Nashville Show Might Move To CMT

ABC Drama 'Nashville' may be moving to CMT looking to continue the show after its four season run. While the negotiations are not quite finished, ABC and CMT are close to a deal with former producers Opry Entertainment, ABC Studios, and Lionsgate.

Season four concluded last week with a gut wrenching cliff hanger involving Hayden Panetierre's character, Juliette Barnes' plane going missing and several other prominent story lines left hanging in the balance. In fear of never knowing the fate of the tv show's beloved characters, a fan petition has started in order to keep the show alive. The petition on Change.org has already garnered 171,000 signatures and is still gaining more.

Stars of the show, Hayden Panetierre and Connie Britton, who portrays Rayna James, have not commented on whether or not they would be on board for the series moving to an alternative network. Although they haven't made any comments on the situation, Deadline reports that both actors are still under contract. Panetierre and Britton have made no comment yet, but Kevin Beggs, Lionsgate TV chairman, has mentioned the two characters are "essential" to the show's continuation.

'Nashville' will be taken control of by new showrunners, Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick, who are likely to remain with the series in the event of the show jumping to another network.

In addition to the petition, Entertainment Weekly reports fans organized a "virtual viewing party of the Nashville pilot last week under the hashtag #NashvilleRewind".

To sign up for the petition to keep the show alive, go to Change.org to add your signature.