NBC Fall TV Spotlight: ‘Happy’s Place’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

HAPPY'S PLACE -- Episode: Pilot -- Pictured: (l-r) Belissa Escobedo as Isabella, Melissa Peterman as Gabby, Reba McEntire as Bobbie, Pablo Castelblanco as Steve -- (Photo by: Casey Durkin/NBC)

It is definitely safe to say that the hit sitcom, Reba, was nothing short of a pop culture phenomenon. In large part because it offered up one catchy theme song that people still hum and sing to this day. But also, because it served as the next generation of sitcom. One that harbored a little more heart than we were used to and one that really did resonate with audiences, and it also felt as though… it was its own singular chapter for the Queen of Country, Reba McEntire, who was of course the star of the show. For upon the show’s finale in 2007, that was seemingly that for Reba. For while she still remained at the top of the pop culture lexicon in various ways, she simply did not return to the sitcom world.
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But that changes tonight. For this evening will see the debut of Happy’s Place. A new sitcom on NBC that features Reba as the star and well, it is safe to say that a lot of questions surround her return. Because while fans of Reba and fans of television are indeed excited for more Reba, since she’s wonderful on screen… there is always that concern that the new show might be trying to replicate lightning in a bottle or just serve as a clone of what worked well back in the day. Especially with Kevin Abbott, a former EP on Reba and former co-star Melissa Peterman joining this show as well, and thankfully, we here at NTG are happy to report, that any concerns you have about this being a clone or being something familiar can be put to rest.

Courtesy of the fact that show harbors a wonderfully unique story. One where Reba plays Bobbie, the new owner of Happy’s Place, a comfortable bar in Knoxville, Tennessee and she is the new owner simply because the old owner, her father, recently passed away and handed it down to his daughter. With a twist. For just as Bobbie is ready to implement a new chapter for the business, Isabella walks into her life. Who turns out to be her half-sister, and according to the Will, the new co-owner as well. Which puts this duo at odds as they work to navigate a shocking new normal and get to know one another because they are indeed family, and family is forever. Which really is… a refreshing plot for a sitcom, one that is loaded to the brim with depth and heart.

Simply because, this is that rare comedy that examines loss and new chapters. Since Bobbie is not only dealing with the pain of losing her father, but the fact that he lived a life she knew nothing of and fathered a second family she also knew nothing of. Which is a lot to process, and it’s a ton to process for Isabella as well. Who really didn’t know her father and is now thrust into a world and a life she doesn’t understand, and we quickly see those elements play out here and offer depth and gravity to this story, and that does indeed make this sitcom special. Since it presents us with a refreshing story, we find ways to relate to since we’ve all dealt with loss, or will, and there are folks out there who come to discover their parents have some real skeletons in their closet. 

However, it isn’t all deep moments and reflections at Happy’s Place. As mentioned before, it is a sitcom, and it is a funny one at that, courtesy of the fact that the show knows exactly when to lean back from the heavy stuff and fire off a joke, and the cast only adds to the wonder of the comedy and this show. For it is one that is diverse and filled with actors who give wonderful life to their characters, and harbor amazing comedic timing. And it is wonderful to see Melissa Peterman back on our screens as the goofy Gabby. But truly, it is Belissa Escobedo and Rebca McEntire that lead the charge here, since they are the central actors that drive the themes and the jokes, and they play off of each other well as Isabella and Robbie, respectively, and really help to sell the laughter and the tender moments and the best news of all, is that you don’t have to wait all that much longer to enjoy Reba’s delightful return to comedy. For Happy’s Place debuts tonight on NBC, and we certainly hope you give it a look. For this series really is the beginning of something quite heartfelt, and special.

Nerds That Geek was also able to attend the NBC Segment of the Television Critics Association 2024 Summer Press Tour, where ‘Happy’s Place’ was showcased and where Showrunner Kevin Abbott, and stars Reba McEntire (Robbie), Belissa Escobedo (Isabella), Melissa Peterman (Gabby), Pablo Castelblanco (Steve), Tokala Black Elk (Takoda), and Rex Linn (Emmett)  offered the following thoughts on the show’s depth, Reba’s return to comedy and reuniting with Melissa, what it was like for Belissa to work with a mega-star and education regarding their characters and their journey to being cast in the show.

Kevin Abbott: “We like to tell stories that are reflective of little dilemmas that people actually encounter and to try to find humor in those encounters.  So it's just a pleasure to be able to kind of take everything that we have gone through in our lives and the growth that we've had and continue to apply them.  I mean, it's nice to do this at a tavern as opposed to a family show because we're both now at our stage where the kids are grown, so it's more interesting to us I think to do more adult stories even though they are told for a family.”

Reba McEntire: “Ever since we stopped doing the “Reba” TV show, we have been looking for another project to do together because we had fun, we had more stories to tell. When Kevin’s wife, Julie, came up with this idea, we all said, “Yes, let’s go for it!” I love the sitcom genre. Out of all the things I get to do, this is my favorite because it’s camaraderie, it’s fun, you just get to go to work and play, and it’s creative. It’s very comforting to me.  I absolutely love it and get to work with these folks? Icing on the cake.”

Melissa Peterman: “Twenty years since then, we've never really left each other.  I mean, the show ended.  We've been friends ever since.  We've done other things together.  I got to go on tour with her and open the show and do standup, and we vacation together.  We hang out, and we just were waiting for another project so we could actually go to work together again.  I think it's evolved to even -- you know, we had six years together, a 100-and-some episodes, we have such a shorthand, so it's such a luxury to come into the sitcom and to have Kevin, who knows my voice so well and can write to that, and Reba -- like it's just easy.  It's like riding a bike.”

Belissa Escobedo: “No, but, truly, Reba is Reba in like the biggest way, but when you walk in it's just Reba.  She's so sweet, and she made me feel so at home on set, in the room.”

Pablo Castelblanco: “So, Steve is the accountant of the bar, and he does his work at the bar, but he has OCD.  So, he doesn’t like change. Pushing himself out of his comfort zone is going to be most of his experience right now because he had a world set up in which, the bus was there and he was dealing already with Gabby, who's a lot of energy right in front of him.  He somehow is surviving.  Then comes the new co-owner of the bar.  Now his whole world is going to be really shaken.  I'm just really excited to show that kind of person dealing through life. We all go to therapy.  We all do our work.  So, I feel like we can see in Steve that kind of heart -- like a family environment -- and I feel like "Happy's Place" highlights how a place where your co-workers are your family lets you have some safety net to grow and get better.  So, that's what I'm excited for Steve.”

Tokala Black Elk: “I like to have fun.  I’m a guy that plays a character who is supposed to be the nicest person you're ever going to meet.  That is the essence of ‘Happy's Place’ for me as far as looking at it through my character as well.  That's his happy place, right?  So, I'm looking forward to meeting you at my character's happy place, and I look forward to it being your happy place as well.”
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Rex Linn: “When she agrees to play a role, I'm looking at her, going [GESTURES].  You know what, it's funny because starting with ‘The Hammer,’ there was a role in that movie, and Reba was 110% behind getting me to be a part of it.  So, that was wonderful.  It really is Reba because then ‘Big Sky’ came along, and she was talking to the producers on Zoom.  They were talking about her character.  They were campaigning for her to be on the show.  So, I just walked back in the background a couple of times, out of focus, which always happens, and then pretty soon, Reba wondered if her character had a husband, and I was going [GESTURES].  Anyway, that happened too.  And now, I'm really glad to be a part of this.  I owe it all to Reba and Kevin and everybody that's brought me on board, and I just feel really lucky about it.”

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