History Series / Reba

* UnCanceled: The show was effectively (though not officially) cancelled after its 5th season upon the merger of {{UPN}} and {{The WB}} into {{The CW}}. However, finances saved the show - {{The WB}} had renewed the show for two seasons the previous year, and the new network would be on the hook to the producers if a sixth season was not ordered.

* RealitySubtext: Melissa Peterman's weight loss and Scarlett Pomers' eating disorder are both written into the script.

* ActorAllusion: in the series finale, Reba grumps, "Why couldn't I be DollyParton??" [[RebaMcEntire Reba [=McEntire=]]], of course, is one of CountryMusic's biggest stars and is also an actress - exactly like Dolly Parton.
** An even bigger one: "I always thought I'd be a singer." Hi there, Queen of Country...
** Yet another example:
-->'''Jake:''' Wouldn't it be cool to be on TV?
-->'''Reba:''' Nah. I think it would be cool to be a singer.
** Yet another, when Reba is planning Van and Cheyenne's vow renewals, Cheyenne comments how she's making everything so fancy. Reba turns and say, "Well, Fancy is my name." "Fancy" was one of Reba [=McEntire=]'s most popular (and some would say signature) song.
** Reba's statement towards the minor character played by Kelly Clarkson: "If she goes on TV, America's going to love her." Just about anyone who knows how the first season of Series/AmericanIdol ended would understand the humor from that sentence.

* AbsenteeActor / WrittenInInfirmity: Kyra was absolutely nowhere to be seen for the ''vast majority'' of Season 5 (20 out of 22 episodes), due to Scarlett Pomers battling anorexia at the time.

* AbsenteeActor / WrittenInInfirmity: Kyra was absolutely nowhere to be seen for the ''vast majority'' of Season 5 (20 out of 22 episodes), because of Scarlett Pomers' battle with anorexia.

* FieryRedhead: Reba and Kyra.

** Of course, it wasn't without merit. She mentioned that after some money that was raised to send her on a school trip to England had to be given to Cheyenne instead because she had dropped so many classes, she ran the risk of losing Elizabeth's spot in the school day care if she didn't enroll in summer school. Interestingly, in a rare case of this, Reba is painfully aware of it (most cases of this trope will have the parents be oblivious), as Reba told both Cheyenne and Kyra in a couple of gut-wrenching speeches. It was just that Reba only had so many hours in the day and Cheyenne and Van were such screw-ups, they required most of them.

** In a slight crossover with ActorAllusion, any flashbacks with Reba would frequently having her sport some of Reba [=McEntire=]'s more infamous hairdos (CountryMusic + TheEighties = [[http://jimfalkenstein.com/Pirate%20Reba/WebPagePhotos/Reba/80s_Reba2.JPGHair that must be seen to be believed.]])

* TheCastShowoff: Surprisingly averted for a sitcom based around one of country music's most famous stars - Reba did sing, but it was rarely a big production. (On the other hand, she did sing [[DoItYourselfThemeTune the theme song]] and some of the soundtrack.)

* JerkAss: Brock. He'd much rather have Barbara Jean think he's having an affair despite the pain and anguish it causes her than know he's going to a therapist. Of course, considering Barbara Jean's beliefs regarding it (namely knowing made her feel like a failure since it was her responsibility to keep him and their marriage happy) and how the threatened to ''make'' him happy by force if necessary, an affair might have been the easier way to go.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first season was noticeably different from the rest of the series. Van was more dumb than crazy. Barbara Jean was also a huge Jesus Freak, alongside her other neuroses. Cheyenne was more AlphaBitch than Ditz. Brock wasn't nearly as vain. Reba was much more the OnlySaneMan instead of a control freak. Also, the fact that the show took place in Houston was a much bigger plot point, as the Hart family tried to navigate through Cheyenne's pregnancy around ultra-conservative neighbors, school principals, etc. Much like ''Married... With Children'', the show kind of Flanderized into more of a live-action cartoon, and was funnier for it.

** Probably the reasons they stopped using Barbara Jean's initials. In the first season, any time someone called her [[DoubleEntendre BJ]], there would be a short pause so the untold joke of a woman named BJ having an affair with a married man could land. After the show took a slight turn for the more [[LighterAndSofter light-hearted and goofy]], she wasn't called BJ nearly as much.

* TheThingThatWouldntLeave: Reba saw almost everybody like this, notably Brock and '''especially''' Barbra Jean, who seemed to have no concept of personal boundaries. There were the occasional whispers that she felt this way about Van and Cheyenne as well. While she loved them dearly and cared for them unconditionally, she occasionally mentioned how she hoped that they would get their situation straightened out (and therefore move) sooner rather than later.

