The pilot episode aired on The Nashville Network (TNN) on 3 January 1996. After viewers went wild about the show, TNN agreed to fund 13 episodes and the first season premiered in January 1997. It moved to Speedvision in 2000, continuing with 13 episodes per year/season. For season 9 in 2005, it was expanded to 26 episodes per season and has continued that way every year to the present, through a couple more network moves.