Update June 11, 2016: It's officially time to get excited, Nashville fans! Weeks after ABC canceled the show, CMT announced via Twitter that it will be bringing back the beloved country music drama for a fifth season, following overwhelming support from the show's fanbase.
Nashville star Connie Britton was quick to credit the series' revival to its loyal viewers. “Look, that was an example of fans being really enthusiastic and we really owe that all to the fans,” she told Entertainment Tonight during the ATX Television Festival in Austin, TX. “The same [happened] with Friday Night Lights and Nashville is experiencing the same good fortune.”
Britton also responded with an enthusiastic, “Of course, of course!” when asked whether or not she’ll reprise her role as country star Rayna Jaymes.
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Ready for #NashvilleCMT?! ❤?? #NashvilleSavedhttps://t.co/RQsBJ1JiMS
— CMT (@CMT) June 11, 2016
This story was originally published on June 7, 2016.
If you were sad about the prospect of no more Nashville, here's some hopeful news. Its producers are in talks with CMT to continue the show, according to Entertainment Weekly.
ABC seemed prepared to move forward with a fifth season and even got new showrunners before it cancelled the show on May 12. The studio decided to look for other outlets right away, including both streaming services and TV networks. “Our near-term plan is to get another season,” the studio, Lionsgate, told investors the week of the cancellation, according to Deadline.
No decision has been reached yet, Deadline reported, but CMT is considering picking up the show and might announce the deal at the CMT Awards tomorrow.
Lionsgate seemed confident enough in a fifth season that it ended the fourth on a cliffhanger, with Hayden Panettiere's character Juliette Barnes on a missing plane.
Panettiere recently returned to the show after taking leave to deal with her postpartum depression. Hopefully, we'll get to learn what happens to her character.