They Should Have Let That “Nashville” Show Die
All’s well that ends well, and despite the last two seasons of ABC’s hour-long country music-based drama Nashville becoming insufferable to watch, validated and certified by both reviews and ratings, what we thought would be the final episode on May 13th did a fair job tying up the loose ends of the show (mostly), while finally showing some flourishes of the solid writing that allowed a decent swath of the viewing public to latch onto the show in the first place.
So good—then the show could ride off into the sunset on a positive note, do okay in syndication, remain a fond memory in the minds of its core viewers and the crew and cast, and another show that hasn’t run its character threads ragged by trying to pack one overly-emotional cry moment after another into every waking second and knows how to work subtle textures into a script could take its place. And one will on ABC.
But now Nashville has moved to CMT, where it will play second fiddle to a sitcom starring Billy Ray Cyrus as an Elvis impersonator, 16 airings of Smokey and the Bandit per year, and some reality show hosted by wrestling washup Steve Austin. And it only costs the City of Nashville and Tennessee government $11 million dollars in grease money to make it all happen.
On Friday (6-10), it was officially announced that a new 22-episode season of Nashville was coming to CMT after a robust incentive package was put together by numerous entities. According to The Tennessean, the State of Tennessee is ponying up $8.5 million, the City of Nashville is giving $1 million, the CVC is contributing $1 million, and Ryman Hospitality, the owner of the Grand Ole Opry, put in $500,000.
But don’t get sucked into that tired old argument that this money would be better placed behind public schools and crumbling infrastructure. The amount of money Nashville imports into the region through the production of the show and the boost to tourism makes this a wise investment by all parties. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be making it. Undoubtedly the show has been one of the contributing factors to the rapid growth of Nashville, and the rising popularity of country music. But just as country’s popularity has waned in recent years, so has interest in Nashville.
ABC canceled the show for a reason: ratings were terrible. The first episode of Nashville pulled in 8.93 million viewers, and earned a 2.8 share. By the final episode on May 13th, even after being announced as the series finale, that number had been more than halved to 4.19 million viewers, and a 0.9 share. That makes it seem like ratings took a sharp dive over the show’s four seasons, but in truth the ratings for Nashville were never that great. Nonetheless, they had fallen to all-time lows by the final episodes of season four, and there was no reason for ABC to renew.
Now Nashville goes to CMT where it will be serviced to many fewer homes, even though the new incentive package the city and state put together for season five was more expensive than the one put together for ABC’s season four. And though hypothetically your average CMT viewer is more likely to watch a show like Nashville, being on a niche cable channel also means that your average flotsam and jetsam viewer who doesn’t know about Nashville and country music is less likely to get sucked in by the show, and is less likely to be turned on by the allure of visiting the region to help re-tender the investment being made by the city and state.
But there’s a much bigger, underlying issue stemming from the City Nashville’s rapid growth. Sure, if the show was cancelled, certain people would lose their jobs and such, but the City of Nashville is not suffering from economic hardship at the moment. The problem is how to manage the incredible growth in the city, stimulated by things such as the Nashville TV show, which is pushing the lower economic creative class out, allowing more affordable business and residential properties to be bulldozed, raising tourism costs for the average visitor through hotel rates and transportation costs, and putting a burden on city infrastructure like parking and roads.
The ship has already sailed in many respects: the young, creative types that will write and perform the country and roots music of the future have already been priced out of Nashville and scattered to the four winds for the most part. That’s why you’re seeing so many songwriters and producers from L.A. and the pop world infiltrate country music these days—they’re to only ones who can afford to move to the city. A few lucky low income folks who were able to get a foothold years ago are still holding on, but who knows for how long, while their ranks won’t be replenished by new blood. In other words, the aristocracy who is moving to Nashville to live vicariously through things like the Nashville TV show are pricing out the very creative class a show like Nashville tries to portray.
Nashville needs a pause. It needs to regroup and figure out how to grow more sustainably. It doesn’t mean building moratoriums need to be put in place, or that people with skin in the real estate economy need to suffer mightily. But it all needs to slow down for its own good, like when the Fed raises interest rates. Cancelling Nashville was possibly a blessing in disguise—a way for the economic situation in Nashville to take breather, and give the city a moment to ponder the type of community it wants to be, and how it wants to portray itself to the rest of the world, not just on television, but when those tourists show up in the city.
Now the City of Nashville will continue to get pumped full of high-class money, crimping out the lower and middle class who make up the lifeblood of the city’s creative economy and allure, and the legacy of the Nashville show itself could take a sizeable hit as ratings are sure to continue to drop from less potential viewers, and from the continued elongation of character threads and narrative plots that were played out two seasons ago. Realistically, how long do we expect Nashville to last on CMT? Is this new life, or just keeping the show on life support under false hope?
