"Nashville" the music-centric program, at the heart of Nashville, TN's
growth into a major international tourist destination came to an end on the ABC network (announced May 12th).
With enough drama to last for years, ABC's Nashville became
an instant favorite when it hit the airwaves in 2011/2012.
Four years and 86 episodes later, the network decided
to cancel the expensive series and fans aren't too happy.
Hollywood wasn't completely surprised by the decision as the ratings of the program's over the air viewings steadily decreased (while the show's ratings with DVR were up each season until the underwhelming and even more dramatic season 4.
The cast of Nashville are weighing in online about ABC’s
decision to cancel the beloved country music drama.
The news came on Thursday (May 12, 2016), and it was a huge
shock for many fans, since there had been some promising signs that Nashville
would earn a fifth season. Lionsgate TV had recently hired two Emmy-winning
producers to try to help revamp the show and boost its sagging ratings, and
they were even working on possible storylines for next season, according to
reports. But in the end, ABC pulled the plug after several years of soft
ratings and a difficult fourth season, launching a great deal of speculation
online as to why Nashville was canceled.
The actors who shot to fame, and even got to launch music
careers of their own via Nashville, turned to social media to express their
gratitude to the fans who supported the show — and one of them even appeared to
take a little bit of a parting shot at the network. Aubrey Peeples, who played singer Layla Grant on the show, wrote, “I’m so thankful I was part of a
special show; I wish it was handled with more care.”
Nashville Mayor Megan
Barry even commented on Nashville‘s cancellation.
“We are incredibly
disappointed to hear the news that ABC has not renewed the show Nashville for
another season. The show has been an enormously successful promotional tool for
our city, which is why the State of Tennessee and Metro Nashville were prepared
to support production for a fifth season the be filmed here,” she posted to
Facebook. “This is a loss for ABC and for the millions of fans across the world
who have grown to love this show. We have enjoyed hosting the cast and crew of
the show over the last four years and look forward to future opportunities for
film and television production here in Nashville.”
In fact, Charles Esten told Storme Warren of SiriusXM’s The Highway
that he got the news in a text from series creator Callie Khouri at almost the
same time it went viral, since “it sort of broke quickly on social media.”
Esten looks back fondly on the run of Nashville, which not
only established him in a starring role after years as a working actor, it also
allowed him to launch his own music career and tour extensively.
“For me, the biggest
feeling, honestly … that keeps running through me … is that feeling of gratitude.
I’ve been an actor for a long time. And I had, maybe at my age, given up
thinking I would get a role like this or a show like this. In fact, I didn’t
even know such a thing existed — it didn’t really until Nashville. I think
there was a certain magic in it,” Esten reflected.
“I’m very, very
grateful that I even got this chance … I’ve never honestly had a second season
of anything, so four seasons of the dream job of my life is kind of more than
I’d ever asked or imagined,” he adds. “Having said that, it’s as bittersweet
for me as anybody.”
In fact, Esten plans to remain in Nashville despite the
show’s cancellation.
“This show has
brought me so many blessings that cancelling could never take away,” he said
— especially the friendships that he, his wife and children have established. “We’re not going anywhere.”
The May 25 episode of Nashville will now serve as the
series finale, but at least fans will get some degree of closure.
Esten said the show wrote and filmed alternate ways to wrap
up the storylines so they would be “prepared
for this contingency.”
Nashville starred Connie
Britton, who also produced the series, and Hayden Panettiere, who
took a leave of absence from the series earlier this season.
The drama was one of the few not included in ABC's 15-show
renewal spree back in March, and also one of the network's only dramas from an
outside studio (Lionsgate). However, the country music series' cancellation was
still somewhat surprising.
The series enjoyed a sizable DVR boost, up to a 1.9 rating
among adults 18-49, and enjoyed ancillary profits from soundtracks and concert
tours.
— Nashville (@Nashville_ABC) 19 May 2016
Clare Bowen, Charles Esten, Jonathan Jackson, Sam Palladio, Chris Carmack, Canadians Lennon Stella, Maisy Stella, Will Chase and Aubrey Peeples also starred. The series saw its cast change several times over the years.
Eric Close, who played Britton's former TV husband, was
written out at the end of season three, and Oliver Hudson's character Jeff
Fordham was killed off at the beginning of this season.
