Lifetime Television Acquires Hit Sitcom 'Reba' From Twentieth Television Beginning in August 2006

NEW YORK, May 11 -- Building on its strong stable of female-
skewing comedies, Lifetime Television has acquired the cable syndication rights to the hit series "Reba," starring Golden Globe Award nominee Reba McEntire, from Twentieth Television, beginning in August 2006. The announcement was made today by Lynn Picard, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Lifetime Television, and Bob Cook, President and COO of Twentieth Television.
Under terms of the agreement, Lifetime will hold the exclusive cable rights to the half-hour program that will premiere on the network as a strip in fall 2006. "Reba" joins Lifetime sitcom favorites "The Golden Girls" and "The Nanny" along with "Will & Grace," coming to the network in 2005, and "Frasier," also arriving in 2006.
"Reba" premiered on The WB in October 2001, when it immediately established itself as the most successful comedy in the network's history and remains its number one rated comedy. On the series, McEntire portrays a teacher and divorced mother of three who juggles career, parenthood, grandparenthood, an ex-husband and the occasional date. The program also stars
Christopher Rich, Joanna Garcia, Melissa Peterman, Scarlett Pomers, Steve Howey and Mitch Holleman.
"We feel this delightful sitcom featuring the comedic trials and
tribulations of an intelligent and determined woman will blend in perfectly with our schedule and appeal strongly to our younger viewers," said Picard.
Cook added, "Today's multichannel market enables our company to be very creative in how we structure license deals so that we maximize the value of Twentieth product while also providing cable networks attractive program acquisition arrangements. As one of The WB's most popular series, 'Reba'
exhibits the key traits that make it a strong program for cable: a proven star with a top-notch supporting cast and quality story lines that entertain a broad range of viewers. Lifetime, one of television's strongest cable networks, recognizes the value of such a program to its viewers and we are delighted to have entered into this win-win licensing partnership with them on
'Reba.'"
A multi-platinum and critically acclaimed recording artist who has sold more than 48 million albums, McEntire has won two Grammy Awards, 14 American Music Awards and eight People's Choice Awards, including Favorite Actress in a New TV Series for "Reba." Additionally, her immense popularity crosses over
into feature films and television movies; publishing, with the New York Times best-selling novels Reba: My Story and Comfort from a Country Quilt; and on Broadway, where McEntire generated additional praise for her starring performance in the Irving Berlin musical "Annie Get Your Gun."
Moreover, Twentieth Television will distribute "Reba" to broadcast stations for its off-net syndication window, also scheduled to debut in fall 2006. Station clearances will be announced in the near future.
Twentieth Television produces and/or distributes programming and distributes feature film packages for the domestic syndication and cable marketplace. Twentieth brings a wide variety of product to the marketplace, ranging from the smash off-network sitcom "The Simpsons" to the precedent-setting off-network debuts of the ground-breaking dramas "The Practice," "Buffy," "The X-Files" and "Angel." Twentieth continues to solidify its distinction as the number one supplier of off-network product with such other popular shows as "Yes, Dear," "The Bernie Mac Show," "King of the Hill," "Dharma and Greg" and "Malcolm in the Middle," among others.

Thanks, Pavanbadal!! Great news about the syndication! ;)

Good. Lifetime is getting some great shows. Reba is great and i look forward to seeing the reruns.

The WB will air Reba in syndication in fall 2006 in the daytime from 4 to 5pm. No word yet when Lifetime will air it, but it'll start a month earlier than the locals. Here is the locals info:

Distributor Twentieth TV has taken the unprecedented step of reclaiming the off-network episodes of WB sitcom Reba to double-run it on more than 200 WB affiliates.

Episodes of the Twentieth Century Fox Television-produced Reba McEntire comedy, which had been cleared on a variety of stations in 70% of the U.S, will instead air back-to-back at 4-5 p.m. weekdays on WB stations beginning in fall 2006.

The acquisition by The WB represents the first off-net programming acquired for its new two-hour, young-adult programming block, which will run from 3 to 5 p.m., replacing its weekday kids block starting next year. It's also the first time a syndicator has reclaimed a show.

Under terms of the two-year deal, off-net episodes of Reba, a strong performer for The WB the past four years, will appear 10 times per week in the afternoons. To avoid Reba overload, next season will be the last in which the WB airs repurposed Reba episodes back to back from 7 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, a spokesman confirmed.

The WB has been under pressure for years from its top affiliates, including Tribune and Sinclair, to get out of the kids business.

