Reba McEntire to Star in New Sitcom Pilot on NBC: ‘She Modeled Herself on Lucille Ball’

Reba McEntire couldn’t hold back her excitement over being invited to sing the national anthem at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. “This is my 50th anniversary since I sang it at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City in 1974,” she gushed ahead of her Feb. 11 performance.

The country music superstar and coach on The Voice, 68, has a lot of happiness in her life to crow about. In addition to her Super Bowl performance and 2023 album and book, Not That Fancy, a pilot for a new TV sitcom starring Reba has been greenlit by NBC. She’s also found real contentment in her family life and relationship with actor Rex Linn, 67.

Returning to sitcom TV has been a long-held dream for Reba, whose self-titled series ended in 2007 after six seasons. This new pilot will not be a reboot, but Reba has announced that she will reunite with her former show’s producing team for the pilot. “Reba’s years on TV were some of the best of her life,” says a friend. “Comedy is a natural fit for her. She has great timing and is so expressive. She modeled herself on Lucille Ball.”

In the new, untitled pilot, Reba will play a woman who inherits her father’s restaurant with a half-sister she didn’t know about. So far, there is no word on who else will fill out the cast, but if the show gets picked up, don’t be surprised if Rex makes a guest appearance. “They enjoy working together,” says the friend.

Reba and Rex met on the set of the 1991 TV movie The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw, but their friendship took a turn toward romance when they appeared on an episode of Young Sheldon in 2020. “They are so great together,” says the friend, who predicts that TV viewers would be charmed to see the couple working side-by-side side. “They both are really positive people who share the same zest for life.”

Reba recently returned to TV for her second season as a coach on The Voice alongside John Legend, Chance the Rapper and series newcomers Dan + Shay. The singer, who had two of her contestants reach the finale last season, is excited to work with this season’s crop of singers. “What blows me away is the amount of talent,” she says. “The talent is unbelievable.”

A Peaceful Place

Reba feels blessed to have arrived at a moment when both her career and her personal life are on track. She’s tight with her son, former NASCAR driver Shelby Blackstock, and his wife, Marissa, as well as her five stepkids from her marriage to Narvel Blackstock. “I’m at a really good place in my life,” she says. “I’m happy, I’m in love. My kids are all healthy. My family’s healthy. So I’m happy.”

Reba has even made peace with Narvel, whom she divorced in 2015 after 26 years of marriage. “Reba and Narvel have figured out a new normal for their family,” says the friend. “They are not in touch, but can be around each other when the occasion calls for it. They are both close with Shelby and Marissa, and as long as her kids are happy, Reba is content.”

No one would be surprised if Reba decided to walk down the aisle with Rex sometime soon. “I think marriage is important to Reba,” says the friend. “She and Rex are going strong and totally committed to each other, but I think she would like to make it official. She’s a romantic at heart.”