The problem with Nashville, both the city and the show, is that the idea is better than the actuality. Through the death of one thing comes the rebirth of another, and right now Nashville needs a rebirth of thinking—a long hard look at itself in the mirror—to decide how it wants to present itself to the world. Does it want to be a creative epicenter, or does it just want to portray itself as one on TV?
June 11, 2016 @ 9:54 am
Yeah, as a fan of the show, I pretty much agree. From a creative standpoint, trying to restart the drama after quickly giving almost everyone a happy ending is going to be really forced and lame. It’s nice for the lesser known actors to continue to have this gig and further their music careers, too. But for the big stars, Connie and Hayden, this can’t be seen as a positive. I doubt Hayden comes back, given how the finale was written. Connie Britton has no trouble finding work on major network shows. I can’t see her being thrilled small-timing it on a little cable channel. Will they be able to afford to pay her the same, given the big drop in exposure? I can see where the move makes sense for CMT, but not so much for the show. If they couldn’t find another big network to take it, they should have just packed it in.
I wasn’t aware of the economic issues you brought up.
June 11, 2016 @ 12:02 pm
100% agreed. I honestly didn’t think they had a half-season’s worth of story left to tell, let alone another full 22-episode season.
If anything, I think they should’ve taken their cue from the original ‘C.S.I.’, which wrapped things up with a double episode last fall after its 15th season (2014-15); likewise, for fans who want closure on Juliette and the missing plane, ‘Nashville’ could’ve covered that in a special two-hour episode or made-for-TV movie, without having to mess too much with other subplots.
January 20, 2018 @ 7:10 pm
It was my favorite, and now it’s just disgusting…Will and his lovers,, and especially with this little twerp Jonah and his friends. Plus, Maddie looks like a tramp. They should’ve ended this show with Rayna’s death. The writers have gone crazy! AND this Darius who just wants Juliette’s money!!! Cannyou spell CULT??
June 11, 2016 @ 11:45 am
Living in Nashville is most definitely overpriced. I’ve wanted to since I was thirteen, and I’ve tried since I was eighteen. Still nothing. It’s not as fun once you’re actually up there anyway, due to the “modernness” trying to cover up the beautiful history. Instead of building more and more, clean up the run down areas. They definitely need to take a break from all of the nonsense they’re putting not only in the music, but the city itself.
June 11, 2016 @ 6:56 pm
Lindsey, you completely hit the nail on the head.
June 14, 2016 @ 5:00 pm
I have to agree. I much prefer being in Knoxville (for college) than Nashville (I haven’t stayed there long, but I have ZERO desire to.)
June 11, 2016 @ 1:54 pm
Building more housing has consistently been shown to lower cost of living. San Francisco is the prime negative example, making strict building laws to where you have to basically make 6 figures a year to even rent a shanty.
June 11, 2016 @ 2:16 pm
Due to the large investment in the show and the great need for original programming on their schedule, CMT will probably air the full 22-episode season instead of early cancelling it. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if they air half of the episodes or less and then burn off the rest, sprinkling in new episodes during the off-peak summer/winter breaks or airing five-night blocks of new episodes to wrap things up faster. CMT is desperate to remain relevant, and the city of Nashville doesn’t want to lose its golden goose.
Also, as other commenters mentioned, which cast members are actually going to return? Will it end up like Scrubs or Family Matters, where each show swapped networks for what became their final (and much maligned) seasons? There are a lot of questions left unanswered, but one thing is for sure: Michael Jackson Montgomery better make a cameo! 😉
June 11, 2016 @ 2:33 pm
This is a trenchant summary of the currently state of affairs in the City of Nashville.
Mountains of wealth have long since displaced local culture.
Raw venality has taken the place of manners and charm.
Lavish decadence is everywhere.
The true creative community is almost a government in exile within the boundaries of its own city.
I wish the people of Nashville the best, but it’s a might fast and rich for me.
June 11, 2016 @ 3:15 pm
Lived there once. Will not do it again!
June 11, 2016 @ 6:36 pm
I live just outside of Nashville. The increase in the amount of cowboy hats and boots over the past couple years is nothing short of remarkable. People are pouring into the city with a desire to play dress up and say the word “y’all” in order to identify as country. I realize that growth is a reality for a smaller city like Nashville, but it can be done in a smart way that stays true to the city’s rich history and current infrastructure. The show Nashville, as well as the current state of country music, certainly have had a negative impact. I agree wholeheartedly that the city itself seems to be at a crossroads. I fear that much of what I love about the Middle Tennessee area may soon be permanently affected. I do not mean to sound hyperbolic, but what is being lost in the midst of this issue is the affect Nashville’s growth has had, and will have, on surrounding suburbs that currently offer the same appeal with a lower cost of living.