When the network slid 6% in its core 18-34 demo (1.6 to 1.5), and 7% in adults 18-49 (1.7 to 1.6) this past season, WB Chairman Garth Ancier decided the net could use some more compatible young-adult programming in the afternoons to help boost the prime time schedule, as well as stations’ early fringe and access shows.

Sources say Ancier had expected Reba, the top performer for the network on Friday nights, to get a big price in syndication. When the sitcom ended up with only a straight two-year barter deal, as most now do, he approached Twentieth about reclaiming it for the new 3-5 p.m. block.

Twentieth TV President Bob Cook says he consulted with Twentieth Century Fox Television President Gary Newman and the show’s profit participants before deciding to exercise a standard contractual option to take back Reba—a move first reported being under consideration last week.

“Our job is to maximize revenue on our shows and minimize risks,” Cook notes.

While terms weren’t disclosed, industry sources say the deal will provide stations with four minutes of advertising time per hour.

The WB will sell all the national ad time, splitting the proceeds with its Twentieth partners after it pays out residuals. Cash is always more valuable to syndicators than barter, especially when the ad market is down.

Although this is the first time a syndicator has reclaimed a show, Paul Franklin, Twentieth’s executive vice president of broadcast sales, notes the contractual clause is a common industry practice, because “you always want to protect yourself…if opportunities present themselves.”

Twentieth Friday offered stations the chance to replace Reba with two shows being readied for off-net syndication, Family Guy and Still Standing. Because stations will not be obligated to carry Twentieth product, however, other syndicators are expected to make a run at the newly vacant time periods over the next year.

Cook concedes some stations will be unhappy with the decision, but says Twentieth “will do our best to work with them.”

The WB had hoped to announce its entire January and September 2006 weekday schedule by now, but vacations and other factors caused delays in finalizing deals.

Ancier and Entertainment President David Janollari appear to be closing in on choosing from among the multiple pieces that will make up the January-September schedule, which could consist of another double run sitcom and a drama that may be renewed through 2006-07.

With more than half the series (so far) on DVD, do you think local WB and Lifetimes stations will get good ratings for it??? Do you think people will watch??? I really hope so. I want REBA to be as big a hit as Roseanne was. Come on REBA!

Shoot, I'll watch! I love Reba! Although I don't watch the show religiously, I do catch it whenever I can. I don't have the DVDs, so yeah, I WILL watch! GO REBA!!!

I Like this show!!! I'm really GLAd that it's coming on Lifetime in 2006!!

I'm really happy that it's coming to Lifetime, but I just hope it doesn't end up effecting The Golden Girls after a while.

I am already countinmg down until The August Debut on Reba on Lifetime Tv.

LIFETIME AUGUST

Effective Monday, August 7, 2006
Changes listed ONLY
What's new: Still Standing, Reba, Desperate Housewives
What's gone: Designing Women

Weekdays
8:00AM The Nanny (replaces Designing Women)
8:30AM The Nanny (replaces Designing Women)
11:00AM Will & Grace (replaces Golden Girls)
11:30AM Will & Grace (replaces Golden Girls)
12:00PM Still Standing (replaces Will & Grace)
12:30PM Still Standing (replaces Will & Grace)
1:00PM Reba (replaces The Nanny)
1:30PM Reba (replaces The Nanny)
5:00PM Still Standing (replaces The Nanny)
5:30PM Still Standing (replaces The Nanny)
6:00PM Reba (replaces Golden Girls)
6:30PM Reba (replaces Golden Girls)

Despeate Housewives on Saturday nights
PREMIERES: Saturday, August 5, 11pm-12am
AIRS: Saturdays from 11pm-12am
The Women of Wisteria Lane have found a second home! Lifetime has acquired the exclusive basic cable rights to the award-winning series, Desperate Housewives. This August Lifetime will air the first season on a weekly basis!

I would like to say that The August 2006 for Lifetime Loos good

I'm really happy that it's coming to Lifetime, but I just hope it doesn't end up effecting The Golden Girls after a while.


well i feel that Golden Girls has had a nice, long run on Lifetime and could use a break for awhile... i wouldn't mind seeing it taken off the air for awhile or used only on weekends... Lifetime has run the show for so long now that i can't even watch it anymore and it used to be in my top 5 favorite shows.

Looking forward to the Reba repeats on Lifetime

I am also looking forward to Reba coming to Lifetimwe as well

So, is the Golden Girls gone from Lifetime in August or what?

The Golden Girls will air weeknight's at 12:00 am central time