ABC’s “Nashville” Renewed for 3rd Season

Nashville-tv-abcFor the last few weeks, folks in Nashville, television viewers, and the actors that comprise the cast of ABC’s hour long drama about Music City were wringing their hands and waiting for word if Nashville would be renewed for a third season. Producers had been playing hardball with the real Nashville, trying to wring out as many tax breaks and other incentives as possible to keep the production in Tennessee.

Talk at one point had the show moving to Texas or Los Angeles to continue production, if the show continued at all. As the week drew on and the announcements came down for other shows being renewed or cancelled on ABC and other networks, the fate of Nashville remained in limbo. But finally late Friday night, right after midnight Eastern Time, at tweet from ABC Music Lounge confirmed, “It’s official! @Nashville_ABC renewed for Season 3!!!”

The renewal is also for a full 22 episode season. There was talk of a shorter production cycle being one of the bargaining chips in negotiations.

Nashville, which is partially funded by the owners of The Grand Ole Opry, has been touted as being huge boom for tourism in Music City, while also becoming a forum to showcase worthy songs and talent that doesn’t normally make it on the radio. The show often portrays the ruthlessness of Music Row’s major labels and executives, and the struggles of many of its artists in sometimes stark authenticity, and in story lines that could be ripped right out of the newspaper.

READ: The Lessons Viewers Are Learning from ABC’s “Nashville”

The show has also been criticized for its over-dramatic nature, and sometimes being too harsh in its portrayals of the tribulations of country music, while some Nashville natives would rather not have the additional spotlight shined on their city that is already struggling to deal with rapid growth and an expanding economy.

Nonetheless, now Season 3 is a reality, and this news also pushes the series one step closer to the financially lucrative prospect of syndication. It also helps keep country music right at the forefront of capturing and holding the American consciousness as now one of the biggest, and most popular of the American music genres.

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