How Reba McEntire and Rex Linn Brought Romance to Happy’s Place
Happy’s Place — along with Rex Linn — is finally offering Reba McEntire the opportunity to experience a sitcom romance after several unsuccessful attempts on her original show, Reba.
In the season finale that aired on Friday, March 21, Isabella (Belissa Escobedo) tries to match her half-sister Bobbie (McEntire) with their colleague Emmett (Linn). The issue arises as both Bobbie and Emmett are concerned about jeopardizing their long-standing friendship, prompting them to slow down. The conclusion of Happy’s Place suggests that Bobbie and Emmett might have something special, though this wasn’t what executive producer Kevin Abbott initially planned.
“I had a different direction for the end of the first season that involved that relationship,” he revealed exclusively to Us Weekly. “However, we prefer to gradually develop these arcs to ensure that the climax is a surprise. The groundwork was laid over 13 episodes, but we were unsure about future renewals.”
While Happy’s Place was eventually granted an extra four episodes, the writers chose not to rush the romantic storyline, with Abbott commenting, “I didn’t have the chance to develop the arc as I had envisioned. Nonetheless, I wanted to initiate that relationship since building romance in the original Reba was something I never accomplished.”
Prior to collaborating with McEntire, 69, on Happy’s Place, the pair had worked together on Reba, which aired from 2001 to 2007. Abbott took notes on the successes and failures of Reba to create a new dynamic with McEntire in NBC’s latest hit sitcom about coworkers in a tavern setting.
“For some reason, Reba can do almost anything. The one narrative we couldn’t explore in the original show was relationships. There were potential love interests, but the chemistry never quite clicked,” he reflected. “We attempted a few times, and those episodes were challenging for me as they just didn’t translate well.”
Happy’s Place sidestepped those pitfalls by pairing McEntire with Linn, 68, who happens to be her real-life partner.
Reba McEntire and Rex Linn first encountered each other 30 years before their relationship developed. They met while filming 1991’s The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw, but it wasn’t until January 2020 that they began dating. “We’ve maintained contact over the years and share mutual acquaintances, so […]
“She’s with Rex now, and we thought, ‘If this is going to work, it’s now.’ I believe it does work; they complement each other beautifully,” Abbott expressed enthusiastically. “I’m keen on pursuing that storyline and seeing how it unfolds. That was the plan even prior to casting Rex — believe it or not. He was always seen as a potential love interest because I have stories that I want to convey. I wasn’t able to in the original Reba.”
McEntire and Linn initially met during the filming of 1991’s The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw, but it took nearly three decades for their romance to blossom. After reconnecting, they have enjoyed starring together in projects like Big Sky and now Happy’s Place.
The NBC series, which premiered in 2024, features McEntire as a tavern owner who has inherited her father’s business while discovering a new business partner in a half-sister she never knew she had. Linn, on the other hand, portrays Emmett, a cook with a crush on Bobbie, which will be a focal point in the upcoming season 2.
Happy’s Place also features Melissa Peterman, who Reba fans will remember from the original sitcom. However, just because Happy’s Place reunites the actors does not mean it is merely a rerun of the Reba series.
Reba McEntire has demonstrated that she is more than just a country music icon by leading her own TV series — aptly titled Reba. The sitcom aired for six seasons from October 2001 to February 2007, showcasing McEntire as a single mother navigating life while raising her three children — played by JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Scarlett Pomers, and Mitch Holleman […]
“I worked on the original Reba show with Reba and she is everything you would hope she would be as a person, not just as a performer. We didn’t fully capture all the stories we aimed to in the original Reba. The ending of that show was peculiar. We even contemplated a reboot of the original series, but that pilot didn’t get picked up,” he reminisced. “I think we’ve done a commendable job with Happy’s Place by creating something distinct.”
He added: “We didn’t want to replicate another family show with children because we had already done that extensively. The intention was to create an adult workplace comedy, and we’ve found great satisfaction with it. I’m thrilled to be back working with these talented individuals.”
Happy’s Place has been approved for a second season. The first season is currently available for streaming on Peacock.
