'Nashville' season 5 news: 'Looking' alum Murray Bartlett joins cast; new behind-the-scene teaser released
"Looking" grad Murray Bartlett will be joining the upcoming fifth season of CMT's musical drama "Nashville."
The actor will play the role of Jakob Fine, a very attractive and charismatic fashion designer for men's clothing. Further details about Bartlett's character are still under wraps, but there are speculations that he might be a love interest for Will (Chris Carmack). Although an insider declined to comment if Jakob will be introduced as Will's new beau, the source confirmed to TV Line that the two characters will cross paths in some capacity. As fans can recall, the then-ABC program's season 4 finale saw Will's reunion with Kevin (Kyle Dean Massey), who is also expected to come back.
Meanwhile, fans who can't wait for the show's return in January can now view a little teaser to get them through the last few months of waiting. CMT recently released a new promotional video, giving viewers a chance to go behind the scenes with the cast while they begin preparing for the upcoming installment. After ABC decided to cancel the series, "Nashville" quickly found a new home with CMT, which picked up the show for a fifth run. Based on the new teaser, the cast members seem happier than ever in their new home network.
"It kind of feels, in some ways, like a new show," said Jonathan Jackson, who portrays Avery Barkley on the program. Lennon Stella, who plays the character of Rayna James' eldest daughter Maddie Conrad, expressed her optimism in the program's major change. "Honestly, I think it feels better," she said.
Executive producer Callie Khouri also gave her take on the previous shake-up, explaining how they will focus more on the storyline instead of adding many new faces. "The changes that we've made have kind of breathed new life into it," she said in the clip. "The scenes are going to last a little bit longer, we're not going to have quite so many characters."
The fifth season of "Nashville" premieres with a special two-hour episode on Thursday, Jan. 5 at 9 p.m. EST on CMT.
