All the latest news, interviews and updates.


‘Nashville’ Season 5 Premiere Lifts CMT Ratings

Across three airings — two on CMT and an encore on sibling nick@nite, the fifth season opner averaged nearly two million viewers and a .77 rating in adults 18-49. That was off by 20% from the show’s Live+same day average for its fourth season on ABC and by a tenth from the drama’s Season 4 finale.

‘Nashville’ Is Back, Slowed Down and Passionate

The changes must be ascribed to new showrunners Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick, the fellows who brought you thirtysomething, My So-Called Life, and Once and Again. The two have been working primarily in the movie industry of late, but a return to television to revive the dead-and-canceled Nashville is their current spiritual mission.

Charles Esten primes fans for ‘Nashville’ premiere with sizzling ‘Buckle Up’ performance

Charles Esten has been even more pumped for the Season 5 return of “Nashville” than the fan base who rallied forces to ensure that the Music City drama found a new home on CMT. The leading man who lays out the ongoing struggles of his character, Deacon Claybourne, week by week never faded in his feeling that “there were more stories to be told,” and now those stories continue tonight with a two-hour “Nashville” premiere. To raise the stakes even higher, Charles Esten made a resolution for his 2017 that he would release a new song every week. Thus far, the singer, songwriter, and actor is staying right on track, and in honor of the “Nashville” new season, and the connection he already feels for the ladies of “Today,” especially country music aficionado, Hoda Kotb, he offered his latest song a little early for the Jan. 5 morning show.

Charles Esten: ‘Nashville’ Fans Deserve Credit for Show’s Return Read More: Charles Esten: 'Nashville' Fans Deserve Credit for Show's Return | http://theboot.com/charles-esten-nashville-return-due-to-fans/?trackback=tsmclip

“Those fans of ours, they’re called Nashies; they’re not just bystanders to this event,” Esten tells The Boot. “They were integral to the pickup of Nashville; CMT itself has said it. When ABC did not pick us up, I was very grateful — still am — for the four years we had there. But what I was really grateful for was that outcry of those fans.

Nashville on CMT: Charles Esten Talks The Music-Centric Soap’s New Network Home

Nashies never give up.

When ABC announced it would not renew its music-centric drama Nashville, fans of the Callie-Khouri-created nighttime soap took matters into their own hands. “I knew that we weren’t done telling these stories or singing these songs,” says Charles “Chip” Esten, who plays Deacon Claybourne, longtime bandmate and brand-new husband of country superstar turned business mogul Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton). “I have been doing this a long time and understand that nothing’s a given, so I’ve tried to live every single season, every single episode and day here as fully as I can. The love that fans threw our way in that undecided period, that sure helped — you ask any one of our cast members! And then it helped to get us picked up. They were very savvy, very organized and I was so impressed that they were able to take their disappointment and turn it into action.” Action that paid off handsomely.

Nashville Stars Announce New Music on Skyville Live

Wednesday’s (July 13) Skyville Live salute to Music City featured dynamic performances by Chris Carmack, Mark Collie, Lennon & Maisy, J.D. Souther andPam Tillis plus new music announcements from Clare Bowen and Charles Esten.