Reba McEntire, Melissa Peterman Revive ‘Reba’ Characters for ‘Social Distancing’ Sketch [Watch]
Fans of Reba McEntire's hit sitcom Reba have been clamoring for a cast reunion for years, and the country icon decided to use her time in quarantine to give the people what they want.
McEntire and her friend Melissa Peterman, who played Barbra Jean on the show, filmed a short sketch imagining how the two characters would be doing while social distancing to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
The mini-episode, dubbed "Social Distancing," opens with Barbra Jean, locked in her closet, sending Reba a quick video message: "Just wanted to check in and see how you're holding up during this quarantine," she says.
"Girl, I'm going crazy. I'm hiding in a closet right now because Brock and Henry are driving me bananas," Barbra Jean continues, mentioning her husband (Reba's ex, who left Reba for Barbra Jean after they had an affair and she became pregnant) and their son. "They have painted a giant checkerboard on the living room floor, and then they're using frozen pizzas as checkers.
"I had to trade in all my Beanie Babies for toilet paper, and every day, I've started turning clocks back, like, 15 minutes so I can start drinking earlier!" an increasingly anxious Barbra Jean adds, painting a desperate, but humorous, picture of her time stuck at home. Worst of all, though, is that Reba is just down the street, and yet Barbra Jean "can't come over and give my very best friend a hug!"
"I mean, isn't that just the worst?!" Barbra Jean ends, before the video cuts to Reba, who's in a darkened pantry, trying to keep her voice down. "Kids have been wanting me to play games all day long. I've played more games than you can imagine," Reba shares.
"You might even be a welcome visitor, but we can't -- we're in quarantine," Reba cautions Barbra Jean, who responds, "Alright, stay strong. Pretty soon, we'll be back together again."
Pre-recorded crowd cheers and theme music complete the fun clip, which ends with a message to viewers: "Stay Healthy."
Reba ran on the WB network, then the CW network, from 2001 through 2007, when it was canceled. McEntire earned a People's Choice Award for her role in the series, and was nominated at the Golden Globes. In the decade-plus since the show went off the air, it's remained popular in syndication, and McEntire has said that she and the cast remain open to the idea of a reunion.
"There have been some in the past and hopefully some in the future too," she said in 2018. "We'd love to do it."
The Reba Cast: Then and Now