By Judy Shields
It is two days away from the premiere of NBC’s newest comedy series “Happy’s Place!” Starring Reba McEntire, the series will premiere this Friday, Oct 18th at 8pm ET/PT on NBC and next day on Peacock.
HAPPY’S PLACE
Bobbie (Reba McEntire) inherits her father’s tavern (Happy’s Place) and is surprised to discover that she has a new business partner, Isabella (Belissa Escobedo), a twentysomething half-sister that she never knew she had.
The series stars Reba McEntire, Belissa Escobedo, Melissa Peterman, Pablo Castelblanco, Tokala Black Elk and Rex Linn.
Writer Kevin Abbott executive produces with Reba McEntire, Michael Hanel, Mindy Schultheis, Matt Berry and Pamela Fryman.
“Happy’s Place” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. The series is created by Kevin Abbott and Julie Abbott.
I have had the opportunity to see three live tapings. One in August, one in September and one last night which was their Christmas episode. I have to tell you, I’m 100% addicted to this show and if you get a chance, you should go see it taped. I can’t wait to see the three episodes on NBC. You will laugh, cry a little and want to watch this show over and over again. Reba’s BACK!
Here is a video that was put on Face Book by NBC at a table read of Happy’s Place where Reba tells the cast about the recording of the theme song for Happy’s Place and how it came together with the help of Carole King. Enjoy
https://www.facebook.com/reel/964432365712777?s=yWDuG2&fs=e&mibextid=Nif5oz
The official theme song, which is simply titled “Happy’s Place,” is be available on all music platforms, including McEntire’s YouTube channel
So back on Sunday, July 14 at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, I was invited to be part of the TCA (Television Critics Association) Summer Press Tour by NBC. There were five series panels presented by NBC for two returning shows and three brand new shows. The newest show Happy’s Place staring Country Music singer/songwriter Reba McEntire, so being a country girl and a huge fan of Reba, I was so excited to be there for this new show.
NBC’s newest show Happy’s Place which included Kevin Abbott, Executive Producer, Showrunner, Reba McEntire, Talent, Executive Producer and stars Belissa Escobedo, Melissa Peterman, Pablo Castelblanco, Tokala Black Elk, and Rex Linn.
What excitement it was to see Reba on this panel to talk about her new made for TV comedy show coming up on Fridays at NBC. The series stars Reba McEntire as her character, Bobbie, inherits her father’s restaurant, Happy’s Place. She’s less than thrilled to discover that her new business partner is the half-sister she never knew she had. Happy’s Place will premiere on Friday, Oct. 18 at 8:00 p.m., on NBC and will be available the next day on Peacock.
First question was for Reba was what is it about doing a network sitcom that you find appealing that you’d want to tackle again?
Reba responded with “Ever since we stopped doing the Reba TV show, we have been looking for another project to do together because we had fun, we had more stories to tell. When Kevin’s wife, Julie, came up with this idea, we all said ‘Yes, let’s go for it!’ I love the sitcom genre. Out of all the things I get to do, this is my favorite because it’s camaraderie, it’s fun, you just get to go to work and play, and it’s creative. It’s very comforting to me. I absolutely love it and get to work with these folks? Icing on the cake.
Belissa Escobedo was asked: You’ve worked with some big Hollywood heavy hitters in the past, including Bette Midler. Did that prepare you at all to work alongside another legend like Reba? Reba chimed in with “Oh, thank you for that” and Melissa Peterman also chimed in with “I didn’t want to be too obvious like he’s right there.”
Belissa said that working alongside anybody who’s so legendary as Reba, Bette Midler, anybody who’s been in the industry as long as you have and everything you have accomplished, which led to laughter from the room while Reba said “that’s true, that is very true.
Which had Belissa say: “Gosh, you’re making me nervous. Don’t laugh. But, no, I mean, obviously, I went in there with some nerve, some nervousness. Right when I met Reba, the first chem read, went in there, gave her a hug, and she just smelled like warm, fuzzy bears, and I was just immediately comforted –”
Then Melissa said: “And a tiny bit of Chardonnay, a tiny bit of Chardonnay —
Belissa then said: “And a lot of whiskey. No, I’m just kidding. No, but, truly, Reba is Reba in like the biggest way, but when you walk in it’s just Reba. She’s so sweet, and she made me feel so at home on set, in the room. Kevin, you were great, too, Kevin.
Kevin Abbott responded with: “Yeah, sure. A little late, Belissa, a little late.”
Belissa came back with: “But, no, I mean, she leads the show as a leader should”
Reba said thank you and Belissa said that she was so happy to be on this journey with Reba. Reba’s response to that was “thank you, thank you, thank you. We’ll have fun.
Next question was asked of Reba and Melissa: what do you remember from that first meeting, and how has that relationship evolved over the years?
Reba said with that big beautiful smile of hers: “Go Melly” and Melissa said: “You want me to go?” and Reba responded with “Yeah”
Melissa said that she remembered the first day and that she didn’t meet her until the table read of the sitcom and that she clearly knew who Reba was. That Reba went around to everybody and introduced herself and just said, “Hi, I’m Reba McEntire” and Melissa said “Don’t need a last name. We know.” That Reba made it feel so comfortable from day one and made sure that they all knew they were here for the same reason, to have fun, make a good show, respect each other and be a little grateful for it.
