Reba McEntire’s New Sitcom Isn’t the ‘Cheers’ Rip-Off You Might Think

Famed country singer and actress Reba McEntire has returned to scripted TV in the new NBC sitcom Happy’s Place. It’s not the best comedy of the Fall 2024 season, but it will ring nostalgic for any fans of her previous show, Reba, which aired from 2001 to 2007. Happy’s Place was co-created by Kevin Abbott, who was the showrunner for Reba, and several of the same executive producers work on the show, as well. Their tried and true sitcom recipe seems to be working, at least following the first season of Happy’s Place, which has received slightly better-than-average reviews from viewers and critics.

Happy’s Place follows a Tennessee woman, Bobbie (Reba McEntire), who inherits a tavern from her recently deceased father (the titular Happy). What she also gains is a half-sister she never knew existed, Isabella (Belissa Escobedo), who has been named co-owner. Isabella’s a Gen Z Latina with a psychology degree who couldn’t be more different from Bobbie’s southern tough-as-nails persona and has no idea how to run a bar. The generational, geographical, and ethnic differences between the two are ripe with potential, not to mention the added newfound family trope thrown in for good measure. The plot lines likely write themselves.

The comparisons to the classic sitcom Cheers are obvious, from the bar setting to the psychologist offering everyone advice — welcomed or not — though Isabella could be considered the anti-Frasier in nearly every sense. However, there is nothing to indicate that Happy’s Place will have the same longevity or reach legendary status — yet. Despite the similar setting to Cheers, this new show is much more likely to remind you of Reba, and not just because of the fiery redhead in the lead role.

‘Happy’s Place’ Is Heavily Influenced by ‘Reba’

In addition to the many writers and producers from Reba who have joined Happy’s Place, actress Melissa Peterman has returned as well. It’s not the first time McEntire and Peterman have reunited, but it’s certainly the most exciting. The relationship between their two characters in Reba (the uptight single mom and her ex-husband’s ditzy but lovable new wife) was part of what made the sitcom so enjoyable. It seems that the playfulness between the two women (McEntire and Peterman are also close friends off-screen) is working for Happy’s Place as well. But that might just be because they are basically playing the exact same characters.

Peterman stars as Gabby, the main bartender at Happy’s Place, and her physical humor is as good as it ever was. Much like her Reba character Barbra-Jean, she isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but she’s well-meaning and obsessed with being close with McEntire’s character. As Bobbie, McEntire is often exasperated by Gabby’s over-the-top nature, but at the end of the day, she’s still considered family. In an interview with ScreenRant, Peterman described the relationship between her and McEntire’s characters and the similarity to their Reba dynamic: “What we did is we brought the chemistry that we have as real people and as real-life friends into these new characters. You can’t erase that. So I feel like we’re just the same people in a new play almost.”

A Failed ‘Reba’ Reboot Led to Happy’s Place

The idea that McEntire and Peterman’s characters are so similar to the ones they played on Reba isn’t far-fetched, considering Happy’s Place was born out of a failed Reba reboot. Kevin Abbott had already developed the idea and had many of the same actors on board, but the network ultimately backed out due to financial concerns. Others from the cast of Reba, such as JoAnna Garcia Swisher and Steve Howey, who played Reba’s daughter and son-in-law, had been geared up for the reboot, so Happy’s Place showrunners were happy to offer them appearances on the new show. In fact, Howey stars in Episode 7 as Gabby’s friend Danny and even winks at the audience with a sly reference to his Reba character, Van Montgomery.

‘Happy’s Place’ Is More Diverse Than Its Predecessors

The rest of the Happy’s Place cast is rounded out by Rex Linn, McEntire’s real-life partner, who plays the stoic but wise cook, Emmett, best friend to the late Happy; Pablo Castelblanco as the bar’s Hispanic, germophobic, OCD-riddled accountant, who strangely choose to do his work at the bar; and Tokala Black Elk, as the affable Native American waiter with an extremely calming aura you can feel through the screen. Though all the characters have distinct personalities that set them apart from each other, much like any successful sitcom, there is certainly potential for more varied storytelling with Happy’s Place than could be explored through the singular white, middle-class American family that made up Reba.

The themes of Reba and Happy’s Place are similar, largely due to Abbott and McEntire’s similar viewpoints. Abbott told ScreenRant, “When I’m with Reba, we’re going to tell stories a certain way and hit certain themes of family and forgiveness and responsibility to other people.” However, there are other aspects to Happy’s Place that were notably absent in Reba, particularly diversity and the ability to tell stories from other perspectives. Because all the Happy’s Place characters aren’t from the same family, they have different ethnic backgrounds, life experiences, and struggles that provide a deeper and more interesting backdrop. Abbott explained:

“We can find commonalities that you wouldn’t necessarily think are there. We tend to want to bring people together and find the things that people share rather than the things that tear people apart […] We wanted to get some different perspectives on life so that we could honor those and show how, ‘Yeah, we might be different, but we’re also more similar than you think.'”

Something Borrowed, Something New

Ultimately, if you’re looking for something new for a late-night binge, Happy’s Place is a good choice to satisfy your appetite for a cozy, low-stakes sitcom — especially if you’re nostalgic for the feel-good vibes of Reba. Whether it can go the distance and eventually join the list of classic sitcoms worth rewatching is still up in the air. Happy’s Place might borrow some goods from the sitcoms of old, but its fresh perspective might just be enough to set it apart. But it’s still no Cheers.