CMT Says <i>Nashville</i> Will Return in January, Move to Thursdays

Nashville's back! CMT announced today that the show will return early next year, with the two-hour premiere of Season 5 airing Thursday, Jan. 5, at 9 p.m.

If this summer's heatwave burned all the dramatic details out of your brain, here's a refresher: Nashville was dropped by ABC just after the show announced it would shake things up a bit by bringing on new show-runners Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz (aka the creators of thirtysomething). Fans of the show demanded it live on, though (and surely Zwick and Herskovitz didn't want to be out of a job before they even began) so CMT picked up Nashville's shattered pieces. It has been unclear which (if any) stars from the show would be a part of the sudsy drama's reincarnation.

But now it looks like most big names are returning, too! Or, at least, poised to return (which sounds like very careful wording — perhaps the ink's not quite dry on some of the contracts?). Variety reports: 

"Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz are on board as showrunners for Nashville at its new home with Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere, Charles Esten, Sam Palladio, Jonathan Jackson, Clare Bowen, Lennon Stella, Maisy Stella and Chris Carmack all poised to return as series regulars. Will Chase and Aubrey Peeples are also expected to return in a smaller capacity."

So with that news, here's the biggest question of all: Will the Scene's illustrious Nashville recapper Ashley Spurgeon continue to chew-up, digest and regurgitate the juicy drama for all of us baby birds who don't dare watch the show ourselves? Indeed she will! When reached for comment — she was found enjoying her Nashville-free life, floating on a swan-shaped pool toy in the middle of the Caribbean — Spurgeon sighed and said, "I look forward to the return of Nashville, and will continue to recap the show for all of the smart, attractive readers of Country Life. Claiming my cable bill as a business expense means a lot to me, so I would like to personally thank CMT for the continued opportunity to do so."

Party at my house, y'all! I will make my famous "miscarriage faked with pig's blood" punch.

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