Here are all the Knoxville references we spotted during the first episode of Reba’s new show, ‘Happy’s Place’

Reba McEntire’s new Knoxville-based sitcom premiered on Friday, and it had a few Easter eggs that East Tennesseans will recognize.

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Author: Tom Barclay
Published: 7:02 PM EDT October 21, 2024
Updated: 7:02 PM EDT October 21, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — East Tennesseans watching Reba McEntire’s new NBC sitcom “Happy’s Place” should keep a close eye on the screen, because there are a lot of Easter eggs referencing Knoxville and Tennessee sprinkled around.

The show is set in Knoxville and follows Reba’s character, Bobbie, after she inherits her father’s restaurant: Happy’s Place.

As expected of a show set in Knoxville,  you can find Tennessee Vols memorabilia all over the place. But there are also some subtler references for those keeping an eye out. Here are a few of the ones we spotted during the first episode:

Vols, Vols, and more Vols

Happy’s Place is decked out with all sorts of Big Orange merch, including multiple signs, several mugs, helmets and a large lit-up Power T featured prominently in the background.

Credit: NBC

Also, we spotted a neat Vols serving tray with Smokey on it featured in the opening credits. The menus also sport a lovely Tennessee Vols theme:

Credit: NBC

References on Tap

At the start of the show, Reba’s character serves up some “Tennessee Coffee,” which she quickly clarifies is just a tall glass of whiskey. As she was pouring the drink, we spotted a familiar beer on tap: Yee-Haw.

Sure, Yee-Haw is technically more of a Johnson City reference since that’s where the brewery got its start, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a tap in Knoxville without at least one Yee-Haw handle on it these days.

Credit: NBC

Deep Cuts

We kept our eyes peeled for references that would require a deeper understanding of Knoxville beyond the Vols. There were at least two: One hidden in the background, and one in plain sight during a couple of shots.

During a few shots, the character Takoda, played by Tokala Black Elk,  could be spotted wearing a Rule High School t-shirt. The former Knoxville high school has been closed for more than three decades and was only recently demolished.

Credit: NBC

The other hard-to-spot reference was seen for just a few seconds in the background: an old newspaper clipping referencing the Blizzard of ’93 in Knoxville. Whoever wrote that story might want to doublecheck the grammar in their headline next time: “Knoxville in blanketed white: 15 inches of snowfall breaks 33-year record.”

The Blizzard of ’93 dropped 15 inches of snow in Knoxville, breaking a single-day snowfall record set in 1960 at the time.

Credit: NBC

 If you want to join the hunt for more Knoxville references, Happy’s Place airs on NBC Fridays at 8 p.m. ET.