea Whigham (Boardwalk Empire) and Garrett Hedlund (Troy, Friday Night Lights) as guest stars. Along with Mo Brings Plenty, other recurring roles will be played by Joaquina Kalukango, Lonnie Chavis, Grantham Coleman, Tosin Morohunfola, Dale Dickey, Rob Morgan, Ryan O’Nan, Margot Bingham, Justin Hurtt-Dunkley and Bill Dawes.

A new vision of a real historic lawman will ride onto the small screen this fall, when Lawmen: Bass Reeves debuts. And parts of it were filmed right here in Fort Worth. Taylor Sheridan style.