It's 'Nashville's' last season, but Charles Esten believes it's not 'the end of that world'

Hardcore "Nashies" might find this hard to believe, but there's a silver lining to the news that TV's "Nashville" will end after its sixth season — which premieres January 4 on CMT.

This time, everyone involved — from the writers to the cast, crew and loyal viewers — knows exactly when the story will be finished.

That's an outcome that was never guaranteed for "Nashville," especially when it was on its former network, ABC. For years, there was no telling when the network might pull the plug.

In 2016, ABC unceremoniously canceled the show after four seasons. The cast and crew found out just like their fans: from news headlines.

More:'Nashville' TV show is ending after season 6

But Nashville was picked up by CMT for two more seasons, and this time, the show is ending with everyone on the same page.

Charles Esten, who stars as "Deacon," remembers the day show creator Callie Khouri called them into the show's soundstage replica of the Bluebird Cafe for the news.

'When I say 'us,' I mean everybody," he says. "Everybody in the production office, transportation, hair and makeup, everybody that wasn't already on that set was brought in. The place was tightly packed.  It was emotional in there, and I think you could feel the love in the room."

The show has filmed six episodes for the final 16-episode season, and is currently on break for the holidays.

"We have another 10 episodes to shoot together, so we can say all we need to say, and love on each other, and finish strong in a way that is purposeful," Esten says. "You want to end well...(the writers) get to draw it to a close in the best way they can. "

Esten has said he scored the "role of a lifetime" as Deacon, becoming "Nashville's" breakout star and its chief ambassador. He's getting a few more kicks in the show's final season, including co-writing a song for the show.

Esten penned "Looking for the Light" with rising country star Charlie Worsham and Dennis Matkosky (whose credits include "Maniac" for "Flashdance.") He'll perform it as Deacon in a future episode, and it was crafted with the character's backstory in mind. 

"In many ways, I don't have to try to get in Deacon's head, because his head is my head," Esten says with a laugh. "In a real way, we share a mind...and I've walked in his boots now for almost six years."

At this point in production, Nashville's final episode is far away enough that the cast and crew can forget about it for a moment, but Esten knows that will change soon. 

"At some point it'll be the last song Deacon sings on the show. But the way I like to think about it is this isn't the end of that world. This is the end of us watching it (laughs)."

He also has an idea for the show's final moment, but stresses that it exists only in his imagination, not a script.

"I picture somebody (new) pulling up in the final shot," he says. "Somebody's coming to town the minute somebody's leaving. That's how it is (in Nashville), and that's the beauty of it."

The sixth and final season of "Nashville" premieres at 8 p.m. CT Thursday, January 4 on CMT.