ABC Cancels “Nashville” – A Postmortem
My long-standing prediction for ABC’s country music drama Nashville was that the series would eventually end after every single major character on the show eventually had sex with every other single major character on the show regardless of sex, creed, or familial affiliation. And after gagging through the last two seasons, it appears I was just about right.
Nashville first looked like a terrible idea to attempt to capitalize of the burgeoning mainstream popularity of country music when it was first announced. And then it ended up surprising almost everybody in the beginning with the depth of subject matter it was willing to delve into, especially in regards to how the country music industry works from the songwriting process, to unfair contracts and Auto-tune, to sexism, ageism, and prejudice, and then on to the variety of music showcased on the show, and how music producers like T Bone Burnett and Buddy Miller championed many small-time artists.
But just about the time Nashville sucked you in, it started to become so incredibly drama-laden, mawkish, and predictable, it turned into a guilty pleasure at its best, and virtually unbearable to watch in other instances. It wasn’t the acting, which for the most part was fine. Connie Britton, who plays the show’s ultimate main character Rayna James, does an excellent job at exuding the strength of country music womanhood and presented a Tao that deserves to be examined and editorialized upon all on its own.
But the writing got away from challenging the intellect by exposing the intricacies of the music industry and relying on subtleties to covey the emotions of characters, and just became one cry fest after another, one emotionally-charged and hard-to-believe plot twist after another, until story lines had become so ragged and tapped of life and believability, the entire enterprise needed to be put out behind the barn and shot.
Nashville was never a ratings hog, but ABC loved it for its cross marketing potential, and the types of demographics it lured to the network. And they were able to produce the series on the cheap from the tax incentives the real City of Nashville extended to the production. But on Thursday, it was announced that ABC is moving on, despite a recent reshuffling of management, and writing already in process for what would have been season 5 of the show. There is some talk that Nashville might try to switch networks, but without the ratings to bring with it, it’s hard to see this happening. Barring a miracle, the Season 4 finale on May 25 will now be the series finale.
READ: Who Are ABC’s Nashville Characters Based On In Real Life?
The cancelling of Nashville has repercussions far beyond a few disappointed TV viewers. The show has been seminal to the spectacular growth in both population and tourism that Nashville has experienced over the last five years. It was an outlet for songs that were worthy of a larger audience, but couldn’t get placed in mainstream country music’s narrow, insular environment. And the ownership of the Grand Ole Opry was big underwriter of the show. The exit of Nashville will leave a gaping hole in the real Nashville economy that will not easily filled, and at a time when economically, country music already is in decline. Nashville was fortunate to ride the wave of popularity in country when it started, and now it might be the latest victim of its downturn.
Ultimately, the show suffered from the same ills as country music itself: an inbred environment, a slavish pandering for ratings and attention that undermines integrity and realism, and an obsession with image and drama instead of substance. 2016 is the age of Chris Stapleton, and the age of Game of Thrones. Either contemporize and appeal to a more intelligent and involved audience, or risk extinction. Let Nashville‘s demise be a lesson to the non-fiction world.
Sylvie Groleau
May 12, 2016 @ 8:04 pm
“Nahville” was cancelled last year up here in Canada, We only had Season 1 and 2.
It never got any good ratings here in Canada anyway.
CTV Two aired the first season, cancelled it very quickly then.
As the (Canadian) TV networks really did want to give the series a second try with ratings, CityTV picked up Season 2.
(I must mention here that the very same thing happened with FOX’s “Empire”. It was canceled also (by FOX) but this current season – their last one and second season is not available up here in Canada.
“Empire” – in the United States – on its first season, we will all remember, had ENORMOUS ratings, but not here in Canada, so no network did pick up this current and last season neither.
ElectricOutcast
May 12, 2016 @ 8:04 pm
For the record I’ve never watched “Nashville”, “Game of Thrones” or “The Blacklist” but you know what I’m starting to find stupid is that I usually catch the “Chicago” shows on NBC (Fire, Med, P.D.) and they have this habit of either killing off main characters or secondary characters, and I can understand them wanting to give a realistic approach to the shows but it’s just annoying when they introduce a new character and then kill em off after a few episodes.
It’s not just the Chicago shows either, the guys at The Blacklist caused some major controversy for killing off a major starring character when it’s barely almost the end of the season.
In terms of “Game of Thrones” I know they’re trying to be faithful to the books and I know they had a habit of killing off people so I can give them a pass.
But come on if I want to see people being killed in a cop show I would much rather watch David Simon’s “The Wire”
Kevin Davis
May 12, 2016 @ 8:16 pm
I stopped watching early in the second season. It lost its charm and became a cheap soap opera. There was some real potential with the characters in the first season, but it was wasted. I love Connie and Hayden, but they cannot salvage a weak script and overall lack of direction and inspiration.
