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Parents' Guide to

Nashville

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Catty music biz drama makes for an engrossing soap.

TV ABC Drama 2012
Nashville Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Very cautious mother
Very cautious mother Parent of 14 and 16-year-old
June 8, 2017
age 18+

Mature themes

Plenty of sex, although not explicitly shown, means this should be a TV-14 in my opinion. Also includes same sex relationships, so if you don't want younger children influenced by that, leave it to older teens, for sure!
Matt B.
Matt B. Adult
February 26, 2015
age 14+

A soap opera that pushes the TV-PG limit.

This show has sexual material, violence and murdering, lots of drinking and some strong language. The violence and murdering can be pretty intense, the sexual relationships and sensuality are at times non stop. This is iffy for 13, It's more for mature 13 year olds or 14 and up.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In NASHVILLE, there's a battle brewing between two talented country music artists: fading country queen Rayna James (Connie Britton) and rising superstar Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere). Rayna's label wants her to tour with Juliette to boost her flagging sales. But Rayna's staking her comeback on some new songs from a talented pair of virtual unknowns (Australian singer Clare Bowen and Cornish singer-songwriter Sam Palladio). Meanwhile, Rayna's husband (Eric Close) is running for mayor with her powerful father's (Powers Boothe) backing, and Juliette is trying to steal Rayna's lead guitarist (Charles Esten) -- and former lover.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (11 ):

If you can't take Glee's syrupy pop sweetness or bear the Broadway razzle-dazzle of Smash, Nashville just might be the place for you. Being a country music fan isn't a prerequisite either, thanks to an ear-pleasing soundtrack that mixes lots of different country styles -- from alt-country rock to straight-up CMA hits. Listen up, and your ears will thank you.

Nashville also earns points for casting talented leads who can not only talk the talk, but also sing their own notes. Britton is more than believable as a once-unstoppable country queen, and Panettiere is pitch-perfect as her chart-topping rival. But Bowen and Palladio's beautifully haunting blend is the real find -- and we dare you to catch their Southern accents slipping.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why kids tend to look up to popular young musicians like Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and Katy Perry. What qualities do they have that make them such appealing role models? When celebrities mess up, how can kids learn from their mistakes?

  • Do you think Nashville is an accurate representation of what goes into being a country music star? Do the main characters remind you of any real-life country music artists?

  • How important is making money in the music business? Does the desire to be profitable negatively affect the art of music-making? Would you be willing to compromise your artistic principles if it meant you could be wildly successful?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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