CMT has revealed that the hit country music drama Nashville will return for a sixth season.

One of the highest-rated and most-watched CMT series in history, Nashville will boast another full season, airing 16 new episodes that will premiere in early 2018. Charles Esten, who plays Deacon, had the honor of sharing the good news via a Facebook Live video on Monday (April 10). Esten's fellow cast and crew members found out at the same time as fans, and their excitement was shared in the clip.

"We're so grateful to everybody who made this happen," a smiling Esten says, thanking fans of the show, as well as the network who saved the series. "We're very grateful to keep making these shows for you."

In addition, CMT announced a midseason premiere date of Thursday, June 1 at 9PM ET. The network will reveal its complete 2017-2018 programming slate in the coming weeks.

In dramatic fashion, Nashville was axed by its original network, ABC, after Season 4, but due to popular demand, the show was quickly picked up and moved to CMT for Season 5 and now, Season 6. Over its tenure, Nashville has proven not only to be a hit in the United States, but an international darling as well, airing on six continents and in more than 100 territories.

Select stars from the hit TV series are even hosting their second international tour in June 2017, performing in England, Scotland and Ireland. Among the Nashville cast members making the trip are Clare Bowen, Charles Esten, Chris Carmack and Jonathan Jackson, with Sam Palladio joining in on select dates. The tour launches June 9 in Birmingham, England, and features songs from the series as well as the artists’ original material. A similar Nashville cast staged a sold-out tour in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2016.

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