CMT director of programming Ted Ellis says her channel’s fall slate reflects viewers’ interest in ‘fan-fuelled entertainment’ and puts some new spins on the reality genre.

Reality series — two Canadian and two from south of the border — due this fall on the Corus channel include Nashville, an hour-long music industry docudrama from the makers of Laguna Beach and The Hills, premiering Sunday, Sept. 16 at 9 p.m.; and Cheerleader Nation, an 8 x 60 that tells the story of a squad defending their national title in Lexington, Kentucky. It bows Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 8 p.m.

The first of eight episodes of CMT’s newest original production, Karaoke Star, will premiere Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 11 p.m. The channel is also launching a weekly half-hour celeb-focused video blog, CMT 30 to be seen on-air and online starting Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

CMT’s special programming for the fall includes the MOW Shania: A Life in Eight Albums (Sunday, Sept. 23) and Bon Jovi: Unplugged (Saturday, Sept. 29), which is followed by a one-on-one interview with the veteran rocker by CMT’s Elissa Lansdell.

The 41st annual Country Music Awards, live from Nashville, will air Wednesday, Nov. at 8 p.m., with a pre-show red carpet party at 6 p.m.

On the channel’s list of returning series is its top-rated Reba (Saturday, Oct. 6 at 9 pm). Hope and Faith, Roseanne and Married… with Children will round out its two-hour Monday to Friday primetime comedy block. Season two of The Road Hammers, the unscripted series directed by Jason Priestley that follows a band trying to make in it the U.S. after finding success in Canada, will return with back-to-back eps on Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 10 p.m. Also returning are the music-themed series Totally, Live at Revival and Chevy Top 20.

From Media in Canada