The final episode of Reba McEntire’s sitcom “Reba” was filmed in 2006. But 18 years later, it’s often the first thing fans want to talk about when the country superstar travels through an airport. “When we were coming back from Africa we stopped in Atlanta and people were coming up saying they’re loving watching it on Netflix,” McEntire said in a recent telephone interview from the set of NBC’s “The Voice,” where she is a coach.
“Friends of mine will tell me that their nieces and their kids are watching it now, so we’ve got two or three new generations watching, which just thrills me to pieces.” “Reba,” which ran for six seasons on the WB and its successor the CW, arrived on Netflix in May and remains available on Walt Disney Co.’s Hulu, where it has streamed since 2018.
The combination of platforms pushed the show into Nielsen’s top 10 streaming programs for the week of May 13-19, with 744 million minutes watched. The series showed up on the list again two weeks later, generating 707 million viewing minutes. The resurgence of “Reba” demonstrates the ability of Netflix and other streamers to drive young viewers to older programs.
“Reba” likely benefited from an influx of viewers for the platform’s “Netflix Is A Joke” specials who sought more comedy and discovered the show’s 124 episodes. McEntire, 69, has also found new fans since joining “The Voice” — one of broadcast TV’s most-watched shows — last year. But “Reba.
