Lifetime announced Wednesday that Reba McEntire's The Hammer, a new original film co-starring Melissa Peterman (formerly known as Barbra Jean), will open Saturday, January 7 at 8/7c. The cable network also dropped a new trailer, which you can check out above.
As previously reported, the project reunites McEntire and Peterman nearly 16 years after Reba ended her run on The CW. The made-for-TV movie is inspired by the life of roving circuit judge Kim Wanker, and casts McEntire, also an executive producer, as Kim Wheeler, "a blunt, explosive attorney who is appointed as a judge for the 5th District of Nevada."
Director: Jeff Beesley
Writers: Sanford Golden, Karen Wyscarver
Stars: Melissa Peterman, Reba McEntire, Rex Linn
Meanwhile, Peterman plays Kim's sister Kris, the owner of the local brothel who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of Kim's predecessor. The complicated situation forces Kim to "work even harder to make sure proper justice is served," according to the official synopsis.
Rounding out the cast are McEntire's Big Sky co-star Rex Linn and Totally Normal's Kay Shioma Metchie.
Reba first premiered on The WB in 2001, running for six seasons (and 125 episodes) until 2007. The series told the story of Reba Hart, a single mother who overworked, loved her children, and never stopped after they died. her husband Brock left. her for her dental hygienist, Barbra Jean of Peterman. Over the course of the series, Reba grew fond of Barbra Jean despite her best efforts to keep Brock's second wife at arm's length, something made even more difficult once Brock and Barbra Jean bought the house next door. side.
McEntire previously met with Peterman on CMT's Working Class and Freeform's Baby Daddy. Interestingly, while McEntire and Peterman appear on CBS's Young Sheldon, sometimes appearing in the same episode, their characters, June Ballard and Brenda Sparks, have never crossed paths.
Of course, both McEntire and Melissa Peterman (who co-starred in McEntire's sitcom) are about as down-to-earth as the Wheeler sisters. Director Jeff Beesley keeps it moving, but screenwriters Sanford Golden and Karen Wyscarver falter on the "socially conscious" subplots, involving abuse from the Wheeler family and a predatory probation officer. Despite the fact that she is literally called "Reba McEntire's the Hammer", she did not write or direct the television feature. She only stars in and is an executive producer. However, Lifetime clearly wants viewers to know that she's playing the lead, which she does.
Even though The Hammer is a TV movie, it still feels episodic. However, McEntire and Linn have a good pace that would translate well to weekly episodes.