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Coming this fall, “Nashville” is notably another soap opera type series with Nashville music being the backdrop scene that revolves around one star at her peak in the industry with another on the rise to challenge her. Series programming keep the viewers coming back week after week.  As the season shows are coming to an end and with the cancellations of so many shows last week, “Nashville” may be just the thing to keep ABC ratings up to par.

The new fall show features a top of the charts country legend, Rayna James (Connie Britton) who has had a career that any singer would die for over the last few years. She built an empire through her music. However, her popularity is starting to subside as fans are still lining up to obtain her autographs, but her ticket sales are down and the arenas are not packed like they used to be for the country star.

Rayna’s recording label company thinks she needs an opener in Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere), a sexy young and upcoming future country star, on her concert tour to help her get her sales up.  However, backstabbing and schemer Juliette can’t wait to steal Rayna’s spotlight from her. Having to share the stage with a disrespectful untalented witch like Juliette is the last thing Rayna wants to have. This only sets up her power struggle for popularity. An undiscovered songwriter with a lot of talent named Scarlett O’Connor (Clara Bowen) may be the key to helping Rayna revive her career.

To complicate things even worse for Rayna, she has an estranged father, Lamar Hampton (Powers Boothe) who throws his weight around and is an over-powering force in business, Tennessee politics, and the lives of the two grown daughters who he constantly rubs the wrong way, along with a lot of other people. His constant need to throw his power around results in a scheme to back Rayna’s handsome husband, Teddy, in a run for Mayor of Nashville, even though he knows it is against Rayna’s wishes.

The new series should be a real hit as it is filled will a super cast of actors.  Nashville will boast stars like Connie Britton from Friday Night Lights and American Horror Story as Rayna, Hayden Panetiere from Heroes as Juliette, Powers Boothe from MacGruber and 24 as Lamar, Charles Esten from Enlightened and Big Love as Deacon, Eric Close from Chaos and Without a Trace, as Teddy, Clare Bowen as Scarlett, Jonathan Jackson from General Hospital as Avery, Sam Palladio as Gunnar, and Robert Wisdom as Coleman.

The series to air this fall was written by Callie Khouri (writer of Thelma and Louise) who is also an executive producer.  To help direct, RJ Cutler of The September Issue, The War Room, and A Perfect Candidate, and Steve Buchanan also joined the creation of the show. The pilot for the Nashville series was directed by RJ Cutler and produced by Lionsgate, ABC Studios and Graylord Entertainment.

See Nashville Wednesday nights at 10/9c this fall on cable channel ABC.