Coming back for an encore? Fans were heartsick when ABC announced Nashville's cancellation on Thursday, May 12. But the series might not be ending for good, as Lionsgate is reportedly reaching out to other distributors to keep the soapy country music-themed drama alive.
In an email obtained by Entertainment Weekly, Lionsgate exec Kevin Beggs wrote to employees: "We’re looking for a new home — we never give up on a great show."
The cancellation came as a bit of a surprise for the series that stars Connie Britton (Rayna Jaymes) and Hayden Panettiere (Juliette Barnes) and wraps up its fourth season on Wednesday, May 25. The show had recently lined up new showrunners Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick (thirtysomething) to take over for season 5.
Nashville earned its walking papers on the same day as numerous other ABC programs, including Castle, Agent Carter, The Muppets and The Family. The moves follow ABC Entertainment naming a new president, Channing Dungey, in February.
This would certainly not be the first time that a show switched outlets, with news breaking Thursday that CBS' Supergirl will air its second season on The CW. Meanwhile, a streaming platform could be a possibility for the music-centric drama, given that Hulu picked up The Mindy Project in 2015 after Fox cut the series at the end of season 3.
Additionally, NBC's Friday Night Lights and FX's Damages both moved to DirecTV for later seasons.
Nashville's final ABC episode airs on Wednesday, May 25, at 10 p.m. ET.
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