Reba (TV series)
| Reba | |
|---|---|
| File:Reba season 6 title.png Reba season 6 inter-title | |
| Created by | Allison M. Gibson |
| Starring | Reba McEntire Christopher Rich Joanna Garcia Steve Howey Scarlett Pomers Mitch Holleman Melissa Peterman |
| Theme music composer | Shelby Kennedy Phillip White |
| Opening theme | "I'm a Survivor", performed by Reba McEntire |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 125 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Mindy Schultheis Michael Hanel (entire run) Allison M. Gibson (2001–2002) Kevin Abbott (2002–2007) Matt Berry (2003–2007) Donald Beck Christopher Case Pat Bullard Reba McEntire (all from 2005–2007) |
| Camera setup | Videotape (filmized); Multi-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | Acme Productions Bee Caves Road 20th Century Fox Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | The WB (2001–2006) The CW (2006–2007) |
| Release | October 5, 2001 – February 18, 2007 |
Reba is an American sitcom starring Reba McEntire, which ran from 2001 to 2007. For the show's first five seasons, it ran on The WB, with the show transitioning to The CW in its last year.
Synopsis
The show is set in Houston, Texas, and stars Reba McEntire as a wisecracking single mother Reba Nell Hart, whose dentist ex-husband Brock (Christopher Rich) has left her to marry young, ditzy Barbra Jean (Melissa Peterman) after an affair with her, when it is revealed in the pilot episode that Barbra Jean is pregnant. Ironically, though Reba sees "B.J." as her nemesis, Barbra Jean considers Reba her best (and perhaps only) friend. As the show progresses Reba slowly and painfully comes to the conclusion that despite all her efforts to hate her, she likes Barbra Jean and considers her a friend. In the pilot episode it was revealed that Reba's older daughter, then high school senior Cheyenne (Joanna García) is pregnant.
Cheyenne married her baby's father, fellow high-schooler Van Montgomery (Steve Howey), a dim-witted but well-meaning football player. Van moves in with them, as his own parents kicked him out for standing by Cheyenne and Van comes to view Reba as a surrogate parent (something Reba is very comfortable with). Reba's other two children are Kira (Scarlett Pomers), an intelligent and rebellious teenager who shares Reba's sarcastic streak, and Jake (Mitch Holleman), a young boy just trying to sort through the mess of his family. Since the fifth season, Van and Reba have been real estate partners.
The show was canceled when The WB Television Network and UPN merged into The CW Television Network. However, in an 11th hour move on May 17, 2006, The CW renewed Reba with a 13-episode order,[1] reportedly to fulfill a syndication contract worth $20 million.[2] In November 2006, The CW announced that the show would be paired with 7th Heaven, Sundays at 7 p.m., beginning later that month.[3] Reba encores were scheduled for Sundays at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT, with a new episode at 12:30 p.m. Reba became the top-rated sitcom on the CW, also surpassing the dramas Supernatural, One Tree Hill, and Veronica Mars.[4] The final episode aired on February 18, 2007.
