Empire

During its first two seasons, a lot has been said about how Fox’s Empire has changed the face of TV. But its role in elevating the visibility of black families on television is just part of how this soapy success is making an impact.

The midseason premiere of the Fox drama posts a 6.5 rating among 18-49s with DVR playback added in, up 1.7 points from its original rating.

Empire reruns are coming to TV One this year. The cable network has cut an off-network licensing deal for the top-rated drama series with Fox’s Twentieth TV arm.

Fox is hoping to see traffic numbers that mirror its monster ratings for Empire, as the network is launching a digital aftershow for the hit drama hosted by cast member Ta’Rhonda Jones. The first episode of the aftershow launched Thursday night, following the West Coast return of the show, after its three-month hiatus.

An author is alleging that Fox, Lee Daniels, Danny Strong and others involved in the hit series Empire infringed his copyright, and he is suing for $1.5 billion in damages.

Struggles still abound at Fox, but there is some improvement, including longer-term advertising deals that include more time-shifted viewing. The network was helped, in large part, by having the second season of Empire start in the fall. Its first year began in midseason 2015.

Fox’s carefully plotted and expanding merchandising “lifestyle” effort for Empire — in only its second season — goes way beyond standard “Team Cookie” T-shirt fanwear and can take a TV show years of popularity to earn. The younger-skewing appeal of Empire, the enthusiasm of up-and-coming fashion brands like Hood by Air and the acceleration of fashion and retailing in general have combined to make the series a retailing whiz kid.

The revolution in TV casting that culminated in Empire last season was not a one-network wonder. Proving that up to 16 million viewers would watch a show with a predominantly African-American cast, Empire opened the floodgates for other minority actors — and three of the new fall shows to receive full-season orders are headlined by Morris Chestnut (Rosewood), Priyanka Chopra (Quantico) and Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken).

Sean Penn is seeking $10 million in his defamation lawsuit against Empire co-creator Lee Daniels over comments Daniels made comparing him to the show’s star Terrence Howard, who’s been repeatedly accused of domestic violence.

Fox is selling commercial time in its hip-hop drama for about $500,000 for a 30-second spot, according to media buyers. And in some cases advertisers are paying more than that. That’s on par with the prices for a 30-second commercial in CBS’s Thursday Night Football last season, according to Ad Age‘s 2014 survey.

Empire may have been snubbed by the Television Academy when it comes to the Emmy Awards, but it won redemption from the Television Critics Association, winning the organization’s top prize, Program of the Year.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mariah Carey is charting course for a new “Empire” with a guest appearance on the popular Fox television series, the show’s creator announced Wednesday. “Empire” creator […]

The writers behind the hip-hop drama announced today on Twitter that the new season will premiere on Sept. 23. The sophomore series will remain on Wednesdays at 9 p.m., as Fox announced earlier this month during its upfront presentation to advertisers.

The season-ender generates 2.39 million total tweets, or about seven times more than its closest competitor last week, AMC’s The Walking Dead.

The broadcaster takes preemptive action after being sent multimillion-dollar demands from Empire Distribution Inc.

For its March 4 episode the hip-hop drama posted an 8.3 rating among viewers 18-49 with seven-day DVR playback added in, according to Nielsen, up 43% from its original 5.8 live-plus-same-day rating.

When Fox’s Empire debuted in January, its first-night audience was a healthy but not remarkable 9.9 million. It proceeded to gain viewers for every single succeeding episode through the 12th and final one Wednesday night, a feat Nielsen said is unmatched in two dozen years of estimating viewership through electronic people meters.

Under a deal with Twentieth Century Fox TV Distribution, Hulu Plus is offering the entire first season of the popular Fox drama and will have exclusive SVOD rights to future episodes.

The ratings for the season finale of Empire on Fox were just as impressive as expected. Last night the new drama hit a series-high 6.8 adults 18-49 rating for its 9 p.m. episode, which capped off a two-hour Empire exit. Nielsen will count the two episodes separately, even though they aired back to back. The 6.8 was up 21% over last week.

It’s been decades since a TV show has been as addictive as Fox’s Empire. It debuted in January to a 3.8 rating and last week’s episode drew a spectacular 5.8 rating and cemented its status as a bona fide pop culture phenomenon. Ahead of its season finale tonight, co-creator Danny Strong discusses the show’s record rise, controversies, backlash and more.

As co-chairman and co-CEO of Fox Television Group, Dana Walden, alongside partner Gary Newman, now oversees both Fox Broadcasting Co. and 20th Century Fox Television, which Walden (who started there in 1992) has run with Newman since 1999. But when she and Newman took over the network last summer, they received a baptism by fire. Aside from Gotham, audiences rejected all of Fox’s new fall shows. Then, hip-hop drama Empire, from Walden’s studio, wiped the slate clean in January, becoming the biggest new series in decades. Walden talks about surviving Fox’s fall to forget and how she’ll capitalize on Empire‘s success.

Fox’s hip hop drama was once again the top program of the night, lifting the network to an easy victory Wednesday night.

The Fox drama Empire is by far TV’s No. 1 scripted show with women 18-49. Last week it rated with that demo a full point ahead the demo’s second favorite show, The Big Bang Theory.

There is no doubt where Fox stands on the new show Empire. After just two episodes, the new drama has been given a second-season pickup, a sign of what high hopes the network has for the program. The network also renewed two other shows over the weekend, second-year comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine and first-year drama Gotham.

The two shows air back-to-back on Wednesday nights. Empire has been a success out of the box, already earning an order for a second season, while age has cost American Idol its long-time status of television’s biggest show.

Fox is letting the music play this January, with the return of American Idol and the debut of drama Empire slated for Wednesday, Jan. 7. Idol is kicking off its 14th season a week earlier than usual, and Empire, a family drama set in the music industry starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, will follow with a premiere that Fox says will include limited commercial interruption.

Lee Daniels, the director of Lee Daniels’ The Butler and Precious, is writing, directing and producing Empire, starring Terence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, Fox said. Steven Spielberg is among the producers of Red Band Society for Fox, with an ensemble cast starring Octavia Spencer. NBC orders sitcom Marry Me starring Casey Wilson and Ken Marino; Allegiance, with Hope Davis and Scott Cohen; State of Affairs with Alfre Woodard; and drama Odyssey with Anna Friel and Peter Facinelli.