I’ve never been a huge fan of country music, though there are a few performers whose work I enjoy. I do have several Reba McIntire CDs, but only because she has some great songs and a very recognizable voice. Her singing talent notwithstanding (or any singer’s for that matter), I always worry when a singer wants to make the crossover into acting. For the most part, it just doesn’t work. There have been a few exceptions, but very few. The first time I saw Reba act, I was sitting in a movie theatre with some friends checking out the horror comedy, “Tremors.” I rolled my eyes when I saw her name in the credits, but to my surprise, she was not only funny, but she darn near stole all of her scenes. A few years later, she turned heads on Broadway in “Annie Get Your Gun” (which I wish I had seen), and then spread the news that she was shootin’ for a sitcom. I initially thought she was biting off more than she could chew, after all doing a weekly TV series is hard work.

In spite of her earlier proof of acting talent, I still stayted away from her TV series. In part because of my self-imposed bid to stop watching TV (except for DVDs), but also due to the uncreative title, “Reba.” In the past, TV shows named after the star generally spelled trouble. (Except in the case of series from the 1950’s and 60’s, where it worked quite well.)

A few weeks ago, I caught my first episode of “Reba” and was surprised. I found the episode to be quite funny and I laughed out loud more than once. It wasn’t enough to get me ‘into’ the show, but I made it a point to catch a couple more, which I found to be equally amusing. So with that experience, I set out to watch the complete 1st season on the recently released DVD set. What I found wasn’t especially funny, but it helped set the stage for what was to come later in the series’ run.

The premise was an unusual one with Reba starring as ‘Reba Hart’ a woman who has to deal with the fact that her husband of 20 years has divorced her for a younger woman, as well as the news that her daughter is pregnant and she’s about to acquire a son-in-law. Adding to her woes is her ex-husband’s discovery that his new fling is pregnant as well. What would normally be considered fodder for “Jerry Springer” turns out to be a somewhat acceptable idea for a sitcom (especially in Texas, where family trees like this are the norm…)

While I found the episodes from the 1st season to be mildly amusing, it was quit obvious that the writers and the cast were trying to find their stride. A lot of the humor was rather pedestrian, and somewhat forced. Even the acting was a bit stilted. Everyone played it like a sitcom, as opposed to trying to create characters that people outside of Texas could relate to. The delivery was bit awkward, and while it was till pretty funny, I’m honestly surprised the series survived the 1st season. I could tell by the episodes I had watched previously that the series did finally get it’s legs, and the show was definitely a keeper, but had I not had seen any of the later episodes I might not have guessed the direction it finally took.

All 22 episodes are presented here in all their full screen glory….along with commentary by the cast and crew on three of the episodes, and several deleted scenes. You’ll also find 2 featurettes, each coming in just under 30 minutes. “On the Scene with Barbara Jean offers up a behind the scenes tour of the set, while “Creating Reba” focuses more on the creation of the series. “A Conversation with Reba McIntire and Melissa Peterman” is, as the title suggests, interview footage with the two stars. Finally you’ll find a short blooper reel, which is very funny.

If you’re a fan of the show already, you’ll definitely want to grab this set and add it to your collection, however if you’re knew to the series you might want to catch a few newer episodes first, then you can go back and se where it all began.

Episodes:
Pilot
The Honeymoon’s Over or Now What?
Someone’s at the Gyno with Reba
You Make Me Sick
The Steaks are High
The Man and the Moon
Tea and Antipathy
Don’t Know much About History
Every Picture Tell a Story
When Good Credit Goes Bad
Meet the Parents
A Mid-Semester Night’s Dream
Brock’s Swan Song
The Story of a Divorce
You May Kick the Bride
Vanny Dearest
He’s Having a Baby
She Works Hard for their Money
Labor of Love
The King and I
Up a Treehouse Without a Paddle
It Ain’t Over Till the Redhead Sings

Starring: Reba McIntire, Christopher Rich, Melissa Peterman, Joanna Garcia, Steve Howey, Mitch Holleman, Scarlet Pomers
Extras: Selected Episode Commentary, Deleted Scenes, “On the Scene with Barbara Jean”, “Creating Reba”, A Conversation with Reba McIntire and Melissa Peterman, Bloopers and Outtakes
Specifications: Full Screen, English Dolby Surround
Studio: Fox
Release Date: 12/14/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Reba: Season 1 a C.