Nashville

The show's strength is the intimate look it offers at the hard work, passion, and inner resolve that goes into building a country music career. Whether they're showcasing for label execs or playing local dives for rent money, all of these young artists are shown pouring their heart and soul into their music as they try to make it in an industry that's most likely going to reject them -- each must compete with literally thousands of other hopefuls for space at the top. Nashville thankfully lacks the superficial glitziness of shows like Laguna Beach and its reality counterparts -- instead focusing on the down-to-earth atmosphere from which country music is born by following young people who are willing to pay their dues in order to reach the top. But the value of their journey is diluted by a few too many soap-like storylines that center on the cast's personal relationships, some of which are fraught with tense, jealous moments (not to mention innuendo, alcohol, and heavy flirting).