"Nashville," in the name of Connie Britton's magic hair, we now pronounce you renewed!
After weeks of speculation, CMT announced that the formerly canceled series will live to see another day. The network picked it up for a fifth season consisting of 22 episodes after ABC axed the country soap in May.
“CMT heard the fans,” CMT President Brian Philips said in a statement, continuing:
“The wave of love and appreciation they have unleashed for 'Nashville' has been overwhelming. 'Nashville' is a perfect addition to our evolving lineup of big music specials, documentaries and original series. We see our fans and ourselves in this show, and we will treasure it like no other network. 'Nashville' belongs on CMT.”
Hulu is also a major player in the deal, as the streaming service will share new episodes of "Nashville" the day after they air on TV. New showrunners Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz will also oversee day-to-day operations of the series, which will continue to be shot in Nashville, Tennessee.
"CMT and Hulu are the perfect combination for our iconic and beloved series 'Nashville,' and we want to thank the incredible fans for their unwavering support -- #Nashies, you helped make this possible,” Kevin Beggs, chairman of Lionsgate Television Group, added. “We also want to extend our appreciation to the State of Tennessee, City of Nashville, and Ryman Hospitality for their unending support. They have been a key ingredient to the continued success of this show and we’re thrilled to extend our partnership for a fifth season.”
It's currently unclear which cast members will return. Actor Charles Esten, along with CMT host Cody Alan, will celebrate the renewal with a concert in Nashville on Friday.
Someone please alert the pilot of Juliette's plane that he needs to touch down ASAP, because "Nashville" without Hayden Panettiere is a world we don't want to live in.
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