Why Reba McEntire Wanted Her Newest Show to Be Just Like REBA

Published: June 23, 2025

By Mallory Mattingly

Reba McEntire took inspiration from her last sitcom, REBA, as she ventured into HAPPY’S PLACE.

“We just pretty much carried over what we did on the REBA TV show,” McEntire explained in an interview with IndieWire. “[Producer] Kevin [Abbott] always made sure that we were laughing, and it was funny and witty and snarky, but always by three-quarters into the show, there was a poignant place that was fit for everybody to relate to. It was the heart. Everybody was choking up and crying, and then there was a singer in there that got everybody back on track, that this is a comedy.”

The country singer continued, “But we learned that from past sitcoms, Andy Griffith on the ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW — I pretty much raised my son the way Andy did Opie. So, that was the lesson that we learned on the REBA show that we carried over into HAPPY’S PLACE. We’ve got to laugh. We’ve got to cry. But if we do it together, we’re all stronger.”

Last month, NBC renewed HAPPY’S PLACE for a second season.

Emma Kenney, who played Bobbie’s (McEntire) daughter, Gracie, shared what it’s like being on set of HAPPY’S PLACE.

“Stepping onto the HAPPY’S PLACE set at Universal was so welcoming,” Kenney told TV Insider. “Everybody was so kind and wanted to make sure I was comfortable and felt I had everything I needed, and I was really lucky for that…I’m not used to going to a set as the newbie coming onto an already established cast. So I was a little nervous going into it, but as soon as I met everyone, my nerves were really made at ease.”

Belissa Escobedo, who plays Isabella, Bobbie’s half-sister, told NBC Insider, “It feels like…being part of a resurgence of sitcom television, and that’s very special, and so I’m feeling so lucky. Reba is an angel, so it’s awesome to go to work every day and have it be her at the forefront.”

According to NBC, HAPPY’S PLACE is all about “giving family their best shot.”

“The iconic Reba McEntire returns to TV comedy in this heartfelt new series as Bobbie, a tough but lovable woman who inherits her late father’s Tennessee tavern – only to discover that her new co-owner is also the half-sister she never knew she had! They couldn’t be more different, but they’ll navigate this new life together… because at Happy’s Place, everyone is family,” the logline of the show reads.

While a REBA reboot never materialized, HAPPY’S PLACE carries on its lessons and heart to bring McEntire’s comedic flare to a new generation.

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