CW Lets Reba Go

by Natalie Finn

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 07:52:39 PM PST

Sometimes being at the top can still feel pretty low.

The CW has confirmed that Reba will end its six-season run next month, despite its status as the freshman network's highest-rated comedy.

The sitcom returned to the airwaves Sunday, Nov. 19 after an extended limbo period in which the CW couldn't ensure that the popular series would appear on its lineup at all.

After realizing that the network needed as much help as it could get from the old standby, it ordered up 13 fresh episodes last May and added an hour of Reba (new episodes at 7:30 p.m.) to its Sunday-night lineup, where it has provided a strong lead-in to fellow WB refugee 7th Heaven, aka the most-watched show on the CW.

When 7th Heaven moved from its decade-old Monday timeslot over to Sundays to air after Reba, it scored its highest viewership of the season (4.5 million). Meanwhile, Reba's sixth-season premiere attracted more than 4 million pairs of eyes.

The family comedy, starring country music star Reba McEntire as a wise-cracking single mom whose entire brood is crowded under one roof, has been averaging 3.7 million viewers in its Sunday slot after being a Friday show for most of its life.

A two-part series finale is scheduled for Feb. 18.

"It's one of those things that doesn't really make sense. We're doing so well for the CW we can't quite figure it out. It's kind of sad," Melissa Peterman, who plays Reba's ex-husband's ditzy new wife Barbra Jean, told Tennessee's Chattanooga Free Times Press on Monday, before the cancellation was made official. "We still have new episodes that are coming up, and there is always the possibility that next year could happen, but right now it seems like it's not going to happen."

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WHAAAAA? Why did they pull the plug?

I have not watched in a while but dang, that was a good show, these networks just are going crazy pulling all of these shows

So sad... I'm losing the OC and Reba both.

Reba was hilarious. CW is an idiot.

The CW fulfilled its contractual obligation for a 6th season to avoid being sued. I'm sure they were hoping it would fail, so they wouldn't look like idiots when they cancelled it. But you can tell the network doesn't want it.

The CW fulfilled its contractual obligation for a 6th season to avoid being sued. I'm sure they were hoping it would fail, so they wouldn't look like idiots when they cancelled it. But you can tell the network doesn't want it.

It's ridiculous.

They just canceled it because Reba is country. They want to be "hip" CW and it doesn't flow well with that kind of show.

"7th Heaven" is sucking up in the only way it can, always throwing in dialogue about being "free to" do this and that, aka the network's slogan, lol. THey've done it on multiple episodes now, each time, mentioning the "free to be" ... at least twice in a row. They're SO sucking up.

Don't get me wrong, I love the show -- both of them -- but it's ridiculous that The CW can't figure out it's identity and chooses to cancel its highest rated sitcom just to have a better chance of figuring out WHAT they are.

[!@#$%^&*] holes!

Hopefully that show is next. Never should have made the move, and I'll say this till I'm blue in the face, it should have been Everwood that went to the CW.

Hopefully that show is next. Never should have made the move, and I'll say this till I'm blue in the face, it should have been Everwood that went to the CW.

I still miss Everwood, and will miss Reba just as much........

I've yet to watch an episode of 7th Heaven this season, in my mind it ended last year.....

Hopefully it ends this year and we can get something good in its place.

sorry, Drew. This nation NEEDS the family values and good feelings of "7th Heaven"

Take your anti-family values rhetoric elsewhere!

Drew, your posts are respectful, so continue saying what you feel. I happen to agree with everyone. You have to wonder if animals formtne local zoo are deciding the fate of shows now, because even if a show is doing very well, they will cancel it for whatever reason.

Not the first time. Hell, CBS cancelled it's whole Sunday line-up back in the late 60s because, even though the shows were still very highly rated, they didn't want "Country Comedies" on their network anymore.

Petticoat Junction & The Beverly Hillbillies were both let go, and Reba is along the same lines, so maybe that's the real reason. They have never liked the show, but it was a hit, so they had to keep it.

See though, Reba had what 7th Heaven provides. Only it was a GREAT show. 7th Heaven isen't. Reba had family values, social issues brought up and it was good for a laugh provided by a great cast.

What I thought was silly was to bring back 7th Heaven after they had left the air. They had a series finale, it was gone, and then 3 months later they decide "Aye! Let's bring back 7th Heaven! What a great idea!"

Jackasses.

I actually only started watching this show about 6 months ago when I caught the reruns during the afternoon and I love it! So sad they are canceling it. That's why I don't really like to get into primetime shows anymore because whenever there is a new show that I like or an existing one that I start watching it gets cancelled.