Reba McEntire's 'Happy's Place' show: From episode sneak peeks to guest stars, what we know

Golden Globe-nominated actress and Oklahoma native Reba McEntire returns to series television with her anticipated new sitcom "Happy's Place."

The half-hour series premieres at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, on NBC.

All new episodes will stream the next day on Peacock, along with the rest of NBC’s entertainment lineup.

Here's what to know about Reba's new show "Happy's Place:"

What is Reba's new sitcom 'Happy's Place' about and who co-stars with her?

Reba confirmed in a spring interview with The Oklahoman that filming was completed in April for the pilot episode of "Happy's Place," which co-stars Belissa Escobedo, Melissa Peterman, Pablo Castelblanco, Tokala Black Elk and Rex Linn.

The new multi-camera series stars Reba as Bobbie, who inherits her father’s Tennessee bar, Happy's Place, when he dies. After running the tavern for many years, her character is less than thrilled when she learns she has a new business partner: Isabella, the much younger half-sister she never knew she had, played by "Blue Beetle" star Escobedo.

Peterman co-stars as Gabby, a longtime bartender at the tavern who wishes she was Bobbie’s sister, while Linn, Reba's actor boyfriend and fellow Oklahoman, plays a taciturn cook named Emmett.

"Yellowstone" actor Black Elk, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and a direct descendant of the Lakota holy man Black Elk, has been cast as a kindly waiter with handyman skills named Takoda. Castelblanco ("Alaska Daily") plays Steve, the restaurant's accountant who does his work at the bar and dislikes change.

Reba and Peterman became famously close friends when they co-starred in the still-beloved 2001-07 TV series "Reba." They made an uproarious appearance as presenters on last month's Primetime Emmy Awards, where their presence on the red carpet literally had Ayo Edebiri, an Emmy-winning star of the hit FX series "The Bear," squealing with delight.

In the first two episodes of "Happy's Place," the chemistry among all the cast members is strong, and the warm-hearted wisecracks mostly stick their landings. Plus, Reba sings by the start of the second episode, which is always a plus.

Who is working behind the scenes on 'Happy's Place?'

"Reba" executive producers Kevin Abbott, Michael Hanel and Mindy Schultheis are back together for the new project alongside a new addition to the creative team, Julie Abbott.

Kevin Abbott also is the new series' writer, while Reba is listed among the executive producers.

"My crew, my producers and my showrunner, we've been working for a long time. Ever since 2006, when 'Reba' got canceled, we've been trying to find another story," Reba told The Oklahoman in a one-on-one interview behind the scenes at April's Western Heritage Awards in Oklahoma City.

"My showrunner Kevin Abbott, his wife, Julie, was the one that came up with this idea — and we ran with it. And NBC loved it enough for us to do a pilot, and we hope to find out real soon if we get to run forward a little further with it."

The Abbotts are credited with creating the series. Matt Berry and Pamela Fryman also are listed as executive producers.

“Happy’s Place” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Will we see any other stars from the old 'Reba' series on 'Happy's Place?'

The comeback for Reba and Peterman won't be the only "Reba" reunion happening on the first season of "Happy's Place."

Steve Howey, who played Reba’s son-in-law Van Montgomery on "Reba," will appear on the "Happy’s Place" Christmas episode, titled “Ho-Ho-Howey," according to TVLine. Howey will play a potential sperm donor for Gabby when Peterman's character thinks she wants to have a baby.

“We absolutely want to bring some of the old cast members on — and in very different roles than what they played on Reba. Steve’s our first one up, and we’re trying to figure out how to bring JoAnna (Garcia-Swisher) in," Kevin Abbott told TVLine.

"We only want to have the old cast in if we can really utilize them in a fun, impactful way. That cast was so easy to get along with — Reba sets the tone, so it’s not a surprise — and this (new) cast is the exact same way."

Who did Reba write with on the 'Happy's Place' theme song?

The "Reba" reunions on "Happy's Place" come as McEntire's eponymous series, for which she was nominated for a 2004 Golden Globe for best actress in a musical or comedy TV series, remains a popular title.

All episodes of the six-season show are now streaming on Hulu, and the series debuted in the spring on Netflix.

"I'm a Survivor," the theme song to Reba's first 2001-2007 sitcom, has proven a surprisingly stalwart staple for the flame-haired hitmaker, continuing to inspire Internet memes and TikTok trends.

The Country Music Hall of Famer again croons the theme song to "Happy's Place," with a warm vibe and inviting lyrics designed to make viewers feel at home — and feel the love.

The entertainment icon released the theme to "Happy's Place" last week via MCA Nashville across all music platforms.

The Chockie native teamed up with fellow entertainment icon and legendary songwriter Carole King to pen the "Happy's Place" theme.

“I’m so happy for the opportunity to write the theme song for 'Happy’s Place' with my good friend, Carole King,” said Reba in a statement. “It just doesn’t get much better than that! I hope my fans will love this song as much as they did the theme song for the 'Reba' show."

How is the new series putting Reba on NBC three times a week this fall?

Once "Happy's Place" debuts Friday, fans can expect to see Reba on NBC at least three days a week this fall: The three-time Grammy Award winner is back as a coach on the Emmy Award-winning series "The Voice" after winning Season 25 in the spring.

Reba is mentoring competitors on "The Voice" Season 26, alongside fellow returning coach (and Sooner State transplant) Gwen Stefani and coaching newcomers Snoop Dogg and Michael Buble?.

"The Voice" airs at 7 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC.

With its 7 p.m. Friday time slot, "Happy's Place" is leading off a new NBC comedy hour, followed by the Season 3 return of fan-favorite “Lopez vs. Lopez,” starring comedic actor George Lopez, at 7:30 p.m. Fridays. The newsmagazine “Dateline NBC” will cap the evening from 8 to 10 p.m. Fridays.

Where in Oklahoma is Reba's real-life restaurant?

With "Happy's Place," Reba is now in the restaurant business on TV as well as in real life.

Reba told The Oklahoman she hopes to bring her real-life experience to the new TV show: She opened in early 2023 her eponymous home-state restaurant Reba's Place in a 100-year-old building in downtown Atoka.

"I have a lot more knowledge about running a restaurant and a tavern than before, so, yeah, I think it'll help," said Reba, who grew up on an Atoka County ranch in nearby Chockie.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Reba McEntire's new comedy series 'Happy's Place' debuts: What to know