Series' end
Midway through Season 6, word began circulating that the CW had ordered "the back nine," or the remaining episodes that would have given Reba a full-season order. But on January 19, 2007 during the network's TCA Press Tour, it was revealed that the series had been canceled, with no "back nine" on order.[5]
The series finale garnered 4.44 million viewers in its final half hour. Rumors continued to float on the CW's message boards and Reba fan sites that the series might still have a chance at renewal, citing the possible removal of programming chief Dawn Ostroff, or that Lifetime may option to a Van/Cheyenne spinoff series.[6] It was soon announced that Garcia and Howey had each been signed to new shows for CBS and FOX respectively.[7]
An interview Reba McEntire gave as part of the press coverage of her then upcoming duets album revealed that the show was not being shopped around and that the series was indeed finished. In an interview with Variety on May 29, 2007, 20th Century Fox TV president Gary Newman said that he regretted The WB's handling of the show in later years, saying that he was sure the series would have been a hit for CBS or ABC.[8]
Characters
| Character | Actor | Description | Relatives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reba Nell McKinney Hart | Reba McEntire | (Born: December 12, 1960) Reba is a single mom who works too hard, loves her kids and never stops. She struggles with taking care of everyone in her house, after her husband divorces her for his dental hygienist. She is temperamental, and prone to sarcastic remarks. But Reba can also be kind and caring, and is usually the sensible one. She worked as a secretary for her ex-husband's dental rival, Eugene. She becomes a real estate agent after she got fired for calling her boss a monkey's butt. | Father- J.V. McKinney (Barry Corbin), Mother- Helen McKinney(Dorothy Lyman) |
| Brock Enroll Hart | Christopher Rich | (Born: 1958) Reba's ex-husband, a dentist and golfer, who leaves her for his much younger, pregnant, dental hygienist, Barbra Jean. He is vain, addicted to tanning, and tries to convince everyone that he is still young. Brock sometimes shows regret from his divorce of Reba, and is diagnosed with kidney stones (in season 5) while Barbra Jean is away. Reba makes him stay at her house, but after his stones pass he stays because he wants to spend time with his family like things used to be. Brock is also (in season 3) diagnosed with depression. His name is a play on "rock & roll". He can sometimes be overprotective of Kira when it comes to boys. | Father- John D. Hart (died in season 1), Mother- Liz Hart (Jenny O'Hara) |
| Cheyenne Hart Montgomery | Joanna García | (Born: 1984) Brock and Reba's oldest daughter, who initially is looking forward to her senior year of high school before learning that she is pregnant. She marries her boyfriend, Van Montgomery, and they move in with Cheyenne's mom, Reba. Cheyenne gives birth to their daughter, Elizabeth, after going into labor on graduation day. She can be somewhat air-headed and self-centered, but she can also be thoughtful and kind-hearted. She is very sensitive, especially when she is insulted (mainly by Kira, her younger sister). She goes to college, studying dentistry. Cheyenne later helps out at a homeless shelter, improving her shallowness greatly. When she comes to the realization that she is an alcoholic, she's inspired to discontinue doing dentistry for her major, and, instead of that, decides to study counseling for those affected by alcohol and drugs. She likes to mess with Van's head. | |
| Van Montgomery | Steve Howey | (Born: 1983) The star cornerback of his high school's football team, Van was kicked out of the house when his parents found out that he planned to marry his pregnant girlfriend (Cheyenne). He consequently moves in with Cheyenne at Reba's house, and his future in professional sports looks bright until an injury from an accident eventually reveals that he has narrowing of the spine. Later in the series he works as a realtor with Reba. Van is portrayed as a big goof and is not good with words, especially when it comes to Cheyenne. Kira especially loves making fun of him. He is a great father to his daughter, Elizabeth. It is hinted he will possibly be overprotective of Elizabeth when she starts dating after he found her after she hid somewhere he couldn't find her while playing hide-and-seek. Cheyenne came out to see what was wrong and then said, "Just wait until you start dating." | Father- Dan, Mother- Sue (Robin Riker) |
| Kyra Eleanor Hart | Scarlett Pomers | (Born: 1989) The middle child, Kyra has the fewest emotional issues of the family. Many of her traits and looks come from Reba, including her sharp wit and knack for sarcasm, although she's known to be more manipulative and difficult. In the final season, she decided not to go to college and focus on her music. Kira also likes teasing Van. For Season 5, she was only on two episodes towards the start of the season, due to Anorexia issues in reality. Then she returned at the beginning of Season 6. | |
