Good news for Nashville fans. Stars Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere and seven other cast members have signed new deals to return for the musical drama’s fifth season, according to sources.
Charles Esten, Sam Palladio, Jonathan Jackson, Clare Bowen, Lennon Stella, Maisy Stella and Chris Carmack will also be returning as season regulars. All have signed on for 22 new episodes, set to air on CMT, after four seasons on ABC.
Will Chase and Audrey Peeples will not be returning for the 5th season.
The news comes on the heels of CMT officially picking up a fifth season, in a deal that includes next day streaming on Hulu.
With season 4 ending in a major cliffhanger that left Hayden Panettiere’s character’s life on the line, there were questions whether the actress would return or not. Earlier in the season, Panettiere missed several episodes after seeking treatment for postpartum depression.
While the cast remains essentially the same, Nashville will return in the fall with two new showrunners, Executive producers Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick (My So-Called Life, thirtysomething) replacing longtime showrunner Dee Johnson.
