“Happy’s Place” Brings “Reba” Home: McEntire Shares Poignant Thoughts on the On-Screen Family Reunion That Fans Are Raving About

“That’s Magic in a Bottle”: Reba McEntire Reflects on Reuniting With ‘Reba’ Family on ‘Happy’s Place’

In 2001, the world was introduced to a single mom who works two jobs, who loves her kids and never stops, when The WB unleashed the power of Reba. For six seasons, audiences followed along with the titular character, played by country music legend Reba McEntire, as she navigated the ups and downs of life after discovering that her husband had been carrying on an affair with a much younger woman.

McEntire commanded the stage of the sitcom, but was assisted in doing so by a dynamite ensemble that helped the show become the massive success that it was.

Now, more than a decade later, while we may not be getting a Reba reboot, fans were thrilled when McEntire and numerous members of the supporting cast reunited for a completely different series, Happy’s Place. Leaving its first season behind with glowing reviews and viewership numbers, the title has nothing but excitement on the horizon for its upcoming sophomore set of episodes on NBC.

Recently speaking with People, McEntire opened up about this once-in-a-lifetime shot at creating something just as special as the show that came before it and how much it means to her to be working with her ex-castmates again.

“The first time we went into a table read, it was very nostalgic. It was very emotional. I mean, see, I’m getting choked up right now. That’s the way it was for all of us to be so blessed. If you get one really good sitcom that lasts for six seasons, you think, ‘Man, I’ve got the golden ring. That’ll be it. Probably never do it again, because that’s magic in a bottle.’ We got it again and we realize it… It’s a lot of fun and we already know each other’s bad habits and good habits, what we like, what we don’t. So it’s real easy to step in back into that with the crew. You love people you get to work together with that you’ve worked with before. It’s just so much easier than starting over.”

What Is ‘Happy’s Place’ About?

As mentioned, Happy’s Place and Reba might share some similar faces and creative brains, but the plots are incredibly different. In the new NBC series, McEntire stars as Bobbie, a woman who comes to inherit her father’s bar after his passing.

Upon moving back to the area, Bobbie discovers that she’s not the only child who was gifted the titular pub in the deceased’s will, as she comes to find out that she has a much younger half-sister (Belissa Escobedo).

The show follows the day-to-day goings-on and comedic hijinks of the bar, while Bobbie gets back to her roots and embraces her newfound family. Reba alum, Melissa Peterman, joins the cast alongside McEntire’s real-life boyfriend Rex Linn, and an ensemble that also includes Pablo Castelblanco and Tokala Black Elk.

Happy’s Place is now streaming on Peacock.