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 More with 'Nashville' star Charles Esten on the 'After the Show Show'

Across three airings — two on CMT and an encore on sibling nick@nite, the fifth season opner averaged nearly two million viewers and a .77 rating in adults 18-49. That was off by 20% from the show’s Live+same day average for its fourth season on ABC and by a tenth from the drama’s Season 4 finale.

The changes must be ascribed to new showrunners Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick, the fellows who brought you thirtysomething, My So-Called Life, and Once and Again. The two have been working primarily in the movie industry of late, but a return to television to revive the dead-and-canceled Nashville is their current spiritual mission.

Actor Charles Esten is known for his role as singer-songwriter Deacon Claybourne on the musical drama “Nashville,” but it’s not just an act: He’s a real-life musician who plans to release many songs this year. 

“‘Nashville’ was always so special to me, and Deacon is the role of a lifetime,” Esten tells Variety. “It’s probably even more special now knowing how close we came to it being completely over.”