Why NBC’s Happy’s Place Had To End Reba McEntire’s 23-Year Sitcom Trope Explained By Producer
Happy’s Place will end Reba McEntire’s tired sitcom trope of 23 years, and the show’s producer, Kevin Abbott explains why. The Queen of Country Music will return on scripted network TV with a brand-new comedy this fall on NBC.
The last time she was in this space was when she made an unexpected return as June in the Young Sheldon finale. While McEntire is not new to this format, having appeared in a number of sitcoms throughout the years, the story of Happy’s Place offers something new for the singer/actor.
Speaking with TV Insider, Abbott explains the reason behind setting Happy’s Place in a tavern as opposed to a family home. The producer has worked with McEntire before, also serving the same role in her famous sitcom, Reba. He also developed Malibu Country — McEntire’s shortlived comedy that followed. Having that connection, Abbott reveals that the shift in the environment is a conscious effort so they can do more adult storylines as compared to the old series.
It’s a pleasure to take everything that we have gone through in our lives, the growth that we’ve had, and continue to apply [that to stories]. It’s nice to do this at a tavern as opposed to [in] a family [setting] show because we’re both now at our stage where the kids are grown. It’s more interesting to us to do more adult stories — even though they are told for a family.
Can Happy’s Place Replicate The Success Of Reba?
Happy’s Place Is Very Different From McEntire’s Iconic Sitcom
McEntire’s Reba sitcom from the early 2000s made the singer a legend in the comedy space. In the show, she played the titular character who was on the heels of separating from her husband while also dealing with her teenage daughter getting married while pregnant.
Throughout six seasons, she navigated her new life while also mysteriously maintaining a civil relationship with her ex-husband and extra-annoying new wife, Barbra Jean, played by Melissa Peterman. Reba was fun and family-friendly, and it remains a favorite in syndication and streaming services.
Happy’s Place being different may be a risk, but at this point, it’s best to offer something fresh to viewers rather than rehashing something that has been done before.
However, things are a bit different in McEntire’s new show. Happy’s Place will see Reba play Bobbie — the inheritor of her late father’s restaurant. What she doesn’t know is that she’ll have to run it with her half-sister who she didn’t know existed. Peterman is also part of the cast of Happy’s Place as Gabby, marking the pair’s small screen reunion. This time, the pair’s relationship is less complicated than the one they had in Reba. Add Abbott to the mix, and Happy’s Place has all the ingredients needed for success.
Admittedly, it’s still too early to say how it will be received. However, considering Malibu Country’s failure, trying something new may be the key to McEntire’s successful comedy return. Happy’s Place being different may be a risk, but at this point, it’s best to offer something fresh to viewers rather than rehashing something that has been done before.
News
JUST IN: Reba McEntire’s Fellow Coaches Dish the Dirt on What It’s Like Working With Her on ‘The Voice’ (Exclusive)
Reba McEntire’s Fellow Coaches Dish the Dirt on What It’s Like Working With Her on ‘The Voice’ (Exclusive) After notching up her first win on The Voice with soul singer Asher HaVon, Reba McEntire is back and ready to go…
H0T! H0T! H0T! Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman Make A Stun As They Hint at Wild Vacations Together
Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman Hint at Wild Vacations Together: ‘Karaoke and Margaritas’ On the Emmy Awards red carpet, the costars of ‘Reba’ and the upcoming ‘Happy’s Place’ spoke about having fun together Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman are playing coy about the…
BREAKING NEWS: Reba McEntire on her return to sitcoms and working with her boyfriend on Happy’s Place
Reba McEntire on her return to sitcoms and working with her boyfriend on Happy’s Place The country legend shares the advice she gave bf Rex Linn and what she loves about being back in a multi-cam. When Reba McEntire first took the…
Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood & Dolly Parton Make Country Music Fan’s Dreams Come True With AMAZING Trio
Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood & Dolly Parton’s Voices Combined Is a Country Dream A triple-powered performance for the CMAs. The 2019 Country Music Association Awards got off to a rockin’ start when not one but three icons took the stage…
The jaw-dropping visuals within Drew Carey’s Luxurious Los Angeles 3,000 square feet of space Home
Drew Carey House: The Cleveland Pad Who is Drew Carey? Drew Carey is a legendary TV game show host that we all know from his hits such as The Drew Carey Show and the show Whose Line Is It Anyway?…
‘Price Is Right’ Drew Carey Makes A Stun As He Reveals Big Mistake He Made On Show That Seems Like Nobody Knows
‘Price Is Right’ Drew Carey Reveals Big Mistake He Made On Show Drew Carey has never had a problem admitting when he is wrong. In a recent discussion on his hit game show, The Price is Right, Carey talked about a…
End of content
No more pages to load