If there’s one show y’all have to check out, make it Nashville. The premise of the aurally pleasing series is an uncanny reflection of the music industry – a country music legend, Rayna James (Connie Britton, "Friday Night Lights," "American Horror Story"), is being eased out of the charts after 20 years in the spotlight by the next big thing, Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere, "Heroes").

What probably rubs Rayna the wrong way, is her record label’s insistence on organizing a co-headlining tour with Juliette, to bring up her numbers; and how even Rayna’s kids themselves are bobbing to the pop-oriented songs of her young, sexy and fame-hungry rival.

Shot on location in the city of Nashville, executive producers Dee Johnson (Boss, The Good Wife), R.J Cutler (The September Issue, The War Room) and Callie Khouri (Thelma & Louise) have made it a point of pride to portray the authentic look and feel of the ‘Music City’ itself. An exact replica of the Bluebird cafe, the city’s icon for songwriters to showcase their talent since 1982, has been carefully constructed on the Nashville soundstage, down to the faded frames on the walls and the ancient ice maker.

What gives the series even more genuine depth are the song performances, sung by the talented cast themselves. Both Connie and Hayden trained with vocal coach Valerie Morehouse for their roles, who has previously worked with the likes of Colbie Caillat, Avril Lavigne and Regina King. The songs featured in the series are also largely original compositions from Grammy-winning singer songwriters such as John Paul White from The Civil Wars, Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello.

However, Nashville is not just about country music. Rayna comes from a well-to-do family with political power, and her father, Lamar Wyatt (Powers Boothe, 24), has thrown her family into public scrutiny by enticing Rayna’s husband Teddy (Eric Close, Suits) to run for office. Pressured by her father to marry Teddy back then, Rayna still holds a torch for her band leader, confidante and ex-lover Deacon (Charles Esten, Whose Line Is It Anyway, The Office). Things heat up as Juliette swoops in on Deacon, plotting to steal him from Rayna’s band and heart. Also to be revealed is Juliette’s skeleton-in-the-closet, a heart-tugging back story that will shed light on what makes her the manipulative vixen she is today.

In Nashville, the heart of all relationships centre around the city’s iconic Bluebird cafe – the place where Rayna and Deacon first performed together and fell in love; where an upset Juliette listens in on a duet by Rayna and Deacon which evidently stoked the old flames for the ex-lovers, and where waitress/ aspiring musician Scarlette (Clare Bowen, Home and Away) and barkeep Gunnar (Sam Palladio, Episodes) discover their musical chemistry and potentially much more.

Perhaps the duet by Rayna and Deacon sums up Nashville’s themes of love lost and utter loneliness best: ‘No one will ever love you like I do. Why you always looking for the limelight? Ain’t you satisfied with me? For once why don’t you get down off your high heels, you’re no big deal. Can’t you see? I know why you’re lonely. It’s time you knew it too…’

Nashville premieres February 27 2013, airing on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8:30pm, first and exclusively on beTV cable channel.

“With an impeccable cast and tons of talents behind the camera, Nashville could be one of those huge grown-up soaps that hook viewers for years.” -Hollywoodreporter.com