Former series regulars Robert Wisdom and Powers Boothe also
departed the series early in its run. At least one regular has another TV gig
already lined up: Palladio is set to appear in the second season of sci-fi
drama Humans.
Shopping Around
"Nashville" - the ABC series starring Connie
Britton and Hayden Panettiere - is reportedly being shopped around to other TV
networks for its fifth season.
#Nashies we are working hard to find a new home for your favorite show! Thank you for your support & keep tweeting #BringBackNashville 🎸🎤💞— Lionsgate TV (@LionsgateTV) 13 May 2016
There is something a bit surreal about seeing members of the cast of “Nashville” on stage a couple of hours before you could watch them in a new episode on ABC," said Melissa Ruggieri of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Even more meta, shortly after their Wednesday April 27th night Fox Theatre concert ended, Charles Esten (aka Deacon Claybourne), Aubrey Peeples (aka Layla Grant), Chris Carmack (aka Will Lexington) and Clare Bowen (aka Scarlett O’Connor) hit social media from backstage to live tweet during the latest episode of the show....Almost as gratifying as watching the cast perform was witnessing their interaction with each other as they entered and exited the stage. There was always a kiss, a hug or a smile, indicating that, TV drama aside, “Nashville” really is one big, happy musical family." - Read more
What about UK Viewers?
Season 4 is yet to be aired and there’s more disappointment
for many who don’t have a Sky TV Package.
Nashville fans will have to get themselves a Sky subscription if they want to know
who flatlined at the end of the dramatic season three finale, because the
glossy ABC series has a new
home in the UK.
The drama, set in America's music city, is set to headline
on Sky Living when it returns for a
fourth run this summer.
The first three seasons of Nashville, which stars Connie
Britton and Hayden Panettiere as country music rivals, aired on More 4 and E4 in the UK.
"We are
delighted to offer our viewers such an entertaining and captivating drama
series as Nashville. With this exciting debut, Sky Living is giving its
customers even more of the addictive storylines and strong, confident
characters they love to watch," said Adam MacDonald, Director of Sky 1
and Sky Living.
Virgin Media customers can also get Sky Living channel
cheap/ inclusive
Previous seasons of the drama will also be available to Sky
customers via Sky Box Sets and NOW TV.
Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton) is going to
need to stay "Strong Tonight" on Nashville season 4, episode 19
(After You've Gone).
The Music of Nashville,
Season 4, Volume 2
The latest album of the soundtrack series The Music of
Nashville (Original Soundtrack) [Season 4], Vol. 2 (Big Machine Records, LLC)
released 13 May 2016.
Suggest you listen before buying the album or tracks.
Titled The Music of Nashville, Season 4, Volume 2, the
compilation was released on May 13 by Big Machine Records.
Music from the show has sold over five million tracks
collectively across seven soundtracks and a Christmas album.
Buddy Miller serves as soundtrack album producer. Callie
Khouri and Steve Buchanan are executive soundtrack producers.
The album features tracks from the cast members including
Hayden Panettiere (Juliette Barnes), Connie Britton (Rayna Jaymes), Charles
Esten (Deacon Claybourne), Will Chase (Luke Wheeler), Aubrey Peeples (Layla
Grant), Johnathan Jackson (Avery Barkley), Clare Bowen (Scarlett O'Connor),
Chris Carmack (Will Lexington) and more.
