Reba McEntire is returning to the sitcom world — and reuniting with the team behind her last two comedies as well. NBC has given a pilot order to an untitled multi-camera comedy starring McEntire, who will also executive produce.
The show, from Universal Studio Group’s Universal TV division, stars McEntire as a woman who “inherits her father’s restaurant and is less than thrilled to discover that she has a new business partner in the half-sister she never knew she had.” Kevin Abbott is the writer and exec producer, while Michael Hanel, Mindy Schultheis and Julie Abbott are non-writing exec producers.
It’s a reunion for most of the group, who previously worked together on McEntire’s signature series for The WB, “Reba,” as well as her follow-up sitcom for ABC, “Malibu Country.” Hanel and Schultheis were exec producers for the entire run of “Reba,” while Abbott joined after the show’s first year; Hanel and Schultheis also exec produced the full run of “Malibu Country” while Abbott exec produced several episodes as well.
“Reba” ran for six seasons and 127 episodes, between 2001 and 2007 (airing its final season on successor network The CW). “Malibu Country” didn’t enjoy that same longevity, airing for just a season — and 18 episodes — on ABC between 2012 and 2013.
More recently, McEntire has played June as a recurring role on “Young Sheldon.” She also appeared in Season 3 of ABC’s “Big Sky” as Sunny Barnes, and starred in the Lifetime movie “Reba McEntire’s The Hammer” (in which she reunited with “Reba” co-star Melissa Peterman). McEntire is also a judge on NBC’s “The Voice,” which she joined last fall.
Abbott’s most recent credits include “Last Man Standing” (which McEntire guest starred on), as well as “The Cool Kids” and “Cristela.” Besides “Reba,” the TV vet has worked on shows like “Roseanne,” “The Golden Girls,” “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper” and “Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place.”
