It has been quite a tumultuous past few months for the cast and crew of ABC's "Nashville," the show that was shockingly canceled by its network back in May, only to be picked up by CMT in June. Not everyone is on board for the move, however, as Will Chase, who plays Rayna Jaymes' love interest Luke Wheeler, and Aubrey Peeples (who plays Layla Grant), were both let go before the show moved to CMT.
Back in May, Lionsgate TV chairman Kevin Beggs spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about how they pushed for the cliffhanger ending of Season 4, saying that the ending that ultimately hit the airwaves was the one they were rooting for in the beginning, despite filming a happier ending. He added that they would not have pushed for such a cliffhanger ending if they had known that there was no chance at all for "Nashville" season 5 to hit the airwaves.
"In our estimation, to go with a quickly assembled too-easy wrap-up is more of a disservice to the fans who have invested four years in this great cast and these great stories. And there's more stories to tell," Beggs promised. Whatever stories that may be, it seems that production, which is now headed by new showrunners Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick, is keeping tight-lipped about what is to unfold in "Nashville" season 5.
What's for sure, however, is that CMT has ordered 22 episodes for "Nashville" season 5, which will see the return of series regulars Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere, Charles Esten, Sam Palladio, Jonathan Jackson, Clare Bowen, Lennon Stella, Maisy Stella, and Chris Carmack.
Meanwhile, the cast of "Nashville" season 5 recently made an appearance in the live-streaming web series, "Skyville Live." In fact, the cast reminded audiences of the strength of their bond through a glorious performance of The Beatles' classic, "With a Little Help from My Friends," a seemingly appropriate song following the tumultuous events of the past months. Head over to Rolling Stone to watch the performance.
"Nashville" season 5 is set to make its debut on CMT this fall.
![‘Nashville’ Season 5 New Extended Trailer Released: Rayna Looks For Inspiration [SPOILERS]](https://1779241332.rsc.cdn77.org/data/thumbs/full/76916/396/277/50/40/nashville-season-5-new-extended-trailer-released-rayna-looks-for-inspiration-spoilers.png)
