For those of you that have been watching Nashville season 4, you might have noticed that since November 18th, there was at least one person missing from the mix. That is because the actress that is playing the role of Juliette Barnes, left the show to get treatment for postpartum depression. Hayden Panettiere, who plays that role, had to leave the show in order to get the treatment needed so that should could return in the second half of season four.
She ended up leaving just before the production of the ninth episode of this season. Of course, in a situation like this, the show runner had to make adjustments to fill the gap and there was general concern for her well being as well. Dee Johnson, who is the show runner, said that it is not uncommon for shows to have to make adjustments like this so there are always things in place as a backup plan.
The condition that Panetteire was suffering from is very serious for new mothers and it was just the right thing to do. Johnson said that she understood she left with good faith that she would be returning to the show later in the season. Knowing that she is going to come back made it a little easier to plan for the remainder of the fourth season. The news was a little hard for fans to take, but they are happy to hear that she will be back soon.
Other than the concern over Panettiere’s condition and her return, the fans have been wondering if the show is going to be back for a fifth season. The answer to that is yes, as ABC just announced that it renewed the show and it has not plans to end the story just yet. Part of the reason for the renew is the “passionate” fan base according to the entertainment head at ABC, Paul Lee. As the audience grows and the story gets more dramatic, the producers see no reason to put an end to it at this time.
The show is set to start back up after the mid-season break, in March of this year and that means you will be able to see Panettiere back in action sometime in April according to reports posted online. Nashville is a drama that features the lives of two country music superstars with episodes named after various country artists like Waylon Jennings, Conway Twitty and Patty Loveless, just to name a few. Nashville season 4 premiered on September 23rd of last year and is expected to wrap up towards the end of April according to the production schedule that is posted online. This season will have fourteen full episodes.