HAPPY’S PLACE Just Added Another REBA Face

By Movieguide® Contributor

While not a full REBA reboot, HAPPY’S PLACE is adding more former cast members to its lineup.

“It’s a lot of fun,” HAPPY’S PLACE creator, Kevin Abbott told TV Line. “We absolutely want to bring some of the old cast members on — and in very different roles than what they played on Reba. Steve [Howie] is our first one up, and we’re trying to figure out how to bring JoAnna [Garcia-Swisher] in. We only want to have the old cast in if we can really utilize them in a fun, impactful way.”

Steve Howey is the first legacy character slated to return to the show.

“One of the arcs for [Melissa Peterman’s] character Gabby is that she thinks she wants to have a baby… and the Steve Howey character [Danny] becomes a potential sperm donor,” Abbott said. “We’re hoping that Steve’s character can come back” — but as of now, he’s only slated to appear in the Happy’s Place Christmas episode, aptly titled “Ho-Ho-Howey.”

Reba McEntire has been working to get another show on air since REBA ended in 2007. HAPPY’S PLACE picks up after the end of REBA as McEntire’s character, Bobbie inherits her father’s tavern but is brought into business with her half-sister, who she never knew about, who inherits the business as well.

“My [character Bobbie’s] dad was Happy, that was his name, and we owned a tavern called Happy’s Place,” McEntire told People about the plot when the show was first announced. “Well, Happy passed, and so he’s passed the tavern onto me, but there’s a little hiccup involved, so that’s the mystery right there. Everybody has to tune in and watch it, and I hope they love it.”

HAPPY’S PLACE premieres on NBC on October 18th at 8/7 c and will be available for streaming on Peacock.

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Movieguide® previously reported:

Country star Reba McEntire is revving up for her new sitcom, HAPPY’S PLACE.

“NBC has handed a series order to HAPPY’S PLACE, a multi-camera comedy starring McEntire and her former REBA co-star Melissa Peterman. It will air during the 2024-2025 TV season,” TV Insider reported.

“The comedy centers around Bobbie, played by McEntire, who inherits her father’s restaurant and is less than thrilled to find she has a half-sister she never knew she had, who also becomes her business partner. The new series was created by Reba executive producer Kevin Abbott,” TV Insider said.

McEntire previously rooted for a reboot of her show, REBA. While HAPPY’S PLACE isn’t a REBA restart, McEntire looks forward to performing in the new show with her old co-star.