Aman Goyal
‘Reba’ is a television family sitcom that stars country singer Reba McEntire in the lead role of Reba Hart, a single mother whose husband, Brock (Christopher Rich), leaves her for his dental hygienist, Barbra Jean (Melissa Peterman) after the latter gets pregnant. Joanna Garcia appears as Cheyenne, the oldest daughter of Reba and Brock, who gets pregnant by her high-school boyfriend Van Montgomery (Steve Howie), making matters more complex. Throughout the show, Reba and Barbra develop a close bond despite their initial differences while also dealing with the complexities of family life amidst the unexpected chaos caused by their many children.
Created by Allison M. Gibson, the sitcom premiered on The WB in 2001 and became a smash hit. It went on to air on The CW before concluding in 2007 after six seasons and 127 episodes. McEntire drew inspiration from her own experiences for the show, influencing parallels between the behind-the-scenes dynamics of a country music tour, including life backstage and on the tour bus, treating the sitcom’s locations as a major part of its story.
Reba Filming Locations
While set in Houston, Texas, ‘Reba’ was extensively filmed in various locations in Los Angeles, California. The sitcom’s sets were notably compact, featuring only a few locations per season, possibly due to budget constraints or the standard practice in family sitcoms to focus on a central setting. The simplicity of the sets did not detract from the show’s essence, as its primary focus remained on the dynamics within the family.
Initially, episodes were shot on Sundays, merely five days before their fixed Sunday broadcasts. The premiere of ‘Reba’ was postponed for several weeks due to the September 11 attacks. However, the producers had to proceed with filming the second episode on September 12, utilizing an audience composed of stranded travelers brought in from nearby airports. Production later occurred three weeks before airing and moments before taping.
Los Angeles County, California
Most of the filming of ‘Reba’ took place at Stage 24 in Sony Pictures Studios, located at 10202 West Washington Boulevard in Culver City in Los Angeles County, Southern California. Following the typical sitcom format, episodes used to be shot in front of a live audience across five sets. In addition to the insides of the Hart family home, these sets included replicas of a police station squad room and golf course, among others. The small live audience was sometimes shown the pilot episode to familiarize themselves with the characters and storyline.
The shooting process evolved seamlessly, with the required sets already being adorned and scenes filmed in their order. Despite occasional mishaps such as forgotten lines or laughter, the cast and crew maintained focus as most shooting days would descend into nights. During the inaugural season, comedian/magician Mark Sweet was assigned to entertain the viewers until filming resumed. Sweet often juggled his duties between ‘Reba’ and ‘Dharma and Greg,’ the latter being filmed simultaneously at Stage 21.
Additional filming, supposedly one-time locations and newer settings from later seasons, also occurred at Stage 20 of 20th Century Fox Studios at 10201 Pico Boulevard, located in the commercial district of Century City in Los Angeles. An example of this includes the ball pit at Chuck E. Cheese, which became one of the most memorable scenes of the sitcom. Regarding her experience of spending time on sets, McEntire spoke about the consolation of having a trailer, as opposed to a constantly moving tour bus.
Houston, Texas
The seemingly warm and cozy house of the Hart family is located at 13522 Butterfly Lane in Houston, Texas, producing a realistic touch to the show’s setting. Since ‘Reba’ wasn’t locally shot, the property only acts to provide the exterior shots, for which it was lensed multiple times during the early seasons until the sequences began to repeat. The estate is situated at the corner of a densely populated suburban neighborhood and boasts nearly 28,000 square feet of wooded land. The house continues to possess the rustic charm that made it appealing in the early episodes of the sitcom. Several other shots of the city’s notable places likewise appear in the series, such as the skyline of Downtown Houston.
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