Full season pickup for ABC's 'Nashville'

ABC has given the order for a full-season pick up for its Wednesday night sudser Nashville.

The Callie Khouri drama has received high praise from critics, many whom call it the best new show of the season. Though one wouldn’t call it a ratings hit, the series has performed modestly since its premiere and had an 11% increase in ratings last week.

Starring Connie Britton (Rayna James) and Hayden Panetierre (Juliette Barnes), the series follows the lives of these women and those in their world through the hardships of love, life and their careers. Rayna, a chart-topping, country legend, whose popularity is fading quickly, struggles to adapt in a musical landscape that no longer caters to her.  Her younger, sexier rival, Juliette Barnes, is the current “it” girl of country music, but she comes with her own set of problems – personal and professional. As these two struggle for power and the spotlight, they must combat with the harsh realities of their private lives. Rayna’s father, Lamar Wyatt, also provides a dose of drama with his heavy-handed politics and business power, convincing Rayna’s husband to run for mayor against his wife’s wishes.

Nashville is the second drama to receive a full-season pick up at ABC. Two weeks ago the alphabet network announced a full season order for sophomore political drama Scandal.