| Jacob "Jake" Mitchell Hart | Mitch Holleman | (Born: 1994) The youngest of the Hart children, Jake is often teased by his sister Kira. In the earlier seasons, Jake sometimes is only seen for one scene where he would crack a joke or just mention something that involves the current topic. Jake is pretty oblivious of what goes on around him and has a habit of saying the first thing that comes to his mind without thinking. He acts like a normal boy for his age, although in earlier seasons he displays feminine characteristics that worry his father, Brock. | |
| Barbra Jean Booker Hart | Melissa Peterman | (Born: 1971) "BJ" was Brock's dental hygienist and had an affair with him as his marriage to Reba was deteriorating. She gets pregnant even though Brock and Reba were not divorced yet. Her comically religious behavior was phased out over the course of the first season. Barbra Jean is even less intelligent than Van, more oblivious than Jake and is often an easy target for Reba's sarcasm. While noisy and annoying, Barbra Jean is a kind-hearted person with good intentions. Her tendency to tell "over-the-top" tales results in her sharing many random and often bizarre facts about her childhood and past. The most that can be understood is that she was born in Friendly, Texas and was known as "the biggest baby in Juno County." She had a sister, currently married, a brother named "Buzzard" (played by Bryan Callen of MADtv fame) and a father ("Big Daddy") who enjoys drinking and hunting. Brock is afraid of both Buzzard and Big Daddy because he knows they don't like him. She also claims to have an aunt who spits professionally. In the last season, she lost a considerable amount of weight and became a weather girl (with the stage name "Stormy Clearweather") with a Public-access television cable station. Her meteorological expertise came from the fact her "butt-rometer" could accurately predict rain ever since she was struck by lightning in her Be-dazzler-studded backside in 1982. In the last episode, traded up to her stations' roving news reporter, calling her segment "Babs Janson: Street Walker." | |
| Elizabeth Montgomery | Alena & Gabrielle Leberger | Elizabeth rarely speaks (although in the ninth episode in season 5 she said her first line), but will sometimes be shown in a family member's arm or running around. She's a happy baby who is often shown giggling. | |
| Henry Charles Jesus Hart | Alexander & Jackson McClellan | (Born: 2002) Brock and Barbra Jean's son and is also Cheyenne's, Kira's and Jake's younger brother. He sometimes displays bad behavior which leads Reba to believe that Barbara Jean is a bad parent. |
Reba McEntire, Joanna García, Steve Howey, and Christopher Rich are the only cast members to appear in every episode.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Season Premiere | Season Finale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 (Episodes 01–22) | October 5, 2001 | May 10, 2002 |
| 2 | 24 (Episodes 23–46) | September 20, 2002 | May 9, 2003 |
| 3 | 23(Episodes 47–68) | September 20, 2003 | May 14, 2004 |
| 4 | 22 (Episodes 69–90) | September 17, 2004 | May 20, 2005 |
| 5 | 22 (Episodes 91–112) | September 16, 2005 | May 5, 2006 |
| 6 | 13 (Episodes 113–125) | November 19, 2006 | February 18, 2007 |
Opening sequences
The show's theme song, "I'm a Survivor," was written by Shelby Kennedy and Phillip White and performed by Reba McEntire. The song comes from Reba's album Greatest Hits Vol. 3: I'm a Survivor. Though the first part of the TV version's lyrics appear elsewhere in the song, the album version has a different chorus: "The baby girl without a chance / a victim of circumstance / the one who ought to give up / but she's just too hard-headed / a single mom who works two jobs/ who loves her kids and never stops / with gentle hands and the heart of a fighter / I'm a survivor. The show's lyrics are as follows:
- HEY, HEY! My roots are planted in the past,
- Though my life is changing fast,
- Who I am is who I wanna be.
- A single mom, who works too hard,
- Who loves her kids and never stops.
- With gentle hands and the heart of a fighter.
- I'm a survivor.
In Season 1, the opening credits were black-and-white photos of cast members interspersed with clips of each cast member from the show (mostly if not all from the pilot episode), along with color video shots of Reba on a soundstage. The theme song, "I'm a Survivor", was slower and softer, very similar to the original album version. The first ten episodes of season two featured a truncated opening sequence: Cast and crew names were shown during the first and second segments of the show. The song was re-recorded at a faster, more energetic pace, but only two lines of the chorus ("Who I am is who I want to be / I'm a survivor") were sung. New video inserts of McEntire were shot and played with a color photo of the entire cast at the end.
From the 11th episode of Season 2 onwards, a full opening sequence was returned to the show. The fast-paced song played among the new shots of McEntire plus clips of cast members from previous episodes as their names scroll past the screen horizontally. In Seasons 5 and 6, the song was re-mixed again, with more accompanying instruments.
The series finale of "Reba" ended with a family photo, similar to the first episode and the season five finale "Reba's Heart". This marks the only time that Reba ended back to back seasons using the family photo of season one.