Track Listing for The
Music of Nashville, Season 4, Volume 2:
1. “Can’t Say No To Love” (performed by Will Chase) |
Written by: Rose Falcon, Joe Ginsberg, Gabriel Dixon
2. “Soul Survivor” (performed by Aubrey Peeples &
Jonathan Jackson) | Written by: Luke Laird, Barry Dean, Natalie Hemby
3. “Only Tennessee” (performed by Clare Bowen) | Written
by: Claire Guerreso, Daniel Tashian
4. “Kinda Dig The Feeling” (performed by Jonathan Jackson)
| Written by: Jaren Johnston, Tyler Bryant, Tom Douglas
5. “Swept Away” (performed by Lennon Stella & Jessy
Schram) | Written by: Audra Mae, Blake Sennett, Jarrod Gorbel
6. “Movin’ On Never Felt So Good” (performed by Chris
Carmack) | Written by: Gareth Dunlop
7. “From Here On Out” (performed by Charles Esten) |
Written by: Andy Albert, Stephanie Lambring, Timothy Bowen
8. “The Rubble” (performed by Clare Bowen & Sam
Palladio) | Written by: Sarah Zimmerman, Justin Davis, Paul Moak
9. “Hole In The World” (performed by Lennon Stella) |
Written by: Gordie Sampson, Katrina Elam, Steve McEwan
10. “‘Til The Stars Come Out Again” (performed by Maisy
Stella) | Written by: Garrison Starr, Justin Glasco
11. “Caged Bird” (performed by Aubrey Peeples) | Written
by: Tina Parol, Maren Morris
12. “One Place Too Long”
(performed by Hayden Panettiere) | Written by: Haley Cole, Bobby Hamrick
13. “Ain’t It Beautiful” (performed by Chris Carmack) |
Written by: Sean McConnell, Michael Dulaney, Lee Miller
14. “Wild Card” (performed by Lennon Stella) | Written by:
Rosi Golan, Claire Guerreso, Daniel Tashian
15. “Boomtown” (performed by Will Chase & Hayden
Panettiere) | Written by: Ryan Hurd, Gordie Sampson, Maren Morris
16. “All We Ever Wanted” (performed by Lennon & Maisy)
| Written by: Kate York, Matraca Berg
17. “Hold On To Me” (performed by Connie Britton) | Written
by: Bob Moffatt, Clint Moffatt, Summer Overstreet
Chart acclaim:
As for the music The Nashville Cast: The Music Of Nashville, Season 4: Volume 2 - Soundtrack (ABC Studios/Big Machine | BMLG) made a bow on the Billboard 200 at #165 and made a bow at #12 Billboard Top Country Album chart selling 3,700 copies.
As for the music The Nashville Cast: The Music Of Nashville, Season 4: Volume 2 - Soundtrack (ABC Studios/Big Machine | BMLG) made a bow on the Billboard 200 at #165 and made a bow at #12 Billboard Top Country Album chart selling 3,700 copies.
17 Tracks/ Time: 57:14 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com | SPOTIFY
The saucy Music City drama Nashville continues to dish
out soundtracks for each of its four seasons. This second volume from the hit
show's fourth and final season with ABC once again leans heavily on the talents
of cast members Will Chase, Hayden Panettiere, Connie Britton, and Charles
Esten, among others.
In its second week at retail it fell 12-24 Country selling around 1,700 copies (down 54%) with a 2-week
total of just 5,400.
See
Billboard chart dated June 11, 2016
UPDATE:
Fans Launch Petition to Try to Save ‘Nashville’
Though Nashville‘s series finale has already aired, the show may still go on. Producers have revealed that multiple networks have expressed interest in the show, and the cast are still under contract.
Fans Launch Petition to Try to Save ‘Nashville’
T witter— Charles Esten (@CharlesEsten) 31 May 2016
H urricane
A s
N ashies
K eep
S igning !https://t.co/VdkCXc8l7j#BringBackNashville https://t.co/dSqegTdn8g
Though Nashville‘s series finale has already aired, the show may still go on. Producers have revealed that multiple networks have expressed interest in the show, and the cast are still under contract.
ABC abruptly pulled the
plug on the beloved show on May 12, stunning fans who had
followed the characters through four years of drama set amidst the country
music business in Music City. Lionsgate TV have been actively shopping the show
to other networks to try to secure a fifth season, and TVLine reported
that they even changed the ending of the Season 4 finale, which aired on May
25, to a cliffhanger at the last minute to make a projected next season more
attractive to potential networks.
Nashville fans have started a petition at Change.org to try to
save the show, and have undertaken a very active online campaign using the
hashtag #BringBackNashville. The
petition has gained more than 168,000 supporters (31,582 needed to reach
200,000) over the last several weeks.
According to Variety, Lionsgate executives
who spoke to reporters on an earnings call last week revealed that four or five
different networks are currently interested in rescuing the show. The execs
state that all of the inquiries have been “inbound inquires coming directly to
us, asking about the possibility of moving the show.”
“The fans and everyone else is clamoring for many more
seasons,” Lionsgate head of TV Kevin Beggs told reporters, adding, “These kinds
of shows can go forever and ever — obviously that’s our hope and expectation,
but we’ve got to do it one season at a time. So right now, we’re all about Season
5. So we hope to land Season 5 and keep talking about this show for years to
come.”
