Happy's Place


Happy's Place is an American sitcom television series that premiered on October 18, 2024, on NBC. The series is created by Kevin and Julie Abbott and stars Reba McEntire, Melissa Peterman, Belissa Escobedo, and Rex Linn. It is about a woman who inherits a bar from her father after his death, then discovers she has a half-sister who also has a share of the inheritance. In February 2025, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on November 7, 2025. In February 2026, the series was renewed for a third season.

Plot

Bobbie McAllister inherits half-ownership of a Knoxville, Tennessee bar from her father, Happy. A young woman is proven to be Bobbie's half-sister, Isabella, who was the result of an affair Happy had with a woman named Maritza Sanchez. In view of their shared ownership of the bar, they begin running it together.

Cast and characters

Main

  • Reba McEntire as Bobbie, a woman who inherits half of a Knoxville, Tennessee bar founded by her father, Happy, following his death, and Isabella's paternal half-sister
  • Belissa Escobedo as Isabella, Bobbie's Mexican American paternal half-sister, who also inherits half of Happy's Place following his death
  • Melissa Peterman as Gabby, a bartender at Happy's Place. Peterman and McEntire have also co-starred in Reba.
  • Rex Linn as Emmett, the soft-spoken cook at Happy's Place and a longtime friend of Happy's
  • Pablo Castelblanco as Steve, the germophobic, obsessive-compulsive Hispanic accountant for Happy's Place
  • Tokala Black Elk as Takoda, the Native American waiter at Happy's Place

Notable guest stars

Production

Development

The series was created by Kevin Abbott, who serves as showrunner and executive producer. The other executive producers are Michael Hanel, Pamela Fryman, Mindy Schultheis and Julie Abbott. Reba McEntire is also an executive producer. On January 29, 2024, the series received a put pilot commitment by NBC. On May 7, 2024, the series had been given a series order and reveals the title as Happy's Place. Universal Television produces the series. On November 15, 2024, the series was given additional script orders, making the season total of 13 episodes. On November 21, 2024, the series added 5 episodes, giving it an 18-episode full first season order. On February 20, 2025, NBC renewed the series for a second season. On February 2, 2026, NBC renewed the series for a third season.

Casting

McEntire, who helped develop the pilot, plays the lead role of Bobbie. On March 18, 2024, Melissa Peterman and Belissa Escobedo were cast in main roles for the pilot. Announced later the same day, Rex Linn, Tokala Black Elk and Pablo Castelblanco were cast in main roles for the pilot. McEntire and Peterman previously were co-stars on the sitcom Reba.

Filming

Happy's Place is filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California, but it is set in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Broadcast

Happy's Place premiered on October 18, 2024, on NBC. The second season premiered on November 7, 2025.
In Canada, new episodes air one day earlier than the American airdate on CTV.

Reception

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 73% approval rating with an average rating of 5.8/10, based on 11 critic reviews. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 60 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.

Accolades

as Bobbie for Happy's Place was nominated Favorite Female TV Star (Family) category for 2025 Kids' Choice Awards.