7 reasons why you should be watching Nashville
Ned Newberry | On 09, Mar 2018
Season 6 of Nashville starts today on Sky Living on Friday 9th March 2018. With Seasons 1 to 5 also available on-demand, here are seven reasons why Nashville will go from guilty pleasure to “give me more”:
The music
This ain’t Glee. This is a story set in Nashville, Texas, the country music capital of the world and it’s about country music stars, so you better believe this show has some cracking numbers. Whether it’s the melodic Life That’s Good, the emotionally charged Black Roses or the powerhouse hit Don’t Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet, there is a ridiculous amount of great music in this show. If you weren’t a fan of country before, you sure as heck will be.
The characters
Nashville may be a musical delight, but that’s not the whole kit n’ caboodle: Nashville’s characters are far from country clichés. You’ll find yourself torn between rooting for Team Reina or Team Juliette as the older country star locks horns with the young country starlet. You’ll feel sorry for washed-up singer Deacon Claybourne and his heart of gold. Every character has an interesting arc that they go through and better yet, they’ll probably sing an awesome song about it.
The scandal
It’s a bit of a cheap trick, by now, the sudden reveal of a career-ending scandal followed by a rush of strings and a hard cut, but it hasn’t got any less gripping after three seasons, especially when it’s about characters that are worth caring about. It’s fun to watch the ebb and flow, as the characters begin by fighting to come out on top, then find a way to better themselves – and when they do, it’s usually accompanied by a fantastic song. (We weren’t kidding about the music.)
The setting
The world of country music takes the cast to various cool locations. Nashville introduces viewers to the Blue Bird Café, a real place where some real songwriters have performed and it’s a great constant in the show. There’s the Grand Ole Opry, again a real place – the famous theatre sees some of the most memorable scenes and every time one of the characters has their “Opry debut”, you can guarantee they’ll sing something kickass.
The talent
Nashville benefits from a fantastic cast. There are two immediately recognisable actresses: Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights) and Hayden Panettiere (Heroes), plus a whole band of performers who have more TV credits than they’ve got guitar strings. They play their roles with genuine emotion, making for believable performances across the board; even the troublesome teenagers manage to pull off likeable personas. Plus, of course, they’re all really good at singing.
The relationships
The writing in Nashville manages to capture the essence of country music: concerns of the heart. Whether it’s love triangles, the love between fathers and daughters, mothers and daughters, or just good old-fashioned friendship, Nashville has it all, and watching these relationships develop and change is what makes this show so engaging. (Also, be warned: There are some serious tear-jerker moments, most likely the result of – you guessed it – a beautiful song about how important relationships are.)
Liking musical TV shows is not a prerequisite to enjoying Nashville but it sure does help. However, the story Nashville tells and the characters in it are just as good as the soundtrack. That’s the real draw of Nashville; every aspect of this show’s production sings from the same quality sheet.
There will be no more seasons
With events wrapping up in this sixth and final season, this is the perfect time to pick up and play the first five seasons of Nashville on-demand, just in time to strum your way through to what promises to be a toe-tapping, moving finale.
Nashville Season 4 airs in the UK on Sky Living every Thursday at 10pm, starting Thursday 25th August. Don’t have Sky? You can also stream it on NOW, as part of a £7.99 monthly subscription – with no contract and a 7-day free trial. Season 1 to 3 are also available. Other channels included in NOW’s monthly pass are Sky 1 (Supergirl), Sky Atlantic (Westworld) and FOX UK (The Walking Dead).
