nashville

tv:  ABC premiered it's new show Nashville last night.  It is a show based around a country music star Rayna James, played by Connie Britton, who has been the queen of the genre for twenty odd years.  As the show picks up we find her struggling to keep up with the times as a young star is taking music by storm.  This star is Juliet Barnes, a Taylor Swift-like crossover sensation.  As Juliet's star continues to rise and the new version of the music industry, that seeming to be one of internet sales based less around records and radio hits than what goes viral on youtube, Rayna is forced to into a difficult decision.  With her record and ticket sales spiraling, she is asked to open for Juliet on her coming tour. This idea is met with total distaste by Rayna who even says, "she wouldn't even cut it as my backup singer."
The other side of the story deals with Rayna's family.  Her father, played by Powers Boothe, is a seemingly corrupt philanthropist (though he would tell you otherwise), who is looking to put Rayna's husband in the Nashville mayoral running based on his sympathy from his tough losses during the recession.  Rayna is opposed to this idea, believing that being under the thumb of her father would be like owing a favor to Michael Corleone.
While these plots, set to the back drop of country music produced by T Bone Burnett, who wrote the music for Crazy Heart, may be exciting, it is not where the shows strength seems to lie.  The shows strength lies in its being the best of what network television has to offer.  It is not the hyper-specific vision of a showrunner like Matt Wiener or Vince Gilligan.  It is simply a ton of tawdry drama.  It is fun and sexy and full of twists and turns in a world that we feel like we all can understand simply because it is about something we all know: music.  People's loyalties are split.  Peoples love lives are complicated.  And of course, their is the potential for everyone to either hate or love each other at the drop of a hat.
On top of that the show is centered around stars.  While Connie Britton may not ever be an Oscar wining actress, she is certainly made for television.  She has a lived in quality that makes her purely charismatic on week to week basis.  Combine that with the cowboy in Powers Boothe and the enjoyability of Hayden Penettiere and you have a smash hit on your hands.
The show is fun and cool and may even at some point have the chance to border on interesting.  But the truth is that there is nothing better than seeing Mrs. Coach (for all you Friday Night Lights fans) every week on our televisions in our homes.
Sometimes network drama (more drama with air quotes than drama like Sopranos or Mad Men) can be good.  And Nashville shows that.  It is not always about the artful high concept storytelling of shows that are often revered.  Sometimes it is all about just making something fun to watch.  I feel like if I tried to write this about this show like have something like Breaking Bad I would almost ruin it by trying to be so damn serious.  Instead I just want to admit that sometimes the drama and the soap opera can be fun.  And in this case it can be good too.  And I can't say it enough:  Connie Britton, Mrs. Taylor, God bless her.