Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere Are Returning to Nashville for Season 5, Rejoice!

Your favorite country divas are likely moving with the show to CMT

By Jean Bentley Jun 30, 2016 2:24 AMTags
NashvilleABC/Mark Levine

Rejoice, for your Nashville queens are both returning for season five! It appears that Connie Britton's hair will grace your TV screens for another year as the actress and costar Hayden Panettiere are both likely heading back to the drama as it makes the move from ABC to CMT.

According to TVLine, the actresses are set to reprise their roles as your favorite country music superstars Rayna James and Juliette Barnes, respectively, in the show's first season on the cable network. They'll likely be joined by Charles Esten, Jonathan Jackson, Sam Palladio, Clare Bowen, Chris Carmack and Lennon and Maisy Stella, although E! News hears nothing is cemented quite yet.

Even better news: If Panettiere does come back, it probably means that Juliette's plane didn't crash (and if it did, she wasn't killed), which means that Avery and Juliette can be together at last.

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Nashville Is Losing 2 Regular Characters When it Moves to CMT
ABC

Last week, the site reported that Will Chase and Aubrey Peeples would not be returning as Luke and Layla (which, to be quite honest, makes total sense considering their storylines seemed to have run their course in the season four finale. Sorry, but Rayna and Deacon and Avery and Juliette are just meant to be together, okay?)

After a seemingly interminable wait (and a huge outcry from fans), CMT saved the country music series from cancellation by picking the show up for a fifth season of 22 episodes on the cable network.

"CMT heard the fans. The wave of love and appreciation they have unleashed for Nashville has been overwhelming," Brian Philips, president of CMT, said in a statement when the network picked up the show. "Nashville is a perfect addition to our evolving line-up of big music specials, documentaries, and original series. We see our fans and ourselves in this show and we will treasure it like no other network. Nashville belongs on CMT."

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Nashville and 16 Other Shows That Beat Cancellation

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