Beggs also confirmed that Lionsgate has brought Emmy
winners Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz on board as showrunners for Season 5,
in a display of confidence for the show’s “long-term viability.” And there’s
even more good news for Nashville fans; instead of potentially losing the
actors from Nashville to other shows while negotiations continue, “We have
long-term deals with the cast,” Beggs says.
Read More: Multiple Networks Interested in 'Nashville,'
Execs Say | Taste Of
Country
‘Nashville’ Not Worth Tax Incentives, Protest Group Says
(June 4, 2016) But a spokesperson for a Tennessee taxpayer’s advocacy group says the show wasn’t worth the tax incentives and grants the city and state paid to keep the production filming locally. Part of Nashville‘s viability since its second season has depended on incentives and grants to help offset part of the enormous costs of shooting on location, and according to Nashville’s WSMV news, local government has apportioned more than $2 million in incentives since 2014; $500,000 in 2014 and $1 million in 2015, with another $875,000 set aside for this year.
(June 4, 2016) But a spokesperson for a Tennessee taxpayer’s advocacy group says the show wasn’t worth the tax incentives and grants the city and state paid to keep the production filming locally. Part of Nashville‘s viability since its second season has depended on incentives and grants to help offset part of the enormous costs of shooting on location, and according to Nashville’s WSMV news, local government has apportioned more than $2 million in incentives since 2014; $500,000 in 2014 and $1 million in 2015, with another $875,000 set aside for this year.
The State of Tennessee has also paid out grants totaling $31
million since the show’s first season, with the rationale that the show’s value
in driving tourism, as well as the enormous economic impact of having the
productions employ local craftsman, actors, musicians, songwriters and various
other services, more than makes up for those incentives. But Ben Cunningham,
founder of Tennessee Tax Revolt, sees it
very differently.
“The state and city together have given this TV show tens of
millions of dollars. This is a huge amount,” Cunningham tells WSMV. “And
basically what this does is it emboldens any entertainment company that’s
coming into Nashville, and of course there are thousands of them, to come to
the mayor’s office and say, hey, you gave $10 million or however much money to
this Nashville TV
series. We want money, too.”
Cunningham feels that government should leave these types of
issues to the private sector and use taxpayer money to fund other things.
Headed For CMT?
UPDATE (8 June 2016)
CMT May Pick Up 'Nashville' For Season 5
If you've stayed up nights worrying whether Juliette Barnes
and her private jet went down in flames, leaving AVERY devastated and destined
for single parenthood, worry no more. According to VARIETY (TV Reporter
Elizabeth Wagmeister), there may be a fifth season of “NASHVILLE” after all.
The entertainment industry publication reports that Country Music Television (CMT) may pick
up the show, recently canceled by ABC-TV.
VARIETY says CMT was a potential buyer for
“Nashville," which triggered interest from other venues, according to
Lionsgate Television, who, along with Opry Entertainment and ABC Television,
had been shopping the show. Soon after its demise, fans of “NASHVILLE” launched
a #saveNASHVILLE campaign. The VARIETY piece went on to assert, “CMT is a
seamless home for the Country music drama, which is surely seen as a ‘get’ for
the VIACOM-owned Country cabler.
While the ratings (1.8 rating in adults 18-49, 6.7 million
viewers overall in NIELSEN’s ‘live plus-7’ estimates) were not strong enough to
warrant another season at ABC, those types of numbers are big for CMT.”
Of Note: CMT was the go-to-home for UK country fans some 6
years or so back. There you could check out the new album Listen Parties and
watch the latest videos only for them to ban viewers from UK territories and be
met with this screen which is still the case today:
For UK fans this could only be overcome by installing third party “masking shield” software which caused freezing of computer screens and compromised Firewall security.
Comments being made on tvline.com regarding
the possible CMT renewal:
- Lol at people who still only watch TV when it airs on TV and don’t know they can watch literally any episode at any time online…
- If you can’t pay, just watch online. Several sites, just google.
- yeah.. easily said then done.. most of these sites are geo restricted.. as in only in the US of A are you able to watch
- Great news except for the fact that I’d have to switch to another cable provider to get CMT, sigh.
As it stands for UK citizens you will only be able to watch
Season 4 soon if you are subscribed to SKY Living.
If you go to abc.go.com you can read episode
recaps and watch the odd clip like this one (Episode 20; Layla Performs
'Soul Survivor' with Avery).
Otherwise this message is flagged up!
You appear to be outside the United States or its territories. Due to
international rights agreements, we only offer this video to viewers located
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