The final season of Reba was originally scheduled to debut in the spring of 2007, but returned in November 2006 following the cancellation of the CW drama Runaway.
Other songs
Other songs in the Reba series include Reba's hit single, "Walk On" which is in the pilot episode, and three unreleased songs performed for the specific episode, the songs are, "Angel's Lullaby" which Reba performs at the end of the season one finale episode, "It Ain't Over Till the Redhead Sings", the second song is called "Far Away" which Reba performs at the end of the episode entitled, "Terry Holliway", the third and final song that is unreleased is Reba's and Melissa's performance of the hit Dolly Parton song, "9 to 5" in the episode entitled "Driving Miss Kyra."
American ratings
Reba set a new all-time viewership record for any program on the WB's Friday night (best-ever Friday in women 18–49). During its five seasons on the Friday night lineup, it often ranked 4th in its timeslot, with a few episodes bringing in over 5 million viewers.
Reba's premiere on The CW Sunday averaged 4.02 million viewers, including 1.64 million viewers and 40 percent among adults 18–49 more than when Everybody Hates Chris and All of Us premiered in the same time slot, thus making Reba the highest rated sitcom on the network. With Reba as a lead in, 7th Heaven saw a season high of 4.51 million viewers.
Reba was averaging 3,630,000 viewers since the beginning of its sixth season, making it the seventh most-watched show and the most-watched sitcom on The CW throughout the 2006–07 television season. The new Reba episodes vary as being either sixth or seventh most-watched program on the network, sometimes ranking as high as #3 for the week.
Throughout The CW's inaugural season (2006–07), no other program had higher viewer turnout for repeat airings than Reba. As a result of the lackluster ratings for encores of the summer drama Hidden Palms, repeats of Reba returned to the CW's schedule in June 2007 after being absent for three months, and they immediately became the most-watched program of the night. Later in the summer, repeats of Reba were the most-viewed program on the CW network.
| Season | U.S. ratings | Network | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2001–2002 | 4.2 million[9] | The WB | #129 |
| 2 | 2002–2003 | 4.5 million[10] | The WB | #127 |
| 3 | 2003–2004 | 4.0 million[11] | The WB | |
| 4 | 2004–2005 | 4.3 million[12] | The WB | #117 |
| 5 | 2005–2006 | 3.4 million[13] | The WB | #133 |
| 6 | 2006–2007 | 3.6 million | The CW | |
Syndication
on Peachtree TV from 1-2pm every Monday-Friday
International success
The show, Reba is broadcast worldwide in over 30 different countries. Worldwide, the series finale garnered 8.2 million viewers. Being extremely successful in the Czech Republic (where it was renamed "Diary of Deserving Mother") in which it the season premiere on 29 September 2007, garnered over 1 million viewers. It was also successful in Canada, Mexico, and Croatia. The show is extremely popular in the Caribbean giving McEntire an enormous fan base there.
| Country / Region | Channel | Season Premiere |
|---|---|---|
| United States (origin) | WB - CW | October 5, 2001 |
| United States (origin) | Lifetime | September 7, 2005 |
| Austria | ORF | November 19, 2005 |
| Canada | CMT (Canada) JoyTV | October 10, 2001 |
| Croatia | RTL Televizija | October 17, 2005 |
| Hungary | Comedy Central | November 20, 2009 |
| South Africa | M-Net Series (Season 1–6) | November 29, 2007 |
| Czech Republic | Prima | September 29, 2007 |
| Mexico | Fox (Latin America) | March 27, 2005 |
| Barbados | CBC TV 8 | November 22, 2008 |
| Ireland | RTÉ ONE | June 13, 2005 |
| Finland | MTV 3 | June, 2007 |
| Thailand | True Series | March, 2005 |
| Greece | Makedonia TV | September, 2008 |
| Norway | TV3 | August, 2004 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | NCC 4 | January 21, 2009 |
| Sweden | TV4 | August, 2006 |
| Switzerland | TSR_1 | December, 2011 |
| Saudi Arabia | Showtime Arabia | April, 2008 |
| Spain | Canal 2 | June, 2009 |
| Belgium | VTM | December, 2007 |
| Turkey | ComedyMax | March, 2008 |
| Denmark | TV 2 ZULU | February, 2009 |
| Iran | Farsi1 | December, 2009 |
| Armenia | VH1, MTV, CMT | July, 2012 |
DVD releases
20th Century Fox has released the entire series run, seasons 1–6, of Reba on DVD in Region 1. All discs are double-sided in an effort to reduce the economics of producing the sets. In 2010, seasons 1-4 were re-released in standard, more compact DVD cases to match the fifth and sixth season releases.
