Nashville not only has a new home on CMT, the country music soap also has two new showrunners, Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick (co-creators of thirtysomething).

Herskovitz spoke with TV Guide about what viewers can expect for Nashville's gay country singer Will Lexington (Chris Carmack) and the addition of a trans character in the new season.

"The Will storyline - which, by the way, is not defined by the fact that he's gay, but he is gay, and we're not shying away from the fact that he's gay - is one we're very excited about," Herskovitz told TV Guide.

But will the show address Tennessee's anti-LGBT law?

"I think, from my point of view, this is a national conversation," Herskovitz explained. "The particulars of Tennessee, and the laws in Tennessee, that's not something that I really felt we needed to dramatize in the show."

"I'd rather dramatize the issues rather than the law, if that makes sense."

Aside from Will Lexington's storyline there is now the addition of a trans character played by trans actress Jen Richards in the series' fifth season.

"My guess is most people will have no idea that she's trans until we talk about it," Herskovitz said. "We don't talk about it in the first episode, and I think that's, in some way, part of what the conversation has to be in our country. I think so many people don't really understand what it's about, and I think Jen has been great that way. She's great in the show."

"It's part of trying to reflect the world as it is, put it that way," he added.

The two-hour season premiere of Nashville will debut on Thursday, January 5 at 9/8c on CMT.