OnTV: The CW Sends ‘Reba’ Away
Ratings Hit ‘Reba’ Bows Out Despite Indisputable Popularity
Television history can file this series finale under “Duh” for the remainder of eternity. Heedless of its status as the fledgling new CW network’s most-watched comedy on any night, Reba, starring country music icon Reba McEntire and currently in its sixth season, has finally been shown the door by The CW. I say finally because this sad day has been on the horizon ever since the sitcom’s original network, The WB, made it clear that the series was a bastard child. Why? Because it didn’t fit in with network executives’ preferred viewership, which apparently comprises the teenagers and young adults who crave youth-oriented and/or inane fare like One Tree Hill and America’s Next Top Model. The only reason Reba was renewed for the 2006 fall season in the first place was because, if canceled, contract issues would have required the network to shell out money to cast members anyway.
Since returning to the active schedule in November 2006, Reba has delivered its customarily dependable ratings numbers, easily making it a popular program among viewers. The CW didn’t care about the Nielsen numbers, however, or how loud the very vocal outcry from critics and fans against cancellation was. At the end of January, the network confirmed what champions suspected would eventually happen, and tonight at 7:00 we have the final two episodes of a rare series that is leaving the small screen while still riding high. Fortunately, fans have a bit of consolation in the fact that the comedy is now in syndication on basic-cable’s Lifetime. That’s better than nothing, I suppose, which is what viewers are usually left with after a mistreated series exits the tube.
The first half-hour installment of tonight’s final episodes, “The Housewarming,” is all about Barbra Jean (Melissa Peterman) as her on-air breakdown causes her husband Brock (Christopher Rich) to suspect that their marriage just might have a chance after all. Then in the finale “The Kids Are All Right,” Reba is faced with the unwanted possibility of living with Cheyenne (JoAnna Garcia) and Van (Steve Howey) after a fire ruins their new house.
Other New Stuff on TV Tonight
- 56th Annual NBA All-Star Basketball Game: East meets West live from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. [TNT/8:30]
- The Amazing Race: All-Stars—I TOLD YOU LESS MARTINIS AND MORE CARDIO: The 11th season of this reality-TV bigwig presents eleven former teams from ten past seasons as they receive a second opportunity to win $1 million. Sounds good to me. [CBS/8:00]
- Masterpiece Theatre—PRIME SUSPECT 6: THE LAST WITNESS: Repeat of the next-to-last installment in the recently ended detective series starring Oscar contender Helen Mirren. [PBS/9:00*]
- Planet Carnivore—LIONS/SHARKS: The first two installments of this debut nature series are narrated by actor Alec Baldwin (30 Rock). The first episode explores the rivalry between a lioness leader and nearby hyenas for food sources, while the second goes deep underwater to examine how great white sharks hunt to survive. [National Geographic/8:00 & 9:00]
- ABC: America’s Funniest Home Videos (7:00); Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (8:00); Desperate Housewives (9:00); Brothers & Sisters (10:03)
- CBS: 60 Minutes (7:00); The Amazing Race: All-Stars (8:00); Cold Case (9:00); Without A Trace (10:00)
- CSPAN: Road to the White House 2008 (9:30)
- The CW: 7th Heaven (8:00)
- ESPN: Figure Skating—Four Continents Championships (8:00)
- FNC: The 1/2 Hour News Hour (10:00)
- Food Network: Emeril Live (8:00)
- Fox: The Simpsons (8:00); King of the Hill (8:30); Family Guy (9:00); American Dad (9:30)
- HBO: Rome (9:00); Extras (10:00)
- HGTV: House Hunters International (8:30); Dream House (10:00); What’s With That House? (10:30)
- MSNBC: Meet the Press (10:00)
- MTV: True Life (9:00); I’m from Rolling Stone (11:00)
- NBC: Deal or No Deal (7:00); Grease: You’re the One That I Want (8:00); The Apprentice: Los Angeles (9:00); Crossing Jordan (10:00)
- PBS: Nature (8:00*); Independent Lens (9:00*)
- Sci Fi: The Dresden Files (9:00); Battlestar Galactica (10:00)
- Showtime: The L Word (10:00)
- TNT: NBA 2007 All-Star Game (8:30)
- VH1: Surreal Life Fame Games (9:00); Hogan Knows Best-NOT NEW IN AOL (10:00); Shooting Sizemore (10:30)
*All PBS times may vary—Check your local listings to verify them
All times are PM and EST/Eastern Standard Time
Reba photo courtesy of The CW