| Title | Season One | Season Two | Season Three | Season Four | Season Five | Season Six |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release date | December 14, 2004 | December 13, 2005 | April 25, 2006 | November 14, 2006 | January 13, 2009 | June 23, 2009 |
| Ep# | 22 Episodes | 24 Episodes | 22 Episodes | 22 Episodes | 22 Episodes | 13 Episodes |
| Disc # | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Format | NTSC | NTSC | NTSC | NTSC | NTSC | NTSC |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | People's Choice Awards | Won | Favorite Female Performer in a New Television Series | Reba McEntire |
| Young Artist Awards | Nominated | Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series – Supporting Young Actress | Scarlett Pomers | |
| Nominated | Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series – Supporting Young Actor | Mitch Holleman | ||
| Nominated | Best Family TV Comedy Series | |||
| Won | Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series – Guest Starring Young Actor | Shawn Pyfrom | ||
| 2002 | Nominated | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Supporting Young Actor | Mitch Holleman | |
| Nominated | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young Actress | Scarlett Pomers | ||
| 2003 | Nominated | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young Actress | Scarlett Pomers | |
| 2004 | Nominated | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actor Age Ten or Younger | Mitch Holleman | |
| Nominated | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young Actress | Scarlett Pomers | ||
| Won | Best Family Television Series (Comedy) | |||
| 2005 | Nominated | Best Performance in a TV Series – Supporting Young Actor | Mitch Holleman | |
| 2006 | Golden Globe Award | Nominated | Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy | Reba McEntire |
| 2006 | Emmy Award | Nominated | Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series | Bryan Hays (For episode "Flowers For Van") |
| 2007 | Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series | Bryan Hays (For episode "The Goodbye Guy") | ||
| 2008 | Teen Choice Awards | Nominated | Choice TV Actress: Comedy | Joanna García |
References
- ^ "CW mixes old, new in sked; Fox prepares to thrill".
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) [dead link] - ^ Deadline Hollywood Daily » EXCLUSIVE: Moonves Manhandles “Reba”
- ^ CW Special | CW11 New York | WPIX-TV
- ^ "Season Program Rankings, from 09/18/06 through 01/14/07". ABC Television Network. January 17, 2006. Retrieved January 19, 2006. [dead link]
- ^ "CBS Pulls 'Armed & Famous,' The CW Confirms 'Reba' End". TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved January 26, 2007.
- ^ "Reba: Is the CW Sitcom cancelled for Sure?". TVSeriesFinale.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2007. Retrieved January 24, 2007.
- ^ "Reba: Van & Cheyenne Spin-off Update". TVSeriesFinale.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved March 15, 2007.
- ^ Kissell, Rick (May 29, 2007). "TV success depends on quality, network". Variety.com. Retrieved May 29, 2007.
- ^ "How did your favorite show rate? (2001–02)". USA Today. May 28, 2002.
- ^ "2002–03 Ratings".
- ^ "2003–04 Ratings". ABC Medianet.
- ^ "2004–05 Primetime Wrap". Hollywood Reporter.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) [dead link] - ^ "2005–06 Primetime Wrap". The Hollywood Reporter.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) [dead link]
External links
- Reba at IMDb
- Template:Tv.com
- Official website from Lifetime Television
- TV Series Finale – details of cancellation and possible spin-off
- Use mdy dates from August 2010
- 2000s American television series
- 2001 American television series debuts
- 2007 American television series endings
- American television sitcoms
- English-language television series
- Fictional versions of real people
- The CW Television Network shows
- Teen pregnancy in film and television
- Television series by Fox Television Studios
- Television shows set in Houston, Texas
- WB network shows