The new Blake Shelton-led CBS reality showThe Road is getting closer.
As of last weekend, it’s officially got an air date: The show will premiere on Sunday, Oct. 19.
As fans count down the days untilThe Roadkicks off, Taste of Country is rounding up all the details of what you need to know ahead of time.
Read on for all the details about when and where to watch The Road, plus what you can expect to see during the show’s very first season.
WhatIsThe Road?
The concept is new to television. Last fall,The Road was announced as a headliner’s journey to discover the next big artist, but not through auditions or demo tapes. This show will put competitors through trial by fire.
Keith Urban serves as this season’s big headliner. Twelve talented musicians will compete as his opening act through seven mid-size venues in Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
They’ll have to win over local to secure their spot at the next town.
Comments from Shelton and Urban promise a grittier show than most televised singing competitions, with an emphasis on the tough parts of life on tour.
Gretchen Wilson will also star on this show: She’s filling in the role of road manager for the contestants. Wilson didn’t audition for the spot; Shelton personally suggested that she join the cast.
When and Where DoesThe Road Premiere?
The Road will air Sunday nights at 9PM ET/PT on CBS. Its premiere date will be be Oct. 19.
The show will air at 9:30 on Oct. 26 and Nov. 2 following NFL Doubleheader, before returning to its usual time slot the following week.
Who Is Competing onThe Road?
Flip through some of the fresh-faced contestants on this season in this social media roundup from the show. Some country fans might be familiar with a few of them already: Jenny Tolman Channing Wilson, Cody Hibbard are among the contestants.
Who CreatedThe Road?
Blake Shelton andYellowstone‘s Taylor Sheridan are the masterminds behind this new series, and they’re also executive producers on the show.
They first announced the partnership, and the new show, last November — just 18 months after Shelton departed his longtime role onThe Voice.
Sheridan is best known by country fans for his major role in theYellowstone universe, but he’s created reality TV programming, too, including the CMT seriesThe Last Cowboy.
Where Was The Road Filmed?
The show was taped across several venues and multiple states in March and April. Fans registered ahead of time to attend the shows.
A full list of the stops included in this season ofThe Roadis below.
March 2 — Fort Worth, Texas @ Tannahill’s
March 5 — Dallas, Texas @ The Factory
March 9 — Oklahoma City, Okla. @ Oklahoma Ranch
March 12 — Tulsa, Okla. @ Cain’s Ballroom
March 24 — Memphis, Tenn. @ Minglewood Hall
March 28 — Nashville, Tenn. @ Marathon Music Works
April 2 — Nashville, Tenn. @ The Ryman Auditorium
See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born
Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes