1883: The Bass Reeves Story – Everything you need to know about the Yellowstone prequel (original) (raw)
1883 spoilers follow.
The Yellowstone universe is expanding... again.
Thanks to the wild success of the flagship series, creator Taylor Sheridan has been able to dive deep into the Dutton family's history and explore their origins through two prequels: 1883 and 1923.
While 1923 has already been renewed for season two, there's been no news on a second season of 1883 since its debut last year. This isn't too surprising given the unfortunate fates of many of the main characters, but it's still a bit of a blow to fervent fans nonetheless.
It's not all bad news, though. We may not be seeing Elsa Dutton (Isabel May) and co again, but we are getting an 1883 spin-off series set in the same era, titled 1883: The Bass Reeves Story.
It sounds like a good'un (and it's based on a true story!), so join us here at Digital Sp y as we tell you everything you need to know about it.
1883: The Bass Reeves Story potential release date - When's it on?
Emerson Miller/Paramount+
1883: The Bass Reeves Story began production in October 2022 and is still ongoing, so there's a chance fans could get to see the new series by the end of the year — though 2024 is looking a little more realistic.
1883: The Bass Reeves Story cast - Who's in it?
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Selma's David Oyelowo will lead the stacked cast as Bass Reeves, a real-life legendary lawman who was the first Black deputy US marshal west of the Mississippi River.
"Bass Reeves is a character who the Lone Ranger was actually based on," Oyelowo said (via Collider). "But unfortunately, he was whitewashed out of history.
"He was born into enslavement, went on to fight in the Civil War, then escaped to the Indian Territory; learned the Native American languages and skills, which ended up being applied to his career as a lawman, and had the most prolific career. Three thousand arrests in his career and someone whose exploits are truly legendary."
"We're doing it as a six-part miniseries. So basically a six-hour movie," he added.
Lauren E Banks will play Bass' "strong and fiercely loyal" wife Jennie, while Demi Singleton (King Richard) will appear as the duo's "precocious daughter" Sally.
Other cast members include Dennis Quaid as deputy US marshal Sherrill Lynn, Shea Whigham (Perry Mason) as a cruel enslaver named Colonel George Reeves, Barry Pepper (Creed III) as 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles leader Esau Pierce and Forrest Goodluck (The English) as a young Cherokee man named Billy Crow.
Cole Hauser, who plays Rip Wheeler on Yellowstone, has also teased that he'll appear in the spin-off.
When the actor arrived at the Yellowstone season five premiere with a goatee, he told ET: "I'm switching it up on ya. This is for a role that I did in 1883."
1883: The Bass Reeves Story plot - What will happen?
Emerson Miller/Paramount+
As the official synopsis for the show reveals (via Variety), 1883: The Bass Reeves Story "will bring the legendary lawman of the wild west to life.
"Reeves, 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."
Reeves was born into slavery in 1838. He joined the US Marshals in 1875 and was assigned to the Western District of Arkansas, which also had authority over the Native reservation Territory.
When Oklahoma became a US state in 1907, Reeves was relieved of his duties as a marshal, though he continued to serve in law enforcement until 1909, the year before his death.
Whatever happens on the show, Reeves' story will be given more time to unfold on the small screen than it would have had on the big screen — that's according to Oyelowo (via Collider).
"Back in the day when you watched Ben-Hur or Lawrence of Arabia, that was epic storytelling," Oyelowo said. "But you put a three-hour, four-hour film in front of people now: oh, gosh! But you let them binge something that's six to ten hours, they're all in.
"So I think it's just a reframing of it. Maybe it's just a mental leap people need to take to engage with the storytelling a little bit longer."
1883: The Bass Reeves Story trailer - When can I watch it?
Given the current stage of production, we're in for a bit of a wait. But rest assured that as soon as we hear of a trailer, you'll be the first to know.
Yellowstone seasons 1-5, _1923 season 1, and 1883 season 1 are all available to stream on Paramount+.
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Freelance Reporter, Digital Spy After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022. In that role, Iona wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona now contributes to DS as a freelance reporter.
Iona has reported from the Black Adam red carpet, and interviewed celebrities ranging from Love Island stars to the cast of Disney's live-action The Little Mermaid.