Moviefone Editorial

Tag: @tvprogram:312153

  • Fox Renews ‘Empire’ For Season 5

    “Empire” is still standing strong. Fox has renewed the hip-hop drama for a fifth season.

    It’s the first established series Fox has renewed for the 2018-2019 season. It joins freshman shows “911,” “The Gifted,” and “The Orville,” as well as long-running “The Simpsons,” on the network’s schedule for next season. All of those series are produced by corporate sibling 20th Century Fox Television.

    “Empire,” which has two episodes left until its season 4 finale, stars Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard as music moguls who have three sons in the industry.

    The show was a cultural and ratings sensation in its debut season. Since then, it has lost some buzz, but remains Fox’s second most-watched drama in the coveted 18-49 adult demographic.

    “Empire is as compelling, emotional and unpredictable as it ever was,” declared Michael Thorn, Fox’s President of Entertainment in a statement. “We are so proud of our amazing cast, led by Terrence [Howard] and Taraji [P. Henson], who deliver powerful performances week after week. We’d also like to thank our tremendous creative team… whose inspired storytelling continues to create the unforgettable, jaw-dropping OMG moments that have always been signature to Empire.”

  • ‘Empire’ Locks Down Eva Longoria as Season 3 Guest Star

    NATPE - Day 2There’s always room for more people to stir up trouble on “Empire.”

    Eva Longoria is set to appear in a Season 3 episode of the Fox musical drama series, Deadline reports. As Charlotte Frost, the secretly corrupt director of the state gaming commissions, it sounds like she could either help or hurt Luscious (Terrence Howard) as he tries to expand the reach of Empire. We don’t yet know what that means for his war against Cookie (Taraji P. Henson), but we can’t wait to find out.

    Longoria has done her fair share of TV drama in the past. Not only did she star in ABC’s long-running hit “Desperate Housewives,” she has executive produced “Devious Maids” and “Telenovela,” among other projects. She also stars in the film “Low Riders,” which hits theaters on May 12.

    Keep a lookout for Longoria when “Empire” returns to Fox on March 22 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

    [via: Deadline]

  • ‘Empire’ Season 4: Fox Confirms More of the Hit Drama Is Coming

    Like the rest of us, Fox wants more “Empire.”

    The network has officially renewed the hit drama series for Season 4. The good news came from Fox Television Group Chairman CEO Gary Newman on Wednesday during a TCA event, Variety reports. Execs also revealed that we can look forward to 18 episodes when Season 4 arrives later this year.

    A fourth season of “Empire” only makes sense. The show has proven popular among both TV viewers and critics. Not only has it been nominated for Grammys, Emmys, and Golden Globes over the course of its three years, the series has been averaging nearly 16 million total viewers across platforms this season — a number larger than any other Fox series. Cookie and the Lyons family drama have definitely earned a renewal.

    Season 4, of course, is still a ways a way. The show is currently on mid-season hiatus and will return in March for the second half of Season 3 with stars Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard, Jussie Smollett, Bryshere Gray, and more. The next episode airs on March 22.

    [via: Variety]

  • New ‘Empire’ Season 3 Teaser Has First Look at Mariah Carey

    Empire
    “You’ve always got a trick up your sleeve,” Mariah Carey tells Cookie Lyon (“Empire” season 3.

    A trick, and words as sharp as a knife. Cookie’s never been one to hold back her opinions on anything. “We’re gonna fight fire with fire,” she vents. Her protective mama Lyon instincts are in full force as she helps protect ex-husband Lucious (Terrence Howard) from his half-brother/FBI agent Tariq.

    The teaser gives us the first look at Carey’s cameo on the show. She plays a singer named Kitty who records in the studio with Jamal (Jussie Smollett).

    The Fox drama ended on a major cliffhanger at the end of season 2. Lucious married Anika (Grace Gealey) to prevent her from having to testify against him. But after the vows, Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday) accosted Anika as revenge for pushing her down the stairs and causing her miscarriage. When Andre (Trai Byers) discovered the two of them, they were grappling on a balcony — and it seemed like one of the women was pushed over.

    “Empire” returns for season 3 on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 9 p.m. on Fox.

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  • ‘Empire’ Season 2 Premieres to Second-Highest Ratings Ever

    Empire season 2“Empire” is back, and as big as ever. Wednesday night’s season 2 premiere was watched by 16 million viewers and notched a 6.5 rating in the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic. Those numbers are just short of the season 1 finale record.

    “Empire” stunned the industry earlier this year, when its ratings climbed week over week for the entire season — an unheard-of feat, particularly in this era of fragmented television viewership.

    Fox is likely breathing a huge sigh of relief that “Empire” didn’t suffer a sophomore slump, as many series do. And it’s a very bright spot in a somewhat disappointing premiere week, with the network’s “Minority Report” and “Scream Queens” debuting to soft numbers.

    Whether “Empire” can match its tremendous first season growth, though, is another question. But even if it merely maintains these numbers, it’ll be one of the rare blockbuster TV hits of the last few years. Fox is certainly capitalizing on that — ads in the season 2 premiere reportedly went for $750,000, a peak “American Idol”-like figure.

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  • An ‘Empire’ Spinoff About Cookie? Yes, Please

    EmpireWhen the Cookie is this good, you just want more of it — and that’s exactly what “Empire” creator Lee Daniels wants to give us.

    At yesterdays TCA panel for the Fox drama, Daniels said he’s planning for an “Empire” spinoff, and that he thinks it should revolve around Taraji P. Henson’s firecracker character. “I think there is going to be a spinoff from ‘Empire,’ without question,” he told reporters.

    “There’s so much ripe story that we’ve talked about already, about Cookie’s family, what makes her her. That in itself is fascinating to me.”

    (Somewhere, Boo Boo Kitty is stewing in jealousy.)

    But while a Cookie spinoff sounds fabulous and eminently GIF-able — not to mention the clothes — executive producer Brian Grazer put the brakes on the idea, wanting to make sure the mother ship continues to sail smoothly and “never gets corny.”

    “As long as it stays dangerous, we’re cool. As long as we can stay that way for this season, these guys can think about a spinoff,” he said.

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