How Reba’s New Show Redeems An Element Of Her Original That “Never Popped” For The Showrunner

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Happy’s Place season 1, episode 18!Happy’s Place showrunner Kevin Abbott has explained how Reba McEntire’s new show redeems an element of her original that “never popped.” McEntire leads the cast of Happy’s Place as Bobbie, who becomes the co-owner of the sticom’s titular bar in Knoxville, Tennessee. Joining her as one major character is her real-life husband, Rex Linn, who portrays the bar’s cook, Emmett. The season 1 finale laid the groundwork for a developing romance between the pair, with Emmett’s feelings slowly peeking out during the episode, despite not being outright stated.

Speaking with ScreenRant, Abbott explained how he believes Happy’s Place has a chance to tackle romance in a way McEntire’s previous sitcom, Reba, never could. The showrunner, who also oversaw seasons 2 through 6 of Reba, believes the first sitcom could never do romance quite right, contrasting it to the natural chemistry the lead actor has with Linn. He also teases what their relationship will be like in season 2, indicating how it will continue to develop in a positive direction. Check out what Abbott had to say below:

It was always a possibility that those two would be love interests. Before we had Rex in the breaking of the story and everything. That was always a potential love interest. With the old Reba show, the one area that we just never did well was the love interest for the old Reba character.

I’m sure I am much harsher on it than the audience, but for me, it was always like, “Eh, I don’t buy it. I don’t believe it at all.” And we tried it a couple of times and it just never worked for me. So I’ve always kind of wanted to be able to tell some of those stories with Reba. She can do almost anything. That’s the one thing that never popped. The chemistry wasn’t working. So then when we brought Rex on, I thought, “Well, maybe this is the key. Maybe she’s got to actually be attracted to this guy.

Because the one person she had a little spark with was James Denton. She was a little attracted to James Denton. Rex and she, I don’t know how you felt, but that moment in the pilot, I just loved that. It just tickled me. I had such a good time watching it. That has been in the works. The season one finale, if I’d known and could plan out the entire thing, would’ve been in a different place. There’d be more to this.

But because we didn’t get the pick-up until later on, I didn’t know how many episodes we were going to have. I couldn’t plan out all the steps to get to where I originally wanted to go. So this is earlier on in this entire ark. We’re going to go to more places that I know of already, but the two of them have been great. That’s a minefield you wouldn’t necessarily walk into willingly, but it’s been great so far.

What Abbott’s Statement Means For Romance In Happy’s Place

McEntire’s original sitcom, Reba, aired from 2001 until 2007, focusing on the life of Reba Hart after she discovers her husband, Brock (Christopher Rich) had an affair. The show’s romance elements weren’t always a major factor, something that seems to contrast with the hints afforded by her newest sitcom’s season finale. It lays the groundwork for Happy’s Place season 2 exploring Bobbie’s connection with Emmett in more meaningful ways, taking advantage of the real-world chemistry the couple have.

Given the plans Abbott has for them in the future, the showrunner is clearly more confident in their budding romance storyline than anything presented in Reba. This is aided by dynamic character development as well, such as Emmett’s health scare making the pair defined by more than just their feelings for one another. It’s a similar approach that Happy’s Place can have for future episodes because of McEntire and Linn’s relationship, allowing different elements to permeate on the small screen.

Our Take On Bobbie & Emmett’s Building Romance In Happy’s Place

Season 2 Can Take Full Advantage Of Their Chemisty

With the romantic buildup between Bobbie and Emmett still in its early stages, Happy’s Place season 2 can take more advantage of their chemistry as their development continues. Not only will it showcase Abbott striving for more confident romances than Reba, but also emphasize the connection between the two actors and how well it works onscreen. With the show already having been renewed, it’s only a matter of time before the two characters’ relationship grows deeper.

All episodes of Happy’s Place season 1 are now streaming on Peacock.

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Happy’s Place

7/10

Release Date

October 18, 2024

Directors

Pamela Fryman

Writers

Kevin Abbott