Remember When Reba McEntire’s TV Show, ‘Reba,’ Premiered?
Reba McEntire's fans may know her best as one of country music's biggest names, but it's no secret that the star behind hits like "Fancy," "Does He Love You" and "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" is a talented actor, too.
In fact, twenty-two years ago — on Oct. 5, 2001 — McEntire officially got her own sitcom when Reba debuted on the WB network. The show followed McEntire's character, named Reba Nell Hart, who juggles life as a single mom to a pregnant teenage daughter, Cheyenne, while also living across the street from her ex-husband Brock and his new wife, Barbra Jean.
In addition to McEntire, the show starred Christopher Rich, Joanna Garcia and Melissa Peterman. Reba ran for six seasons, setting a WB network viewership record for its coveted Friday night slot and averaging more than 3.6 million viewers each week.
In addition to being a fan favorite, Reba was critically acclaimed, receiving nominations for several major awards during its time on air and even earning McEntire a People's Choice Award in 2002 for Favorite Female Performer in a New Television Series.
Ultimately, the show was cancelled in 2007, after its final season aired on the CW network. It wouldn't be the last time fans could catch McEntire on the small screen, though: In 2012, she starred in ABC sitcom Malibu Country. She has also put in appearances in more than 10 films, and now has a guest role on Season 3 of the ABC drama Big Sky.
McEntire has told fans that she'd be all in on a reboot of Reba, explaining to Taste of Country Nights that the cancelation came as a surprise to everyone working on Reba, and the show still had plenty of storylines left in its holster.
"We had no idea why they canceled us," she admitted. "We were a huge success, so it was a head-scratcher for us. So to come back now ... that amount of time, that time spread, we'd have a lot of stories to tell."
In the meantime, McEntire has remained close friends with her former co-star, Peterman, who played Barbra Jean. In 2020, the pair reunited for a podcast called Living & Learning With Reba McEntire.
What Happened To the Cast of 'Reba'?
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