‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ Star David Oyelowo, Showrunner Chad Feehan Say Bass Is Riding Off Into The Sunset — Contenders TV

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Star and executive producer David Oyelowo and Lawmen: Bass Reeves creator, showrunner and executive producer Chad Feehan said Reeves’ family values were what made him stand out.

Oyelowo plays Reeves, a U.S. Marshal after the abolition of slavery. “The way in for a global audience should be not just appealing to the sensibility of people who love westerns but the family,” Oyelowo said at Contenders TV. “Essentially a Black family which is also something you never see in this time period.

As we discussed this, we felt the universal element was going to be the work-life balance as something that everyone can relate to.” Oyelowo said that Reeves was always trying to get back to his family after his arrests.

Reeves’ family values also influenced one of the show’s most memorable antagonists, Esau Pierce (Barry Pepper). Feehan said Pierce represents the antithesis of Reeves. “The idea was for me was what happens if Bass Reeves walks into Col Kurtz’s lair,” Feehan said. “I felt that was the best opposition for Bass who’s a deeply religious character and a deeply righteous man to go against somebody who has no moral code.” Oyelowo pitched the show twice before in 2015 and 2017.