Melissa Peterman Breaks Down the Similarities — and Differences — Between ‘Reba’ and ‘Happy’s Place’ (Exclusive)
Melissa Peterman and Reba McEntire Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Just because Happy’s Place has a few similarities with Reba doesn’t mean the two sitcoms are exactly the same.
“I hope that the people that loved Reba love Happy’s Place. They loved Reba because it was funny. They loved it because it was relatable. They also loved it because it had heart,” Peterman, 53, shared with Us. “And I think all of those elements are in this show that we have now.”
Reba, which aired from 2001 to 2007, starred Reba McEntire and Peterman along with Christopher Rich, JoAnna Garcia Swisher and Steve Howey. Nearly two decades later, McEntire, 69, and Peterman reunited with former Reba executive producer Kevin Abbott on Happy’s Place.
The upcoming NBC sitcom stands on its own due to a different story and a largely new cast. Happy’s Place follows Bobbie [McEntire] as she inherits her father’s restaurant and discovers a new business partner in the long-lost half-sister (Belissa Escobedo) she didn’t know she had.
Melissa Peterman and Reba McEntire Casey Durkin/NBC
“We are new characters. It’s a new time and it’s different. But those core things that you loved about it are there. It does feel really different [though],” Peterman noted. “And what I’m loving is the interaction with the new cast members including Pablo [Castelblanco], Tokala [Black Elk] and Belissa.”
Happy’s Place, which premieres on Friday, October 18, has made an effort to balance nostalgia with creating a world that brings in new fans.
“As far as trying to harness the things that [Reba fans] love — like the chemistry that we have — that is there no matter what. We’re just new characters. And Barbra Jean [from Reba] was forced on Reba because she married her ex-husband. Gabby is there because she’s her friend,” Peterman added. “She’s still a little bit needy. But we’re trying really hard to keep the magic but make it feel different because we’re playing out different people.”
She continued: “The other big difference is real life family and the reality of blended families. Happy’s Place is all about finding family at work and Belissa’s character is also finding a family that she didn’t know existed and figuring that out. You’ll feel that same warm feeling but you’re gonna it’s new.”
The biggest difference is the friendship at the center of each show. While Reba chronicled a reluctant bond between Reba and Barbra Jean, Happy’s Place has Bobbie (McEntire) already friends with Gabby before bringing a third person — Isabella — into the fold.
“What I love about it is three really strong women who are at different points of their life from very different backgrounds. We all have something to learn from each other,” Peterman told Us. “And something to teach each other. I love that dynamic. I feel like everyone watching will relate to somebody on the show.”
Peterman is excited for viewers to see the show but she’s also thrilled to be sharing the screen with McEntire again. The pair remained friends since their time on Reba and were waiting for the right time to work on another show together.
“We’ve been friends since the show ended. We are in each other’s lives for good [and] forever. But that first time [back in front of the camera] was so surreal. That first day of just walking on the set and walking around the set, there were tears,” she recalled. “It just felt like coming home. The first time [when I was filming Reba], I was so naive that I didn’t know how special it is to get a show on the air and have this TV family. It changed my life. So this time around I’m older and wiser and I know how rare and special it is. So I’m savoring every moment.”
Happy’s Place premieres on NBC Friday, October 18, at 8 p.m. ET.
