Dream Casting ALERT! Melissa Peterman’s Bold Plan for “Happy’s Place” Season 2 Will BLOW YOUR MIND! What if we told you Melissa Peterman has a secret weapon to make “Happy’s Place” even BETTER? In an exclusive scoop, she reveals her ultimate casting wish

‘Happy’s Place’: Melissa Peterman Wants Jean Smart to Play Gabby’s Mom, Teases More ‘Reba’ Crossover in Season 2 (Exclusive)

‘Happy’s Place’ Star Melissa Peterman Wants Jean Smart to Play Gabby’s Mom & More Season 2 Hopes (VIDEO)

Happy’s Place Season 2 may not arrive for a while, but star Melissa Peterman is already looking ahead to the future as she gears up for the next chapter of her character Gabby’s story.

Peterman visited the TV Insider studio to discuss her role as the bartender who is best friends with Reba McEntire‘s Bobbie, as well as reflect on some of Season 1’s highlights, like big guest stars, teases for Gabby’s backstory, and more, in addition to planning for the future.

As viewers came to learn over the season, Gabby has a lot of stories and lore, but we have yet to dig too deeply into her backstory. That’s something Peterman is eager to remedy in Season 2. “I keep a little… bible of information I get because you are creating this whole new character, and they drop these little bombs,” Peterman pointed out, “[And] I’m like, What was her childhood like?”
Melissa Peterman and Reba McEntire in 'Happy's Place'

Casey Durkin/NBC

As Peterman recalled, there was one occasion where Gabby says something like, “It’s possible to love somebody and totally resent them, that’s what my mom taught me.” Peterman clings to remarks like that for building Gabby’s backstory as a performer. “That’s a lot of information to have about how she grew up,” Peterman noted of these little gems of dialogue Gabby drops from time to time.

“I assumed because of the way we talk about what my mother…. I assumed that my parents were divorced,” Peterman said of her character’s outlook and family status. “I got some information in one of our [recent] episodes, that my parents are not divorced, which is surprising, and I’m excited.”

She added, “I think that [showrunner] Kevin Abbott has some ideas to explain that.” As for whether we’ll see Gabby’s parents onscreen or not, Peterman didn’t know for certain, but she’s already starting a campaign to get Hacks Emmy-winner Jean Smart on as her TV mom: “I’m going to throw it out there. You didn’t ask, [but my] dream person to play my mother is Jean Smart, because we talk about Gabby’s mom [and how] she is formidable.”

Melissa Peterman Breaks Down the Similarities — and Differences — Between ' Reba' and 'Happy's Place'

Whether that will come to pass remains to be seen, but in the meantime, Peterman is delving into other Season 2 hopes and plans, including which Reba stars she’d like to see visit Happy’s Place barroom, in the full video interview above. Stay tuned for more.

Happy’s Place, Season 2 Premiere, TBA, NBC