Taylor Sheridan’s 8-Part Western Epic Is One Of His Best

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Taylor Sheridan is a major talent in television, but one of his standout shows, Lawman: Bass Reeves, nearly faded into obscurity before finding an audience through streaming. While Sheridan’s film work includes acclaimed movies like Sicario and Wind River, he’s also had less successful projects, such as the 2021 film Those Who Wish Me Dead.

Sheridan’s work on television is incredibly impressive. He’s best known for the epic Western series Yellowstone, which ran for five seasons and led to the creation of two prequel series, 1883 and 1923. A sequel, Y: Marshals, is also on the way. Beyond Yellowstone, Sheridan has worked on many other television shows as well.

Taylor Sheridan has created several popular shows, including the crime drama Tulsa King, the gripping thriller Mayor of Kingstown, and the spy series Lioness. His show Landman on Paramount+ just finished its second season and has been renewed for a third, demonstrating that his series continue to attract a large audience.

Lawman: Bass Reeves Is An Underrated Taylor Sheridan Series

Taylor Sheridan has created several popular TV shows, but not all of them have been long-lived. While Yellowstone ran from 2018 to 2024, and 1883 aired from 2021 to 2022, and 1923 from 2022 to 2025, one of his series didn’t get renewed for a second season.

However, Lawmen: Bass Reeves on Paramount+ only ran for one season in 2023. The show, a period drama ideal for viewers of Yellowstone, told the story of Bass Reeves, a historical figure and one of the first African American Deputy US Marshals west of the Mississippi River.

The series Lawmen: Bass Reeves, inspired by Sidney Thompson’s books, blends the classic detective show with a Western setting. David Oyelowo gives a compelling performance as Bass Reeves, and Forrest Goodluck and Donald Sutherland deliver excellent supporting performances.

Although Lawmen: Bass Reeves has a similar feel to Yellowstone, the two shows weren’t actually connected. This lack of connection might explain why Lawmen: Bass Reeves wasn’t renewed for a second season, despite receiving good reviews and remaining popular on Paramount+.

I’ve been totally hooked on Lawmen: Bass Reeves! It’s consistently been in the top ten shows on streaming in so many places, and it’s clearly a hit with anyone who already loves Taylor Sheridan’s other work. What’s really great is that the show managed to cover pretty much the whole story from the book trilogy, so you can enjoy it as a complete, satisfying miniseries without needing to worry about it continuing indefinitely.

2023’s Lawman: Bass Reeves Only Lasted One Season

When Lawman: Bass Reeves first came out, a second season was discussed, and many viewers still hope it gets one, even three years later. The show featured a rich cast of characters and presented a unique and interesting take on the Old West, similar to how Netflix’s Godless did as a limited series.

Both shows could have launched ongoing series, but neither made it past its first season. With Godless, this isn’t surprising – Netflix hasn’t had much success with Westerns, recently canceling American Primeval and The Abandons after just one season each.

The cancellation of Lawman: Bass Reeves might not have been due to low viewership, but rather a change in direction from its creator. Taylor Sheridan has been incredibly prolific lately, making it hard to immediately spot patterns in his shows. However, Lawman: Bass Reeves reveals a noticeable shift in his approach.

Lawman: Bass Reeves’s Cancellation Ended A Taylor Sheridan Career Trend

Despite the critical success of period westerns like 1923, 1883, and Lawman: Bass Reeves, Taylor Sheridan hasn’t returned to the genre since the 2023 series. Lawman: Bass Reeves marked his final Western set in the past, and 1923, a Yellowstone spin-off, concluded its run after the first season of Lawman: Bass Reeves.

Westerns on television can be costly to produce, and while the genre was once hugely popular in the 1960s, cowboy shows haven’t been a major hit on TV for many years. Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone (2018) was the first Western series in decades to achieve widespread success, and it helped pave the way for modern Westerns like Landman and Tulsa King.

Because Lawman: Bass Reeves was a classic Western set in the past, there was a chance some viewers wouldn’t enjoy the historical setting. While this didn’t seem to be a problem during the first season, it looks like this concern has influenced Taylor Sheridan’s work lately.

Following Lawman: Bass Reeves, Taylor Sheridan has been concentrating on modern Western-style shows such as Tulsa King, Landman, and Mayor of Kingstown. Even his next series related to Yellowstone, Y: Marshals, takes place in the present day. This shift away from traditional Westerns suggests it could be a long wait before a continuation of Lawman: Bass Reeves is made.

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2026-02-22 20:29