In this day and age, starting a new show is always tricky, so we feel inclined to reassure people when there’s a renewal before they dive in. And thankfully, NBC has greenlit Happy’s Place for a second season. The show will return, and its debut season has been so lovely that it deserves more eyes on it.
Sitcoms don’t always stick the landing these days, but Happy’s Place flies right toward a successful sweet spot from its Pilot and continues to deliver great episodes up until its Season 1 finale, “Alarm Bells.” And it’s the type of sitcom that deserves to run for a few years.
1. Reba McEntire
Real ones know that as a series, Reba is an absolute treasure because Reba McEntire stars in the series. The country singer and icon is one of the few people in Hollywood whose presence maintains something trustworthy even though we don’t actually know her personally. Anyone who knows the industry, and who’s been a part of it for a while could recognize McEntire for her heartwarming charm and whip-sharp comedic timing.
Frankly, there’s nothing McEntire can’t do, so when we learned that she’s the star of a new sitcom, we ran. And we’re rewarding with the type of show that feels as wholesome and as sweet as McEntire’s presence does in the industry. Bobbie’s bound to become a fan-favorite character, and she alone is enough reason to start watching.
2. Happy’s Place Is Deeply Wholesome
A good comedy can’t simply be hilarious, but it needs a spark of heart to ensure that it’s a place viewers keep returning to. And like the fictional tavern the show’s title is based on, Happy’s Place as a series is deeply wholesome. Starring alongside McEntire are Melissa Peterman, Belissa Escobedo, Rex Linn, Pablo Castelblanco, and Tokala Black Elk, as a merry band of unlikely characters whose interactions with each other also make the viewers feel a little more at home.
For twenty minutes every week, Happy’s Place gives viewers a space where they’re guaranteed to feel a little lighter than when they first pressed play. It gives us sweet and hilarious interactions that mingle so deliciously, you won’t even realize when the end of the episode arrives.
3. Found Family Vibes
In order for a book or series or even a movie to have a little special something, it needs a found family of sorts. A home away from home—characters who are there for each other through and through, and such is the case with Happy’s Place. Its entire premise surrounds a fictional tavern but it also involves a woman named Bobbie (McEntire) realizing and accepting that she has a little sister named Isabella (Escobedo). Each of the characters are so vastly different from one another, yet how they continue to show up week after week is what gives the show its wholesome charm.
The found family in Happy’s Place is the type that also never once feels forced, but it’s incredibly organic in how we see interactions that are true to the characters. Bobbie, Gabby, Isabella, Emmett, Takoda, and Steve each care about each other so much that even while they’re at odds, viewers can find comfort in the fact that they’ll always look out for each other. And when the real world is dark, elements like this in a show evoke the exact sense of comfort viewers could use to feel a little less alone.
4. Nostalgic Comedy
Hollywood tends to reboot and remake too often. We all know this, and many of us are rightfully frustrated by it. Yet, millennials are also obsessed with nostalgia, and for some inexplicable reason, we’re constantly searching for the same sense of comfort we had while watching things in our past. Because of McEntire’s presence in the show alongside Peterman’s, the show feels nostalgic and fresh at the same time. The comedy is similar to what we had in Reba (and the guest stars always bring in an exciting new revelation to look forward to), but it’s still unique enough to be its own story.
There are countless similarities, sure, yet the story never relies on the past. Instead, it uses it to provide new developments that still have the magic of nostalgia while maintaining narratives that feel relevant to the time we’re in and the people we are today.
5. Relatable Storylines
With more inclusivity in Hollywood today, TV shows and films grow more and more relatable to humanity as a whole. We aren’t just watching white lead characters go about their everyday lives, but we’re watching people of color live their authentic truths and we’re getting representation that doesn’t feel it’s trying to check a box, but rather the kind that simply wants to ensure people will feel seen.
And through each character, viewers are guaranteed to see themselves in someway. I, for one, never thought I’d see OCD represented with such authenticity and nuance, but everything we see with Steve’s character is a comforting surprise that makes me feel deeply seen. Surely, someone somewhere will also see themselves in the grief the series explores or the desire to have children without a partner. There’s something for everyone on Happy’s Place, and there hasn’t been a sitcom like it in quite some time.
Happy’s Place Season 1 is now streaming on Peacock.