“Nashville” Is Ending (for Real) After Season 6
After six seasons, plenty of amazing music, plot twists that no one could have predicted, and a mid-series network change, Nashville will end next year — for real this time, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
View this post on InstagramLet the countdown begin! 😍 #NashvilleCMT
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“After more than 120 episodes of unforgettable television, we believe that creatively it is time for the series to come to its triumphant close at the end of the upcoming season,” said Kevin Beggs, chairman of the Lionsgate Television Group. “We’re very proud of our incredibly talented cast and crew, the creative brilliance of our showrunners and the loyal support of our great partners at CMT, Hulu, and ABC Studios. Most importantly, we owe a special debt of thanks to the Nashville fans who propelled the series to an incredible run. We owe it to them to make the sixth season the most exciting and memorable of all.”
The Callie Khouri-created show aired on ABC for its first four seasons. After the network canceled it, a groundswell of fan support helped the show to continue at CMT. Most of the cast returned, including star Connie Britton — until her character Rayna James was shockingly killed off within the first few episodes of season five.
“All of us on Nashville are so incredibly grateful to the show’s fans, who convinced CMT to give us a chance to keep telling the story of these remarkable characters,” showrunner Marshall Herskovitz said. “And we want to return the favor with a final season that celebrates all the joys and passions, twists and turns — and amazing music! — that made Nashville such an exciting journey for the last six years.”
View this post on InstagramLove. Heartache. Hope. ❤ And so much left to be written... #NashvilleCMT
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Even without its star, the show managed to continue the stories of its characters in a compelling — and extremely emotional — way, no small feat after such a drastic change. Actors Charles Esten (Deacon Claybourne) and on-screen and IRL sisters Lennon and Maisy Stella (Rayna’s daughters Maddie and Daphne) especially shone as a grieving family trying to move on after their matriarch’s death. The sisters can be seen singing an original song in the affecting trailer for the final season, which you can watch below.
As the fall TV season continues into the new year, cancellations are unfortunately starting to roll in — just this week, it was announced that Hulu’s Difficult People would also end after its third season.
Nashville‘s final 16-episode season begins on CMT on January 4, and will be split into two parts, with the series finale airing in the summer.
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