A music-biz soap from screenwriter Callie Khouri (“Thelma & Louise,” “Something To Talk About,” “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood”), “Nashville” follows a fading country music megastar who finds herself forced to open for a younger, hotter act.
It stars Connie Britton (“Friday Night Lights”), Hayden Panettiere (“Heroes”), Eric Close (“Without A Trace”) and Powers Booth (“Deadwood,” “Hatfields & McCoys”).
I could tell you about the pilot, or you can just watch it, right here right now:
... It's a much better follow-up to "Friday Night Lights" for [Connie Britton] than "American Horror Story" was. … a smart mix of soap opera, music and political intrigue. …
... give "Nashville" a chance, but not just because Connie Britton is terrific in it. There are a host of other reasons to check out this ABC drama: The supporting cast is uniformly terrific, a series of political and personal dilemmas are depicted with thoughtful nuance, and this show isn't so much about country music as it is about a desire to communicate, be loved and be heard. …
... In the pilot most things that have to do with music and the music business are good, and most things that don’t are dull and sometimes worse. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
... you really don't have to love country music to love "Nashville." In fact, even if you find this kind of music corny and simplistic, you may find yourself coming away from the show singing an entirely different tune. …
... I half expect that “Nashville” may well be lured down the path of eye-rolling melodrama soon enough (like NBC’s “Smash”), but until then, I’d like to bask in its tender perfection.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... it's the clear writing and the blunt, brass tacks portrayal of Rayna's business dealings that give credibility to the characters and authenticity to the situations …
... The mix of music, political power-plays and pure soap promises to be addictive. …
... It’s not the “quality” programming found on HBO or Showtime, or a sensitively written saga in the vein of “Friday Night Lights.” But then it’s not quite a trashy, scandal-driven, operatic soap on the order of “Revenge,” either. “Nashville” falls somewhere in between the two extremes, a story that thrives on heightened melodrama and big twists but gives its characters more depth than you generally find in network lather-fests. …
... an entertaining hour of fine acting, writing and ambition. Even if you’re not a country music fan, the rest of Nashville is singing a different, intriguing tune.…
... While there's promise in the pilot and especially the casting, the show feels a trifle disjointed, as if compelled to load up on a surplus of elements and subplots. Better that, perhaps, than fumbling for storylines, but if there's this much crooning throughout, the series might lose some viewers who simply grow weary of "She done him wrong" songs. …
10 p.m. Wednesday. ABC.
