5 Things You Never Knew About Hit TV Show ‘Reba’
on Dec 08, 2017
One of the biggest hit television shows in the 2000s, Reba McEntire‘s beloved sitcom and family show took off like wildfire with American viewers.
Originally only expected to last a few seasons, the show endured the test of time and developed a massive fan base which helped it reach new heights as the top-rated sitcom on its network, The CW.
For more than six years, Reba captured viewers hearts and souls with its witty, wise-cracking humor and ditzy antics from the easy-to-love, Barbra Jean all while touching on some of life’s most difficult and hard-hitting topics.
If you consider yourself a Reba fan (which you likely do) then you’re going to love this list of shocking and true facts about this incredible TV show!
The Show Almost Wasn’t Called “Reba”
When the show was developed and pitched to Reba McEntire, it was originally written with the main character named “Sally”. Of course, by this time McEntire had a massive and loyal fan base built up from her career in music. After some talking with executives, the decision was made to re-name the show and character “Reba” to give fans a foothold and connect to the show.
Reba Had Some Friendly Faces On The Show
Although many believed this hot and fresh sitcom was the first gig for some of these actors, both McEntire and Christopher Rich, who plays her ex-husband Brock, co-starred in Kenny Roger’s 1991 masterpiece, The Gambler Returns: Luck of the Draw.
Reba & Barbra Jean Are Best Friends – But She Would Never Admit It
Throughout the entire show, fans were able to see just how close Reba’s character and Barbra Jean became, but even through some of the most trying of circumstances, there never was a moment that she opened up about how close they are.
It was only during the very last episode they would ever tape that Reba actually acknowledged to Barbra Jean that she was her closest friend.
The Final 6th Season Almost Didn’t Happen
Originally broadcast on the WB network, Reba was cut out of the lineup and cancelled after a merger brought an entirely new channel to television, The CW. During a last-minute maneuver, the 6th and final season of Reba was ordered by the network for a 13-episode run, giving devoted fans the closure they had been hoping for.
Reba + Barbra Jean = 4EVER
After spending more than six years working on the show together and enduring the highs and lows of their beloved series getting cancelled and renewed, Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman (Barbra Jean) became incredibly close friends off screen.
To this day, Peterman and McEntire consider each other some of the closest friends they’ve had and every now and then, you can find Peterman crashing one of McEntire’s concerts in a hilarious turn of events!
