Nashville is an American musical drama television series created by Callie Khouri, who also served as an executive producer of the series along with Steve Buchanan. Other executive producers included Dee Johnson through season four, Connie Britton through season five, and Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick from season five onward.
The series chronicles the lives of various fictitious country music singers in Nashville, Tennessee, starring Connie Britton as Rayna Jaymes, a country music superstar whose stardom is beginning to fade, and Hayden Panettiere as rising younger star Juliette Barnes.
Nashville debuted on ABC on October 10, 2012, and aired on the network until May 25, 2016. In June 2016, ABC canceled the series after four seasons. Later that month, it was renewed by CMT and began airing on the channel on December 15, 2016. The fifth season (with new producers, writers and showrunners) debuted on January 5, 2017. The sixth and final season debuted on January 4, 2018, and the series ended on July 26, 2018. The series received positive reviews from critics. 124 episodes were produced.
Plot
In the first episode, the series focuses on the rivalry of Rayna Jaymes and Juliette Barnes. Rayna Jaymes is the established "Queen of Country Music". However, her latest album is not selling well and her tour is playing to half empty venues. Her record label suggests that she open for Juliette Barnes, the young and beautiful best-selling singer of bubble gum country pop. Juliette sees Rayna as privileged and purposefully alienates her. Rayna, who dislikes Juliette's style of music, rejects a joint tour out of hand. The two women come into conflict as each tries to get guitarist Deacon Claybourne, Rayna's bandmate and former lover, to sign on to their tour. Rayna's life is further complicated when her estranged father, millionaire businessman Lamar Wyatt, convinces her husband, Teddy Conrad, to run for Mayor of Nashville.
For later episodes through season four, the series follows the lives of country musicians, focusing on three female leads: country superstar Rayna Jaymes, rising problematic star Juliette Barnes, and newcomer singer-songwriter Scarlett O'Connor.
From mid-season five, the series follows the lives of country musicians, focusing on two female leads: rising star Maddie Conrad, Rayna Jaymes' daughter, and fading star Juliette Barnes, as well as focusing on recurring characters.
The premise beginning with season six followed country stars Juliette Barnes, Deacon Claybourne, and the Highway 65 record label family as they strive to keep Rayna Jaymes' dream alive and pursue their music while juggling relationships, family, and the ever-changing industry.
Cast and characters
Main Connie Britton as Rayna Jaymes (seasons 1–5; guest season 6): a 40-year-old country music superstar singer whose stardom is beginning to fade Hayden Panettiere as Juliette Barnes: a bubblegum country pop singer and former teen star sensation who is determined to replace Rayna as the top superstar of country music Clare Bowen as Scarlett O'Connor: a poet and songwriter, Deacon's niece, and musician partner with Gunnar who works at the Bluebird Cafe, which is where she performs and is first noticed Eric Close as Teddy Conrad (seasons 1–3; guest seasons 4–6): Rayna's husband who, after a business failure, is now living on his wife's income. He runs for mayor with help from his father-in-law and wins the election, later divorcing Rayna. Charles Esten as Deacon Claybourne: songwriter, lead guitar player, Rayna's former lover and the biological father of her older child, Maddie Jonathan Jackson as Avery Barkley: an aspiring musician with a bad-boy streak. He and Scarlett are in a relationship when the series begins, but soon separate and he then has an on-again, off-again relationship with Juliette and they have a daughter, and later an unknown child at the end of the series. Sam Palladio as Gunnar Scott: a kind-hearted aspiring musician who dates Scarlett in season one, and dates Zoey in the second season Robert Wisdom as Coleman Carlisle (season 1; guest season 2): a one-time mayoral candidate, and later Nashville's deputy mayor, Coleman is a close friend of Rayna and serves as Deacon's sobriety sponsor Powers Boothe as Lamar Wyatt (season 1; recurring season 2): Rayna's father and a wealthy, powerful and controlling patriarch and local politician who disapproves of his daughter's career as a country singer Chris Carmack as Will Lexington (seasons 2–6; recurring season 1): a rising country star struggling with the realization that he might be gay Lennon Stella as Maddie Conrad (seasons 2–6; recurring season 1): Rayna and Teddy's older daughter, who is later revealed as Deacon's biological daughter Maisy Stella as Daphne Conrad (seasons 2–6; recurring season 1): Rayna and Teddy's younger daughter Will Chase as Luke Wheeler (seasons 3–4; recurring season 2; guest season 5): the biggest male country artist and a love interest for Rayna Oliver Hudson as Jeff Fordham (season 3; recurring seasons 2 & 4): a record company executive who clashes with Rayna and Juliette Aubrey Peeples as Layla Grant (season 4; recurring season 2–3): introduced in the second season as a reality competition second-place winner who clashes with everyone Cameron Scoggins as Zach Welles (season 5; recurring season 6): a wealthy tech-billionaire Kaitlin Doubleday as Jessie Caine (season 6; recurring season 5): Brad Maitland's ex-wife who catches Deacon's eye. Jeff Nordling as Brad Maitland (season 6; recurring season 5): the owner of a big label in Nashville.
The show features an ensemble cast. For the first season, nine actors received star billing: Connie Britton as Rayna Jaymes, a 40-year-old country music superstar singer whose stardom is beginning to fade; Hayden Panettiere as Juliette Barnes, a bubblegum country pop singer and former teen star sensation who is determined to replace Rayna as the top superstar of country music; Clare Bowen as Scarlett O'Connor, a poet and songwriter Deacon's niece, and musician partner with Gunnar who works at the Bluebird Cafe which is where she is first noticed and performs; Eric Close as Theodore "Teddy" Conrad, Rayna's husband who, after a business failure, is now living on his wife's income. He runs for mayor with help from his father-in-law and wins election, later divorcing Rayna; Charles Esten as Deacon Claybourne, songwriter, lead guitar player, Rayna's former lover and biological father of her oldest child.; Jonathan Jackson as Avery Barkley, an aspiring musician with a bad-boy streak. He and Scarlett are in a relationship when the series begins, but soon separate; Sam Palladio as Gunnar Scott, a kind-hearted aspiring musician who dates Scarlett in season one, and dates Zoey in season two; Robert Wisdom as Coleman Carlisle, a one-time mayoral candidate, and later Deputy Mayor, close friend of Rayna, and serves as Deacon's sobriety sponsor; and Powers Boothe as Lamar Wyatt, Rayna's father and a wealthy, powerful and controlling patriarch and local politician who disapproves of his daughter's career as a country singer.
Powers Boothe and Robert Wisdom were reduced to recurring status, in the second season for creative reasons. After recurring in the first season, three actors were promoted to the regular cast in the second season: Chris Carmack as Will Lexington, a rising country star struggling with the realization that he might be gay, as well as Scarlett and Gunnar's new neighbor; Lennon Stella as Maddie Conrad, Rayna's older daughter, legal daughter to Teddy, and biological daughter to Deacon; and Maisy Stella as Daphne Conrad, Rayna and Teddy's younger daughter. For the third season, two actors were upped to regulars: Will Chase as Luke Wheeler, the biggest male country artist and a love interest for Rayna; and Oliver Hudson as Jeff Fordham, a record company executive who clashes with Rayna and Juliette. For season four, Hudson was downgraded to recurring status and then his character was killed off while Aubrey Peeples, introduced in season two as reality competition second-place winner (and later Will's wife) Layla Grant, was promoted to regular.
Aubrey Peeples and Will Chase were dropped from the cast after season four by the series' new showrunners. However, Chase made a guest appearance. Connie Britton left the show in season five. Rachel Bilson was announced to have joined the cast on March 9, 2017, as a series regular. Bilson plays Alyssa Greene, a Silicon Valley marketing expert brought in to take Highway 65 to the next level, who hates country music. Adding another series regular, it was announced that, after appearing in almost every episode in the first half of season five, Cameron Scoggins, who plays Zach Welles, a wealthy tech-billionaire would be upgraded to series regular. Scoggins left the main cast after the fifth season but did recur. Kaitlin Doubleday, who portrays Jessie Caine—a musician who returns to town to focus on her career and take back the son who was taken from her—was upped from recurring to series regular near the end of season five, and she returned as a regular for the sixth season. Another season five recurring player, Jeff Nordling, was also upped to series regular for season six. Nordling plays Brad Maitland, the charming and narcissistic owner of the most successful record label in Nashville, and Jessie's ex-husband who is up to no good.
Recurring