June 11, 2016 @ 7:25 pm
The TV show , “new country” music and the city of Nashville itself can gain supporters, and for the city itself – visitors, due to the TV show, and – then again – it can play the opposite, and keep people away for all of this.
As a real country music lover (traditional country if you prefer) with all this “pop-country pretending to be country music while it is not country music at all ” genre, visiting Nashville does not interest me at all anymore, not for the “country music” part anyway, simply because country is not there in that city much anymore, real, traditional country music that is (except for a few real country music at both the Ryman Auditorium and at the Grand Ole Opry) , although I still would go because I have a good friend that lives there, I’ve known her for 4 years, she really helped me in very hard times that I was going through when I came to know her,, but she and I have never met just yet. (She lives in Franklin, actually, but works in Nashville) . Maybe visitng Branson, Missouri would still be a better deal for real, traditional country music ? I did visit Nashville twice, 2 years in a row as a matter of fact, in the early 1990’s, actually I was in Nashville ont the day that Mrs. Dottie West died. I remember that the whole city was shut up, losing one of its own, Nashville was just like a real ghost town then. Then country music was still to its original roots, it had not yet turned to “pop music pretending to be country music” genre. . And the show being on CMT in the United States does not necessarely mean that it will be shown on CMT Canada. We have not heard anything just yet about Season 5 being shown up here in Canada on our CMT TV Network, which is different than the one in the US. (Our CMT shows Canadian country artists primarely, normal, we are in Canada!) We had Season 1 and Season 2 on Global, then season 3 was swtiched to CITY – TV, due to very low ratings, and we did not have Season 4 at all up here in Canada, on any TV networks. None of our Canadian TV networks wanted to take a chance,on showing Season 4, with the low ratings in the US anyway .
June 11, 2016 @ 9:17 pm
This could be an explanation to why it moved to CMT: https://www.change.org/p/abc-renew-nashville-for-season-5?recruiter=false&utm_source=petitions_show_components_action_panel_wrapper&utm_medium=copylink
June 12, 2016 @ 12:28 am
Don’t you EVER fucking talk shit about Smokey & The Bandit being aired.
Granted, it’s the horrendous TV edit, but still. Don’t.
June 13, 2016 @ 4:31 am
You can think about it, but dooon’t do it.
June 13, 2016 @ 8:48 am
Hey, I love “Sweet Home Alabama,” but Clear Channel sucked every last bit of life out of it by overplaying it for 25 years on classic rock stations.
And the TV edit IS horrendous.
June 13, 2016 @ 4:05 pm
You’re all just a bunch of scumbums.
June 13, 2016 @ 5:00 pm
Do the letters “F O” mean anything to you?
June 13, 2016 @ 6:33 pm
“There’s no way — no WAY — that you could come, from my loins. Soon as I get home, the first thing I’m gonna do is punch your mama in the mouth.”
“The fact that you are a sheriff is not germane to the situation.”
“The goddamn Germans got nothin’ to do with it!”
And, another personal favorite (if not classic) quote:
“That’s called bootleggin’, and that’s against the law.”
“Who gives a turkey when the Snowman and the Bandit are runnin’ the booze?”
Oh, Burt Reynolds, you could charm a snake out of its skin. Too bad you’re broke (shouldn’t have passed on Smokey and the Bandit 3!)
June 13, 2016 @ 7:34 pm
Ah yes, the goddamn Joy-mins.
And those sumbitches from Florida Georgia Line couldn’t close an umbrella
June 12, 2016 @ 3:39 pm
Steve Austin is no wash up!!
June 13, 2016 @ 1:01 pm
I knew this show would be picked up by SOMEBODY, though I predicted it to be Netflix. That said, the producers apparently have some “Next Day Play” deal with Hulu (which I didn’t know about) that makes the new episodes available one day after the premiere date. So, even if it’s moving to CMT, the Hulu audience will remain, and possibly grow as people gravitate towards streaming options more and more these days. The Hulu deal seems to be the missing element of the “show got cancelled, spend MORE money on it” angle you’ve taken with this article. I bet they’re figuring they can offset the higher rate by trying to increase the audience elsewhere.
June 13, 2016 @ 5:59 pm
This is as exciting as the The Band Perry announcing their move to pop radio!!! What mind-blowing project will those crazy suits think of next!?
June 16, 2016 @ 3:36 pm
Hey now, the show and network are indeed awful but leave the Texas Rattlesnake be!