* PutOnABus: Lori Ann (Reba's friend) and Eugene (a rival dentist to Brock). Eugene's was justified, since Brock decided to sell his dental practice to play professional golf (thereby deflating their rivalry.) Lori Ann simply had to go because Barbara Jean was slowly sliding into her role as Reba's best friend.

* SitcomArchNemesis: both Lori Ann and Eugene are this towards Brock.

* TheThingThatWouldntLeave: Reba saw almost everybody like this, notably Brock and '''especially''' Barbara Jean, who seemed to have no concept of personal boundaries. There were the occasional whispers that she felt this way about Van and Cheyenne as well. While she loved them dearly and cared for them unconditionally, she occasionally mentioned how she hoped that they would get their situation straightened out (and therefore move) sooner rather than later.

** Yet another, when Reba is planning Van and Cheyenne's vow renewals, Cheyenne comments how she's making everything so fancy. Reba turns and say, "Well, Fancy is my name."

** Yet another, when Reba is planning Van and Cheyenne's vow renewals, Cheyenne comments how she's making everything so fancy. Reba turns and say, "Well, Fancy is my name." Go look up Reba [=McEntire=]'s SignatureSong to understand that one.

* [[FourTemperamentEnsemble Five-Temperament Ensemble]]: Reba (leukine), Barbara Jean (melancholic), Brock (phlegmatic), Cheyanne and Van (sanguine), Kyra (choleric).

* FourTemperamentEnsemble: See Five-Temperament above.

-->'''Barbara Jean''': If you look her at Matthew 12 Verse 3 "And Jesus says unto his disciples..." (''Closes the book and starts beating him with it.'') What is wrong with you boy?! Do you want to spend eternity in a fiery damnation.

* AbsenteeActor / WrittenInInfirmity: Kyra was nowhere to be seen for the vast majority of Season 5 (20 out of 22 episodes), because of Scarlett Pomers' battle with anorexia.

* AbsenteeActor / WrittenInInfirmity: Kyra was nowhere to be seen for the vast majority of Season 5 (20 out of 22 episodes), due to Scarlett Pomers' battle with anorexia.

* AbsenteeActor / WrittenInInfirmity: Kyra was nowhere to be seen for the last half of season five thanks to Scarlett Pomers' anorexia battle.

* DeathGlare: It is absolutely ''phenomenal'' what Reba can convey with merely a quirk of her eyebrow. Mostly "I hate your living guts."

* BerserkButton: Played for laughs, it's not so much "berserk" as "reacting strongly" in this case: In one episode Reba and Van see a therapist, [[strike: Dave]] David. It's "David", not "Dave"!
** Some might say this is more a case of [[InsistentTerminology Insistent Terminology]].
** Barbra Jean loathes being called "Blondzilla", and Reba gets upset if/when she gets compared to Barbra Jean and is told [[NotSoDifferent she's no better]].
* BlindMistake: Reba does this in one episode, during which she tries to take care of herself while still recovering from an eye surgery ("tries" being the operative word here, as drinking water out of a potted plant and spreading peanut butter on a sponge doesn't count as proof of the ability to successfully take care of oneself), with Barbra Jean attempting to help Reba without Reba knowing.

* BrainBleach: After the school charity auction held by Reba and Barbra Jean turns out to be a big hit, Brock mentions that tradition dictates a celebration party must be held to commemorate the sponsors, where Reba is obligated to congratulate Barbra Jean and vice versa. Reba tells Brock there's nothing she'd rather do, but waits till Brock leaves before whispering to herself: "Pencil in the eye, that's what I'd rather do."

* CatchPhrase: "Crap" gets stated when a character is forced to acknowledge and accept unpleasant truth. Reba uses it most often, but Brock, Van, Cheyenne, and Barbra Jean each have also used it at least once.

* {{Homage}}: At the end of the episode with the character played by Kelly Clarkson, said character is demonstrating her knowledge about weather forecasting to Barbra Jean (who acts like a host) while Brock, Cheyenne, and Van act as a panel of judges. [[AmericanIdol Does this depiction ring a bell?]]

** Reba's statement towards the minor character played by Kelly Clarkson: "If she goes on TV, America's going to love her." Just about anyone who knows how the first season of AmericanIdol ended would understand the humor from that sentence.

* [[FourTemperamentEnsemble Five-Temperament Ensemble]]: Reba (leukine), Barbara Jean (sanguine/choleric), Brock (phlegmatic), Cheyanne and Van (sanguine), Kyra (choleric).