Tezca
May 12, 2016 @ 8:41 pm
Oh cool I’m not the only one who though it was turning into an overly dramatic soap opera fest then, though granted I was feeling that way late into the first season and I didn’t even make it through the first one completely. I rather watch Elementary compared to Nashville.
Trigger
May 12, 2016 @ 9:16 pm
Agreed.
Gena R.
May 12, 2016 @ 9:00 pm
I’ve stuck with it to the bitter end, but I’d be lying if I said I haven’t found it frustratingly depressing lately (especially the whole emancipation-of-Maddie plot). I was hoping new showrunners (Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick, whose 1999-2002 series ‘Once & Again’ I loved) would have a chance to help turn things around in season 5, but I have a feeling the show was just too far gone at this point. :\
Trigger
May 12, 2016 @ 9:18 pm
I think one of the reasons they decided to cancel it was the character threads had become so incredibly ridiculous and intertwined, there was no salvaging it, no matter how skilled the writers. Perhaps if it was a ratings hawk, but the last thing you want to do is throw more money down a money pit. That’s how American Idol ended up $300 million in the hole when it closed up shop.
Connie D.
May 13, 2016 @ 1:01 am
I like Charles Esten as Deacon Claybourne, and watched faithfully Season 1 and part of Season 2. I hope he continues to tour as a real life country singer, but without dragging along the other real life singers who also play characters on the show. Sorry if that’s harsh.
One thing that bugs me is that some of these actors use forced and fake accents that I never could get used to.
RD
May 13, 2016 @ 3:35 am
Between Nashville and Friday Night Lights, how many times did Connie Britton say “y’all?”
I think the real reason it was canceled is because of Hayden Panettiere’s continued (supposed) struggles with postpartum depression. Its hard to film a show when your main star is never there.
Gary Jackson
May 13, 2016 @ 4:54 am
We went to Tulsa a few weeks ago and saw Nashville in Concert. It was a great show. I thought most of what we heard on stage was better than what you would hear on the radio. They were all very good singers and the band was top notch. I’m kinda sad to see the show go.
Connie D.
May 13, 2016 @ 10:50 am
“They were all very good singers and the band was top notch”.
Thank you for this excellent info. Nashville On Tour has booked 8 shows in The UK, with 7 already sold out. Thumbs up to the cast for this effort.
Smokey J.
May 13, 2016 @ 6:07 am
My wife is pretty upset about this. She wanted to see the tour when they came through recently, but we didn’t make it. I really, really liked the cast, but the writing had become pretty bad. I actually like Will Lexington and Luke Wheeler’s storylines, but the stuff with Rayna and Deacon and the girls, and the stuff between Gunner and Scarlett, then Juliette, Avery and Layla? It was all too contrived and too much. It really was like watching a soap opera or pro wrestling, because just about the time you got a character figured out and had a connection with them, they would switch sides completely.
I’m still sad to see it go. Despite its flaws, I think it was a net positive for country music to have that outlet.
Gena R.
May 13, 2016 @ 9:54 am
“I really, really liked the cast, but the writing had become pretty bad. I actually like Will Lexington and Luke Wheeler’s storylines, but the stuff with Rayna and Deacon and the girls, and the stuff between Gunner and Scarlett, then Juliette, Avery and Layla?”
My sentiments exactly. 🙁 Deacon was my favorite for a long time, but I really didn’t like what the writers were doing with him for much of this season. (At least Will got to have some sort of reconciliation with his dad…)
Jack Williams
May 13, 2016 @ 7:04 am
As I’ve never watched the show, my first (and admittedly selfish) thought was maybe Buddy Miller might start making albums again.
Jonathan
May 13, 2016 @ 7:55 am
That’s exactly what I was thinking! I’ve been dying for a new Buddy Miller album, and not one like the ones he’s been releasing lately. They’re fine for what they are, but I’d love to see a real Buddy Miller album, like Midnight & Lonesome and Poison Love. A Buddy & Julie album would be great too.
Amanda
May 13, 2016 @ 10:28 am
Now some actual musicians might have a shot at the slots the Nashville cast took from the Opry lineup.
Logan
May 13, 2016 @ 10:31 am
I personally was a fan of Nashville, however I agree it did get a bit soapy the longer it went on. I will miss the show though.
Trigger, have you had a chance to listen to brad paisley’s new single?
Trigger
May 13, 2016 @ 7:28 pm
I’ve been dealing with technical issues all day. I am sure I will get around to it.
