Steve Howey as Danny, Reba McEntire as Bobby, Melissa Peterman as Gabby in Happy’s Place.
Casey Durkin/NBCSteve Howieplace for guests of Happy’s place featured some nods to Van’s playing days Reba — but did you catch every Easter egg?
During the Friday, December 6 episode of Happy’s placeHowie, 47, finally shared the screen with Reba McEntire and Melissa Peterman two decades after they starred in Reba. The trio plays completely different characters on NBC’s current series, but the show still found a way to acknowledge Howie’s past by having his character Danny deliver a line about a group of people he knew in Houston 20 years ago.
“That was already in the script, which I really liked. It was a little wink and nod to the old audience of the TV show,” Howie exclusively said Us Weekly for the snide reference. “That’s why it was so great.”
The actor boasted Happy’s place for finding a way to tease highly anticipated Reba gathering.
Reba McEntire proved she was more than just a country superstar when she hosted her own TV show — aptly named Reba. The sitcom ran for six seasons beginning in October 2001. until February 2007 McEntire plays the role of a single mother raising her three children – played by JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Scarlett Pommers and Mitch Holman (…)
“I grew up with classic soap operas and so I always wanted to do a soap opera (as an actor). I was lucky enough to be on one that is a classic. “Fans have told me over the years that the show is the one thing they could relate to as a family because it’s all-ages,” Howie noted. “And it’s still playing and people are still finding it now.”
Howie called out the subtle nods “classic sitcom move,” adding: “Those little winks and nods are really great for the audience. It was great for us to do it and it was already written by one of the writers.”
Steve Howie as Danny in Happy’s Place.
Steve Howey as DannyHappy’s place follows Bobbi (McIntyre) as she inherits her father’s restaurant and finds a new business partner in her long-lost half-sister (Belisa Escobedo) she didn’t know she had. Peterman, 53, plays a bartender at the restaurant mcentire’s boyfriend Rex Lynnalso appears as a cook at Emmett’s Tavern.
The sitcom brought McEntire, 69, and Peterman back together more than 17 years later their hit series Reba ended its six-year period on SB. In addition to McEntire, Peterman and Howey, the beloved show also stars Christopher Rich and Joanna Garcia Swisher.
While filming his scenes as Danny, Howie found ways to honor his character of Reba.
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“The line I did was the first time I came in when Reba was drawing on Melissa’s picture and she did a mustache. I say, “Hey, nice mustache.” She turns and says, “I wish I could say the same about yours,” he said of how Danny’s appearance differs from Van’s. “But that was my line to Reba – and that’s how cool Reba is. I can suggest something and she’s like, ‘I’ll try.'” Also, speaking of being really proud of the mustache, he’s making his TV debut on Happy’s Place.”
Happy’s place not just there Reba alums in front of the camera. Showrunner Kevin Abbottwho was executive producer of Reba when it aired on The WB between 2001 and 2007, it was instrumental in using McEntire and Peterman’s new NBC series as a way to work with their former colleagues.
Reba McEntire and Steve Howie in Reba.
YouTube“Kevin had this idea for this character some time ago. And then he said, “What if Howie does? It would be really great to organize a reunion. I fit the description of the character, so he called me,” Howie recalled us. “The planets just lined up on this one.”
As the viewers already understood, Happy’s place may include some similarities to Reba but ultimately it’s its own show. Howie’s character Danny is a perfect example of this Happy’s place using nostalgia without reflecting every detail of Reba.
“Van is obviously different because I was so different. I was much younger, much more naive and much fresher. It was my first series regular job, so it was very new. Now, 20 years later, I can bring different experiences to the characters I play,” explained Howie. “Also the relationships between the characters – because Happy’s place is a new thing – they are different. Yes, it’s Reba Melissa, but the characters are different. Bobbi is very different from Reba. Gabby is very different from Barbara Jean and Danny is obviously different.”
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He continued: “This guy owns his own business. He has money and he plays this game. Like he said, Danny was after them the whole time. … They have something special (p Happy’s place), which just makes sense and Reba has another flash in the bottle show.”
Howie is expected to appear in additional episodes, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be interacting with any other exes Reba costars on the show. After Abbott previously confirmed their attempts to woo Howey’s former on-screen love interest Joanna Garcia Swisher away, Howie said us would prefer not to share the screen.
“I like this idea of us all coming back in different forms. I had my one and only guest star episode and JoAnna should have her one and only guest star episode,” he noted. “I think Joanna is going to have a great time. She’s a great person and that’s one of the beautiful things about the show is that we all still communicate. I just talked to JoAnna the other day.
Howie too there are no plans to become a series regular Happy’s placesaying: “I haven’t done comedy in years. It’s been a long time since I got back on the horse and it hasn’t been easy. It was a bit difficult because of the weather, the volume and the live studio audience. I said to myself, “This is not a joke.” I got used to one camera. I got used to Shameless and then True Lies with one camera. It’s a different mood. I kind of got the juices flowing again and I was like, “I (should) have my own series. This is fun.
Happy’s place airs Fridays at 8pm on NBC.
