Empire’s Success is Unstoppable

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“Empire” will hold its 2-hour season finale on FOX tonight. Since the show’s premiere last January, it has become a ratings powerhouse, prompting the network to immediately renew the series for a second season.

The people behind this massive success are Lee Daniels and Danny strong, who created the drama revolving a music business managed by a family, as inspired by prime time soap operas like “Dynasy” and “Knots Landing.”

“Empire” currently enjoys an average of 15.8 million viewers per week, an unprecedented number for FOX. Recently, the show also managed to beat Madonna at the Billboard’s charts, with the release of its first soundtrack. The last time a TV series topped the Billboards was six years ago with “Glee.” This feat doesn’t happen very often for television tracks.

According to Forbes Magazine, “Empire’s” success has “made (network) television relevant again” what with the advent of streaming services, binge-watching formats, as well as the unstoppable “The Walking Dead” lording it over on cable.

NPR notes that the show either “breaks or bolsters” black stereotypes, but the one glaring fact remains: it’s a popular and highly-rated show dominated by black people, which marks another surprise for television. Too often, TV has been called out for putting minority characters to the sidelines.

“Empire” is lead by Terence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, whose character is called the “best new female character” on TV right now by The Washington Post. The critic at the Los Angeles Times said that the show reigns because of its ensemble cast who are “strong, complicated and modern archetypes, splendidly performed, and constantly rearranged in dazzling display.” You do get sucked into the world because of the way these characters behave.

If you have not yet jumped the “Empire” bandwagon, it’s easy to catch up as there are only 12 episodes to the first season. You can also familiarize yourself with the series by reading this: Everything You Need To Know About ‘Empire’ Before The Season Finale.