It was a coup when Nashville producers Lionsgate TV and ABC Studios were able to secure the return of stars Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere when the series moved from ABC to CMT. But there will be less of Britton in the cable version of the country music drama.
Britton has committed to only a limited number of episodes of Nashville‘s 22-episode Season 5 order. The number is still in flux, but she is expected to end up doing a little more than half of the episodes. As for her long-term future on the show, that also appears to be up in the air. There is word that the actress is looking to exit Nashville this coming season, though conversations with the network and the studios are ongoing. Of course, Nashville has not been renewed beyond its coming fifth season, so the future of the show itself has not been determined beyond that.
Britton, whose reduced Season 5 workload was first reported by ew.com, brought cachet to the series. She is a four-time Emmy nominee for Friday Night Lights and American Horror Story and also received a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Rayna James on Nashville.
