She stands tall as a symbol of resilience. Reba McEntire graced our screens for six captivating seasons in her eponymous WB (later CW) sitcom, "Reba." And amidst the 127 episodes that captured our hearts, it's those initial 29 seconds that remain firmly etched in pop culture's memory. The anthemic "I'm a Survivor," a slightly reinvented rendition of her 2001 track, continues to resonate on TikTok and Instagram, often parodied for its poignant lyrics about "a single mom who works too hard."
Now, as McEntire makes her triumphant return to television with an NBC sitcom, could a musical masterpiece strike again? "The song is written, and we're set to record it at the end of this month," McEntire revealed to TV press members during a promotional event for her upcoming half-hour comedy, "Happy's Place." She teased, "We'll see if you like it."
Rejoice, devoted McEntire fans. Unless focus groups prove unexpectedly unkind, the country music icon will lend her voice to the theme song of "Happy's Place" as well.
In a world where TV theme songs, especially those sung by the stars themselves (remember "Frasier" and "The Drew Carey Show"?), have fallen by the wayside, "Happy's Place" bucks the trend. Nowadays, opening sequences on broadcast comedies often consist of a quick flash of the show's title and, perhaps, a nod to the creator if they have the necessary clout. Ditching the traditional opening theme sequence saves money, but mostly, it saves precious time. With broadcast sitcoms operating on a tight 22-minute runtime, including a half-minute theme song often means sacrificing a beloved scene or two from each script.
"Happy's Place" reunites McEntire with her "Reba" producer Kevin Abbot and co-star Melissa Peterman. "Ever since we bid farewell to 'Reba,' we've been searching for another project to collaborate on," said the actress and executive producer. "I adore the sitcom genre. It's my favorite among all the things I do."
While the creative teams behind "Reba" and "Happy's Place" seem to diverge, there's no doubt that McEntire's characters share a common thread. "Reba" centered around a mother of three (McEntire) whose husband abandoned her for another woman (Peterman). In "Happy's Place," McEntire portrays Bobbi, a widow who inherits a bar and a new business partner — her half-sister (Belissa Escobedo) she never knew existed — following her father's death.
Bobbi is described as a widow juggling at least one job. Whether she dotes on her children relentlessly remains to be seen. One can safely assume, however, that she possesses gentle hands and a fighter's heart. Clearly, she is a survivor in every sense of the word.
