NBC’s gamble on feel-good sitcoms has paid off—at least for now. Happy’s Place, the Reba McEntire-led comedy, has earned a five-episode extension, bringing its freshman season total to 18. This comes as little surprise given the show’s impressive 14 million viewer premiere across all platforms. Clearly, somebody’s watching, and NBC has noticed.
While a 90% overall viewership boost and an 88% jump in the coveted 18-49 demographic for the Friday 8:00-8:30 p.m. timeslot might be partially attributable to the mere presence of something watchable in that slot, let’s give credit where it’s due. McEntire, as Bobbie, the newly minted tavern owner grappling with an inherited half-sister (Belissa Escobedo as Isabella) and the usual sitcom-y family shenanigans, seems to be striking a chord.
The supporting cast, featuring familiar faces like Melissa Peterman and Rex Linn, adds to the show’s comfy, multi-cam appeal. And while the “unexpected family” trope is about as fresh as week-old bread, Happy’s Place is banking on its execution, not its originality. Whether this early success translates into long-term viability is another story, but for the moment, NBC has a bona fide Friday night win. It’s enough to make you hum a little Reba, even if you’d rather not admit it.
Happy’s Place airs Fridays at 8:00 PM on NBC.
Happy’s Place is a Universal Television production, part of Universal Studio Group, for NBC. Executive producers are Reba McEntire, Michael Hanel, Mindy Schultheis, Matt Berry, Pamela Fryman, and Kevin Abbott, who also serves as showrunner. The series was created by Kevin Abbott and Julie Abbott.
