The new Western series, Lawmen: Bass Reeves, has set a record for Paramount+, as the show has become the streamer’s most-watched series premiere globally this year.
Per Deadline, the first two episodes have reached 7.5 million viewers globally in their first seven days. That counts both Paramount+ and the show’s broadcast preview on CBS, according to Paramount Global. The number is more than double Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ initial 3.55M viewers that tuned in either live or on the same day for the back-to-back broadcast premiere on CBS.
“Our goal at Yoruba Saxon is simple, to normalize the marginalized for a global audience. The international embrace of Lawmen: Bass Reeves shows that borders are no boundary to a fresh perspective on a great story,” executive producer and star David Oyelowo said in a statement.
Who stars in Lawmen: Bass Reeves?
Along with executive producer David Oyelowo, the cast includes Lauren E. Banks, Demi Singleton, Forrest Goodluck, Emmy Award winner Barry Pepper, Honorary Oscar recipient Donald Sutherland, and Emmy Award nominee Dennis Quaid.
The ensemble also features Shea Whigham and Garrett Hedlund as guest stars, and, in recurring roles, Joaquina Kalukango, Lonnie Chavis, Grantham Coleman, Tosin Morohunfola, Dale Dickey, Rob Morgan, Ryan O’Nan, Margot Bingham, Mo Brings Plenty, Justin Hurtt-Dunkley, and Bill Dawes.
Created for television by executive producer and showrunner Chad Feehan, the series is also executive produced by Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan, David Oyelowo, David C. Glasser, Jessica Oyelowo, David Permut, Christina Alexandra Voros, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, and David Hutkin. The series is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios, Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch Productions, and Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon and is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution outside of Paramount+ international markets.
“Revealing the untold story of the most legendary lawman in the Old West, Lawmen: Bass Reeves follows the journey of Reeves (Oyelowo) and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi,” per the official description. “Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during the course of his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost to his beloved family. The series is an all-new, standalone anthology series and future iterations will follow other iconic lawmen and outlaws who have impacted history.”