Twenty years since Reba show, they have never really left each other even after the show ended they have been friends ever since. Melissa told us that she even got to go on tour with Reba and open the show and do standup, and that they go on vacations together and hang out.
Reba was asked the same question and she had this to say: “I don’t even know this person. We’ve been buddies. We’ve been co-workers. We’ve had so much fun. The thing that I can already see is going to happen on this show that happened on the Reba show, we’d all go on vacation together — the writers, the producers, showrunners, everybody, — and with their families, we had such a good time. I can see this happening with this group. The camaraderie and the way we gelled on the first week during while we were shooting the pilot, they were saying, ‘Gosh, this is like a second season, first episode. Everybody’s gelling so well.’ So we’re just going to continue to have a lot of fun.”
Reba said: “My fans have always been very loyal, and they followed me — because Momma always said I had the attention span of a 2-year-old — so they follow me wherever, whatever genre I want to attempt, and they’ve been really, really great, and they love that we’re doing another sitcom. All of these folks I get to work with have huge followings, and they’re going to bring them along with the fans that I’ve had for so many years. So it’s going to be a lot of happy people when this gets on the air.”
Reba was asked who her character Bobbie was and she said that her character Bobbie is a pretty intense character who is very devoted to the tavern and to her dad’s memory and she wants everything to stay as it is. That Bobbie works very hard and that she has a wonderful team of people that she gets to work with and that they are at the tavern and solely depends on because he husband has died. Bobbies daughter is deployed and kind of on her own except with her happy place tavern family.
Rex Linn was asked about the characters that he has played opposite Reba and now this one.
He said: “You know what, it’s funny because starting with The Hammer, there was a role in that movie, and Reba was 110% behind getting me to be a part of it. So, that was wonderful. It really is Reba because then Big Sky came along, and she was talking to the producers on Zoom. They were talking about her character. They were campaigning for her to be on the show. So, I just walked back in the background a couple of times, out of focus, which always happens, and then pretty soon, Reba wondered if her character had a husband. Anyway, that happened too. And now, I’m really glad to be a part of this. I owe it all to Reba and Kevin and everybody that’s brought me on board, and I just feel really lucky about it.”
Now a question for Pablo Castelblanco and Tokala Black Elk: What can you share about what we can expect from your characters this season and what role you guys play in balancing out these two women?
Pablo said that Steve is the accountant of the bar, and he does his work at the bar, but he has OCD. So, he doesn’t like change. Pushing himself out of his comfort zone is going to be most of his experience right now because he had a world set up in which, the bus was there and he was dealing already with Gabby, who’s a lot of energy right in front of him. He somehow is surviving. Then comes the new co-owner of the bar. Now his whole world is going to be really shaken. He went on to say: “I’m just really excited to show that kind of person dealing through life. We all go to therapy. We all do our work. So, I feel like we can see in Steve that kind of heart — like a family environment — and I feel like Happy’s Place highlights how a place where your co-workers are your family lets you have some safety net to grow and get better. So, that’s what I’m excited for Steve.”
Tokala said that he is so excited to be able to be in a comedy because he has had a career of playing a villain, being a really scary bad guy, somebody that little kids probably don’t want to be around and in reality he is kind of a fun person. That he likes to have fun and that he plays a guy that plays a character who is supposed to be the nicest person you are ever going to meet and that is the essence of Happy’s Place for him as far a looking at it through his character. He is looking forward to it being our happy place as well.
Reba was asked now that she is doing one 20 years later, how is it different and what has she learned about how to do these kinds of shows?
Reba said that everything has changed and when she first got on the set of Reba, she had just left New York doing Annie Get your Gun, and that was the very first play she ever did. Then she got to L.A. to do the first sitcom that she ever got to do. She said that she pulled Chris Rich, who had done quite a few, into the kitchen part, and she said: “What do they mean when they say this?” And he’s, all right, this is what they– I went through acting 101 class, and thank God for Chris and other folks that were really nice to help me. What’s different for me now is I’m familiar. I’m the old show dog, and that I can help teach anybody who hasn’t done a sitcom, four camera before, what’s going on. The tables are turned a little bit. I’m so thrilled, grateful and thankful to get to do this.”
Reba was asked what prompted her to do The Voice?
Reba said that it was just something different, another avenue she wanted to do. She also said that they asked her at the very beginning, years ago to do it and she said no because she is a gypsy at heart. and can’t do that. She then said: “Anyway, here we are doing it, and to let you know that Snoop Dogg — that’s Mr. Snoop Dogg — and Michael Bublé have both, they both want to come on Happy’s Place as guests. Yeah. Belissa said she loves Snoop Dogg. Then Melissa says: Mrs. Melissa Bublé! Laughter! and she says: “Sorry, my mic’s on.”
Check out the cool coffee drink we were able to get before the Happy’s Place panel started, it was delicious and awesome looking too!
Happy’s Place premieres fall 2024 on NBC and will occupy the Fridays slot at 8/7c. The exact premiere date is Friday, October 18! Don’t miss this comedy TV show on NBC.
I had the opportunity to speak with Reba and Rex. Two of the most wonderful folks you will ever meet. Here are photos:
