I’m still reeling from ABC’s announcement that they were cancelling one of my favorite guilty pleasure shows, Nashville, after 4 seasons. Connie Britton, who starred as country singing legend Rayna James on the series, used her appearance at the GLAAD Media Awards on Saturday night to quickly address the show’s demise.
The 49-year-old actress, who was presenting the award for Outstanding TV Journalism and News Magazine at the ceremony, immediately addressed the show’s cancellation upon taking the stage, telling the crowd, “Let’s just get it on the table. Let’s get it out in the open! I’ve had the pleasure of shooting a show called Nashville — recently cancelled — we’re fine! We’re all fine!”
She went on share her thoughts on the Tennessee’s controversial anti-gay House Bill 1840, which gives mental health professionals the power to deny critical treatment to LGBT patients, saying she was “shocked” and “alarmed” and that, after 4 years of filming in the state, the bill “doesn’t reflect the Tennessee I’ve come to know.” She went on to say, that “there’s a desire for real progress” in the state and in the country music industry as well. She cited the show’s character Will Lexington, who came out as gay a few seasons ago, noting:
We featured a story about an out gay country music star and audiences both in Nashville and around the country were really receptive. They loved it and they really appreciated the journey of self-acceptance that we were able to show on our show.
By the way, the award went to Diane Sawyer’s interview with Caitlyn Jenner, if you care.
At the event, Connie went on to tell Entertainment Tonight, “You know, I was not necessarily surprised. And, so, I try to really put a silver lining on it and just say, ‘Hey, we got four years out of it and I really, really value the experience.’”
As for Connie’s co-star, Hayden Panettiere, whose real-life struggles with postpartum depression were mirrored by her on-screen character Juliette Barnes, Connie said that although she hasn’t spoken to Hayden since the series wrapped, she asserted that “She’s doing great.”
For Nashville fans like me, the news of the cancellation really sucks. The show has two episodes left to air and the season will end with a cliffhanger. Great. But there may be hope. Lionsgate, the company that produces the show, is reportedly shopping the series to other networks and streaming services. After the news of the cancellation was released, the show’s creator, Callie Khouri, didn’t seem overly positive about Nashville’s future, tweeting:
With a heavy heart, I thank all our incredible fans for all of your love, huge thanks to the city of Nashville. See you on down the road.
— Callie Khouri (@CallieKhouri) May 12, 2016
Actor Ed Amatrudo, who played Juliette’s long-suffering, yet patient manager, Glenn, tweeted a more hopeful message on Friday, saying, “Visualize the “NASHVILLE” pickup party! It can happen! Talk about pure insanity! HULU, CMT, here’s your opening! Go! #BringBackNashville.”
Visualize the "NASHVILLE" pickup party! It can happen! Talk about pure insanity! HULU, CMT, here's your opening! Go! #BringBackNashville
— Ed Amatrudo (@EdAmatrudo) May 13, 2016
We can only hope! The Mindy Project got picked up by Hulu for its fourth season and just got renewed for a fifth. The only potentially good thing that could come out of the end of the series is Charles “Deacon” Esten’s return to comedy. Oh please, oh please.
Photo credit: WENN.com, Getty Images
Hayden isn’t doing that great. Eighteen months after the birth of her child she’s still suffering from postpartum depression and re-entered a facility to be treated again.
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking.
I mean, I guess the fact that she willingly re-entered treatment means that she could have been doing worse, but great isn’t the word I’d have used.
I suppose though, it was probably meant as a reassuring comment, kind of like “well she’s getting the help she needed, and she’s improving” or something.
Oh no, that’s sad to hear. But good that she’s reaching out for treatment, as so many women do not.
And yeah I’d take Connie’s comment as just a platitude meant to pressure fans that everyone’s ok with the cancellation.
Oh, poor Hayden. I hadn’t heard that, but that’s terrible news.
Not really Connie’s place to say that though. So using the platitude she’s great is just polite.
Many women “still” suffer from postpartum depression much longer than this. She is seeking treatment. What else would you have her do?
Because it’s words the brain fills in a lot. I dont believe the “still” was typed in judgement, but surprise. You read it negatively and gave it a judgmental meaning. I strongly disbelieve any negative desire from that post.
Hope your life gets better
I’m wondering if it is more than the PPD she is dealing with though. If I recall, she had a very horrific relationship with her father – maybe becoming a mother has brought much of her trauma to the surface?
My thoughts too. PPD could be a cover for something her team deems to be less “acceptable,” like addiction to pills or alcohol or something else.
I really am not going to be happy when the series ends on a cliffhanger. I want and need some resolution for these characters that I’ve spent so much time with! I agree it’s “almost” time to say goodbye to the show, but at least give the fans some closure on the storylines.
Yes exactly. I’ve watched the show since the beginning & ending on a cliffhanger sucks. Give the show one more season to wrap up the storylines.
Someone in the comments last week said that they had filmed an alternate, non-cliffhanger ending just in case they were cancelled. I guess we’ll see! I really just want a few more episodes to wrap everything up. Such a bummer.
I don’t have tv. On my days off, I watch whatever doesn’t require a subscription on Hulu. And Nashville, although most of the series requires subscription (everything but the newest and oldest episodes), has become one of the shows I follow.
I was really bummed to hear there won’t be another season.
I cannot believe she is 49 years old
Well she looks every bit of them!
Very rude comment. It is not a criminal offence to look one’s age. No doubt if she had her face shot full of Botox and fillers, you’d have a problem with that as well.
I think she looks great.
Well, she doesn’t look like a circus freak, like many women afraid to show their age. We wonder why women go to such extremes to not look their age, and your comment is probably part of the answer.
She looks amazing and authentic!
I agree, she looks amazing and authentic to her age. Beautiful!!
If it’s got a large fan following, there’s a decent chance it’ll get picked up.
Apparently my husband and I along with the 55+ crowd liked Longmire enough for Netflix to pick it up, and my beloved Mindy got picked up, so if the fans push, there’s a decent chance that this will too.
I know! Even if it’s a shortened season to kind of wrap things up. I’m too invested in these characters!
If my female co-workers are any indication, they have a really decent fanbase. These ladies range in age from early 20s to late 50s and they were all lamenting its cancellation yesterday.
I can’t wait for the fifth season of Longmire!
Longmiiiiiiiiiiire! (I’m mid-thirties, so it’s not just the 55+es!)
I started watching it on a boring afternoon, and got hooked Dallas style. Even though every show is serial now, there’s just something so old school nighttime soap about Nashville. Where do I sign for Netflix to pick it up?
One of my favorite shows, gonna miss it
I NEED it to get picked up specifically because SOMETHING good has to happen to Will Lexington.
I love Will. He is such a nice guy that I hope his fictional character or anyone like his fictional character has a great career.
I didn’t like the Rayna character. All she ever did was look confused and give emotional speeches. Seriously, play a little drinking game. Everytime Rayna says, “What?”, “Huh?” “What the h is going on?” or just gives a puzzled look before the scene ends, drink. You will be in the hospital in no time. Connie Britton is beautiful and talented, but her character was such a downer. The Juliette story lines were my favorite!! I hope Hayden will be ok.
Ha! Scarlett kind of drives me nuts too. She’s all big doe eyes and fragile strength. I just want to shake her. The whole show is so over the top, but I love every single character dearly. I don’t know if it’s the tremendous cast or good writing, but even the least likable characters have a depth to them with redeeming human qualities (e.g. Jeff Fordham). That’s got to be hard to pull of with such melodramatic story lines, but somehow they do it!
Hahaha so very true about Rayna. Watch every week, but wish they explored the characters of emily,glen,bucky more unstead of having such a Mattycentric season. From talking to other fans that turned them off these last 2 years. Also lots of people on other boards lovethe show, but bc it got so depressing to watch, indicated that they did need to pull the plug as an excuse to stop watching the demise of a fun show. The ratings werent good either.
I hope they get picked up by another network and let go of all the writing staff. Revamp the show with a time jump and have a fresh start. Of that ridiculous anti-gay law passes- Film somewhere else and just use video of the nashville sights. Honestly the only people who would be in a tizzy are nashville people, but the show doesnt utilize the entire city views every episode, and well there are always consequences to every action good/bad.
The whole show was a brainchild of the Nashville tourism board or something, so I doubt that would happen. And they just hired new showrunners who were working on season 5, so I feel like if they gave it a shot we might get something decent! I would really like to see what they had in mind. I hope we get a chance.
I’m a Nashville fan but the show has steadily gotten waaay too soap opera-y over the past couple of years (it was always a BIT soapy, with cartoon villains, but it used to have lots of good music and a snappy script to balance it out). The quality and number of songs have gone downhill. I think it has a 50/50 shot of being picked up, it’s a more expensive show to produce than The Mindy Project, with a larger cast, higher production values with the music and concert stagings, etc. But it does have a devoted fanbase and sellout concert tours to entice a network. I would hate if it ended on a crappy cliffhanger, it has been circling the drain all season with the spoiled teenage daughter and Deacon’s repetitive cycle of despair, it need to bring back the humour and sass of earlier seasons with Juliet and her various rivalries if it is to continue.
Aw, I think I love Ed Amatrudo as much as I love Glenn! And YES! I was about 3 episodes in before I realized Deacon was Chip Esten. I knew he looked SO familiar. *Sigh* I’m really sorry to see this one go. It’s soapy fun and has such a fantastic cast. And the music is great too!
ETA: Just watched the video. Connie seems a little tipsy, no? Hope she had a good night!
Noooooooooooo
#bringbacknashville
I’m feeling terrible for Hayden. She’s quite openly being blamed for the show being cancelled. There’s also some snarky talk about that she only went into rehab to get out of the show contract. Add to it that her character, who also suffered PPD, is treated like an unstable and potentially violent parent (post-rehab), and not to be trusted alone with her child. It killed me to watch her storyline, because we really don’t know how much the storyline contributed to her real life problem.
I am heartbroken about the show being cancelled. Here’s hoping it’s picked up. I agree the show has been in a rut (I miss soulful Deacon and have grown quite tired is spiraling/whining Deacon), but there is so much potential. I was excited about the new showrunners for season 5 (producers of Thirtysomething and My So-Called Life). It sounded like an awesome match to bring the characters to life even more. My fingers are crossed!
This is a great guilty pleasure, so I hope it gets picked up. I love Connie and Hayden. I also love noting all the weird character quirks on this show. For example, why was Juliette’s assistant cool with suddenly becoming a nanny???? LOL. Also, why are these people super famous one week and then able to go out and not be recognized out and about just playing an open mic like a random the next? (Specifically, Scarlett when she stopped performing for like five episodes.) Also, does anyone remember when Deacon slept with Juliette?! Rayna never found out either. I think the writers would like to forget that ever happened.
I actually liked Juliette and Deacon. Juliette respected him as a song writer at a time when Rayna had been taking him for granted.
I think it was implied that Rayna figured they’d probably slept together, but she didn’t say anything about it. Remember, she was married at the time. What could she say?