ABC Cancels NASHVILLE & THE FAMILY

By: May. 12, 2016
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According to Deadline, ABC has cancelled its country musical series NASHVILLE, as well as freshman drama THE FAMILY, as first orders for the 2016-17 television season come in.

Though NASHVILLE has never drawn huge ratings, it's performed well with DVR playback, while THE FAMILY, since premiering at midseason, never caught on with viewers.

With four seasons under its belt at ABC, Lionsgate will reportedly seek another home for NASHVILLE.

About NASHVILLE:

Acclaimed country-music drama "Nashville" has returned for a fourth season-with more jaw-dropping, heartbreaking moments than ever before.

Season Three concluded with the ultimate cliffhanger-a flatline-as Deacon went under the knife to receive a liver transplant from his sister, Beverly. And when all is said and done, Rayna must learn to negotiate professional demands in the face of unthinkable personal tragedy. After the birth of her daughter Cadence, Juliette began to suffer from worsening postpartum depression and consequently recommitted to her music and movie careers-a choice that will cause her professional life to sizzle but her family life to fizzle. Her husband Avery, meanwhile, must determine how-and where-to raise their baby girl. Rayna's teenage girls, Maddie and Daphne, grapple with growing pains of their own, knowing they have different fathers-one of whom (Deacon) may die in surgery and the other of whom (Teddy) is headed to prison.

Elsewhere, cowboy Luke Wheeler has recruited superstar Juliette Barnes to be on his record label-a timely boon, considering his biggest artist, Will Lexington, came out publicly at a press conference to the surprise of the whole industry. Scarlett and Gunnar, who together comprise musical duo The Exes, still remain exes as they embark on tour for their latest E.P., but their chemistry-both onstage and off-might soon be too powerful for them to deny. And Jeff Fordham, Rayna's nemesis, continues to be romantically enmeshed with Highway-65 artist Layla Grant, the only person who can see the good in him but whom he always manages to hurt-whether he means to or not.

This season will see "Nashville's" singers, songwriters and superstars struggle to reconcile their public and private realities. Some will fight to climb to-or stay on-the top. Some will succumb to their own ambition. And all will learn how to survive in the wake of loss-proving that music may be at the heart of Music City, but drama always reigns.

"Nashville" stars Connie Britton as Rayna Jaymes, Hayden Panettiere as Juliette Barnes, Clare Bowen as Scarlett O'Connor, Chris Carmack as Will Lexington, Will Chase as Luke Wheeler, Charles Esten as Deacon Claybourne, Jonathan Jackson as Avery Barkley, Sam Palladio as Gunnar Scott, Maisy Stella as Daphne Conrad, Lennon Stella as Maddie Conrad and Aubrey Peeples as Layla Grant.

Dee Johnson ("Boss," "The Good Wife"), "The War Room," "A Perfect Candidate"), Callie Khouri ("Thelma & Louise") and Steve Buchanan are executive producers of ""Nashville"." The series is produced by Lionsgate, ABC Studios and Opry Entertainment.

About THE FAMILY:

A family is shaken to the core when a politician's presumed dead son suddenly returns. After disappearing a decade earlier, Adam Warren's homecoming to Red Pines, Maine, is initially met with astonishment and joy, but suspicions soon begin to emerge. Is he really who he says he is? The boy's shocking reappearance forces the entire family to re-examine who they are and unearths long-buried secrets, betrayals and heartache, in the riveting new thriller, "The Family," which will debut with a special premiere, on THURSDAY, MARCH 3(9:00-10:00 p.m. EST), with a second, all-new episodeon SUNDAY, MARCH 6 (9:00-10:00 p.m. EST), for its regular time period premiere, on the ABC Television Network.

Leading a stellar ensemble cast, Oscar-nominee Joan Allen stars as Claire Warren, who not only has survived the heart-breaking loss of her son, Adam (Liam James), but has used her resiliency and surrounding adversity in the aftermath of this tragedy to fuel her own political aspirations and rise to power.

The unfolding mystery impacts the entire family: Willa (Alison Pill), Claire's daughter and savvy political advisor; Danny (Zach Gilford), the Warren's cynical eldest son; and husband John (Rupert Graves), whose relationship with Claire is about to come apart at the seams. Deceptions and indiscretions have taken the place of what used to be a happy, loving family.

The dark mystery surrounding the Warrens has major repercussions for others as well. Hank Asher (Andrew McCarthy), the Warren's neighbor who originally was accused and convicted of abducting Adam, is still trying to claw himself back from the nightmare of the decade-old crime. Cracking Adam's kidnapping made Detective Nina Meyer's (Margot Bingham) career, but now the same case threatens to be her downfall. Bridey Cruz (Floriana Lima), an up-and-coming young reporter, is willing to do almost anything to rise from obscurity and make this story her first front-page byline.

As the election for governor heats up, is Claire able to keep her family together despite the roller coaster of emotions surrounding Adam's return? It's just the tip of the iceberg in this stunning, addictive family drama.

"The Family" stars Joan Allen as Claire ("Room," "The Killing"), Alison Pill as Willa ("The Newsroom," "Midnight in Paris"), Margot Bingham as Detective Nina Meyer ("Boardwalk Empire," "Barbershop 3"), Zach Gilford as Danny ("Friday Night Lights"), Liam James as Adam ("The Killing," "The Way, Way Back"), Floriana Lima as Bridey ("Allegiance," "The Mob Doctor"), Madeleine Arthur as Young Willa ("Big Eyes," "The Tomorrow People"), Rarmian Newton as Young Danny ("Nightmares & Dreamscapes"), with Rupert Graves as John Warren ("A Room With a View," "Maurice") and Andrew McCarthy as Hank ("Pretty in Pink," "St. Elmo's Fire"; director, "Orange is the New Black," "The Black List").

"The Family" was written by Jenna Bans. Executive producers are Jenna Bans ("Grey's Anatomy," "Private Practice," and "Scandal") and Mandeville Television's Todd Lieberman ("The Fighter," "The Proposal"), David Hoberman ("The Fighter," "Monk") and Laurie Zaks ("Castle"). "The Family" is produced by ABC Studios.


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