Senor BB
May 13, 2016 @ 10:38 am
I was enjoying Will’s story this season. I thought the show was much better earlier on when the music was a little better. A few good songs here and there. Most of the music started to really suck after the 2nd season which I thought was one of the shows stronger points.
Let’s hope on the Buddy Miller angle! Maybe we’ll get more than a live album cut on a boat soon!
Chris
May 13, 2016 @ 6:42 pm
Game of Thrones is your example of a show with a “more intelligent and involved audience”?
Trigger
May 13, 2016 @ 7:26 pm
I have never seen one minute of Game of Thrones. I don’t even have cable. I was using an example of a more involved show compared to Two and a Half Men, for example. If you don’t like my example, insert another, I guess.
Acca Dacca
May 16, 2016 @ 11:26 am
Forgot The Walking Dead, which is probably the biggest show of the last few years (particularly notable since it’s not a reality show and rather grisly at times, whereas GoT is your average HBO fair in terms of content re-purposed for a middle ages tale).
Waylonfan
May 13, 2016 @ 7:09 pm
Speaking of Game of Thrones, I saw an excellent bluegrass cover of the theme music performed by Flatt Lonesome… It was really good.
Leonard
May 13, 2016 @ 7:48 pm
I’m thrilled they cancelled that bullshit! I hate all of those actors playing the Opry. I was walking through the Nashville airport the other day and noticed all of the t-shirts were Nashville tv show stars where there used to be country star t-shirts. Phony baloney crap. And to be honest Buddy Miller was cutting some bullshit music for that show… but making a buck just like the rest on Music Row. There’s a reason T-Bone quit after two seasons. The tv folks were demanding more shitty music like the radio. And just so ya’ll know, that show only paid 5 grand an episode for the songs they used. They were getting a great fucking deal and everyone was clamoring to get the cuts because the business is so bad. I hope all of those actors leave town so they won’t be showing up trying to sit in and sing at all of the local shows. Fuck all of them! Our town has lost it’s soul and this tv show helped do that.
Will James
May 14, 2016 @ 10:57 am
Watched it until the end mostly due to my doing shows at some of the locations, friends doing walk-ons, and well just because. I do think any of us here could have come up with better plot lines. At Martin’s bbq on Belmont, I met one actress while filming it in Nashville; she began to have one of the most interesting characters (Vita) and story lines but she lasted two episodes (actress Jeananne Goossen). It had stuff going for it, don’t know why it seemed to purposely destroyed itself.
Acca Dacca
May 17, 2016 @ 12:28 pm
Anyone else find this phrasing unexpectedly hilarious? No? Just me then.
Just thought about this, and since no one brought it up I had to come back and offer another comment: what if Netflix or some other streaming service picks this show up? Changing networks is one thing; changing formats is another, and Netflix in particular has a history of rescuing and outright reviving flailing shows that are abandoned by their networks. I remember being shocked when they picked up A&E’s modern western series Longmire, which was in no way a ratings titan. They also seriously considered taking on Fox’s extremely expensive and somewhat vanilla dinosaur series Terra Nova when it was cancelled after one season in 2011. There are several other examples of streaming services employing such practices, but these were the first to come to mind for me. Fuller House, anyone?
The latter example of Terra Nova is especially important to consider: not only was it just generally expensive, it was one of THE most expensive television shows ever produced, and Netflix wanted it. Granted, the budget and whatnot would have likely had to have been lowered, which is probably why the deal didn’t go forward, but the point here is that they also signed on the dotted line. If Nashville is as cheap to produce and lucrative for the real city as you say, I would consider something of this sort a real possibility (though it’s entirely speculation on my part at the time of this writing). Netflix is certainly unafraid of appealing to niche markets, and this one certainly counts.
Acca Dacca
May 17, 2016 @ 12:29 pm
That was meant to read “ALMOST signed on the dotted line.”
Cindy Waits
May 17, 2016 @ 1:34 pm
Sad! Loved the Show. There is nothing even close to this on TV. So many are just knockoffs of other shows. Love the songs and most of the story lines. Everyone is not going to like them all. Was not fond of the gay storyline feeling that was really out there. It may be what is really happening to them in the south. No idea, for myself that seemed like a stretch. Very very sad to see it go, hoping another network will pick it up.
Tom R.
May 17, 2016 @ 4:33 pm
What I hated most about the show is the attitude (created by that OTHER Nashville, the Robert Altman one) that anyone can sing country music and any actor’s singing voice is good enough to be believable as a country singer. The show was pretty much out of touch with reality as well with it’s generally folkish/pop music sung by characters who are supposedly super popular with audiences in this awful drunk/crazy/horny “brocountry” music era. And of course there are no fiftyish super successful female vocalists like Connie Britton on the scene, there are hardly any female vocalists period.