The series premiere saw 14 million viewers across all platforms
NBC seems to be happy with “Happy’s Place.” The NBC comedy starring Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman was given five additional episodes, bringing its Season 1 episode count up to 18.
It’s not entirely surprising that the network would be eager to continue this show. The premiere of “Happy’s Place” saw 14 million viewers across all platforms. The premiere improved NBC’s Friday night timeslot from 8 – 8:30 p.m. by 90% among total viewers and 88% in the 18-49 demo.
The comedy stars McEntire as Bobbie, a woman who inherits her late father’s taverns, known as Happy’s Place. However, when she takes over the bar, she discovers that she has a new business partner in a 20-something half-sister she never knew she had, Isabella (Belissa Escobedo).
In addition to McEntire, Escobedo and Peterson, the series stars Pablo Castelblanco, Tokala Black Elk and Rex Linn. “Happy’s Place” was created by Kevin and Julie Abbott, with Kevin Abbott serving as the writer of the series. He also serves as an executive producer, alongside McEntire, Michael Hanel, Mindy Schultheis, Matt Berry and Pamela Fryman. The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
The series marks a reunion of sorts for McEntire and Peterson, who starred in the comedy “Reba,” which first started on The WB before moving to The CW. The series ran from 2001 to 2007. The series found a robust home in syndication, airing reruns on Lifetime, Ion Television and Hallmark Channel over the years.
New episodes of “Happy’s Place” premiere on NBC Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.