A compelling, different and well-done soap. Good reviews may give it the time it needs to set the hook -- if it works, it could be huge.
ABC is embracing its country music roots in big way for freshman series Nashville.
The drama stars Friday Night Lights‘ Connie Britton as an aging country singer who’s paired with a rising star in Heroes‘ Hayden Panettiere in order to revive her career and features original music from songwriters including John Paul White and Joy Yetton executive produced by T Bone Burnett.
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The first single, “If I Didn’t Know Better,” was penned by White of the Grammy winning band The Civil Wars and Arum Rae of the band White Dress and is performed by Nashville co-stars Clare Bowen (Scarlett) and Sam Palladio (Gunnar). The video, seem above exclusive to The Hollywood Reporter, also features highlights from the second and third episodes of the series, from Callie Khouri and the Grand Ole Opry’s Steve Buchanan.
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ABC, which last week signed with Taylor Swift‘s label Big Machine Records, will release singles from the series via iTunes and its ABC Music Lounge every Tuesday starting this week with “If I Didn’t Know Better,” “Back Home” (performed by Charles Esten) and “Love Like Mine” (performed by Panettiere).
Further, ABCs Music Lounge has set On the Record, a documentary web series that follows the original songs featured on Nashville and the singer-songwriters behind them, giving viewers a window in life of the song from they’re inception to their on-air premiere. The first episode will was shot on location in Nashville and in Los Angeles and features interviews with executive producer/creator Khouri (Thelma & Louise), EP R.J. Cutler and co-stars Bowen and Palladio. Episodes will be available starting Tuesday at www.abc.go.com/site/music-lounge/nashville-on-the-record.
Nashville, which is available to watch online now, premieres Wednesday at 10 p.m. on ABC. Watch the video, above, and hit the comments with your thoughts.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit
