The Reba McEntire-led hit sitcom, Reba, has recently received new interest on Netflix. First premiering on TV in 2001, this long-running show centered around the eponymous protagonist, a middle-aged woman who is thrown into single parenthood following her husband’s sudden decision to leave her for his dental hygienist. Throughout its duration, Reba received mostly glowing ratings, and it garnered an admirable and dedicated audience who made it one of the defining sitcoms of the early 2000s.
Now, about 17 years after Reba was cancelled, the sitcom has experienced a sudden resurgence on Netflix. For the week of May 6 – May 12, 2024, Reba sat at the 9th spot on the popular streamer’s weekly Top 10 list of most-watched television shows in the US, marking its first week on the list.
During the first few seasons of Reba, the sitcom averaged over 4-5 million viewers per episode, making it the highest-rated sitcom on The CW in its early days. While the final season of Reba saw the show experience a drop in eyeballs, averaging a little over 3 million viewers, the show still ranked as the most-watched sitcom on The CW throughout the 2006–07 television season.
Reba quickly cultivated a loyal and ever-growing audience right from the premiere of season 1. The protagonist Reba McEntire was and remains one of the show’s major appeals. Even though Reba had slowly established herself as a capable actress, the country singer quickly blew expectations out of the water with Reba, proving she is a great actress and an amazing comedian. Her proven track record has also led to a new series for McEntire.
While the lead star’s performance coupled with that of her talented co-stars like Christopher Rich, JoAnna García, Steve Howey, and Scarlett Pomers aided the success of Reba during its run, another major reason why the show was so successful was that it never took itself too seriously. The writing was witty, funny, and most importantly light-hearted, making it somewhat of a comfort show for many. This partly explains its sudden resurgence on Netflix and why there has been constant conversation about a possible reboot since it ended many years ago.
Source: Netflix