Don’t put dirt on “Nashville’s” grave just yet.
Don’t celebrate a renewal either.
Conspicuously omitted from ABC’s slew of Thursday pickups and Friday cancellation, the network’s musical soap remains on the bubble for a third season renewal.
According to Deadline, the sticking point is, predictably, a financial one.
Filmed on location in Nashville, the series had previously received a lucrative tax break from the Tennessee government. Tennessee is, at least as of press time, planning to significantly slash that break, which would leave a gap in the show’s budget.
Uninterested in removing production from the show’s titular location, the parties involved are “working on making the numbers work,” says Deadline.
While reports emerged saying ABC offered a thirteen episode renewal at one point in the negotiation process, cost feasibility issues make securing a full, 22-episode renewal a priority for producers.
A weak ratings performer, “Nashville” is nonetheless a valuable franchise–and one with passionate fan support. Prior to news of the financial issues, it was considered a near lock for renewal.