A television show being a hit is one thing, but one that is a phenomenon is quite another. “Empire,” airing Wednesdays at 9 pm on Fox 2, is in the latter category.
It is one of the shows that millions of viewers regard as must-watch TV. A show that holds the viewer’s full attention from start to previews. A show that people excitedly talk about the next day at work, at the beauty salon, on the phone, at the barbershop, wherever.
“Empire” made its debut on Jan. 7, 2015 and immediately soared into the upper reaches of the Nielsen TV ratings.
The exciting, unpredictable show is centered on Empire Enterprises, a music and entertainment company.
Terrence Howard is Lucious Lyon, Empire’s CEO and founder. The hard-edged hip-hop mogul has a drug-dealing past and there are more than a few elements from the street life that make their way into his business dealings.
But as great as Howard is, Taraji P. Henson is even better as Lyon’s ex-wife, Cookie, who has returned to claim her rightful place with Empire Enterprises after being imprisoned for 17 years for drug dealing.
She is rough, totally uninhibited, outspoken, fearless and yes, frequey funny. Cookie is the show’s centerpiece, and the character was seemingly made for Henson.
Lucious and Cookie have three sons.
THE OLDEST is Andre Lyon (Trai Byers), a high-ranking executive at Empire Enterprises poised to eventually take the helm. But will he?
Jussie Smollett is Jamal Lyon, the talented singer-songwriter-musician. He is openly and proudly gay, which puts him at constant odds with his homophobic father. His mother, on the other hands, totally accepts him for who and what he is.
The youngest son, Hakeem Lyon, portrayed by Bryshere Y. Gray, is a hip-hop star on the rise who dreams of superstardom day and night. He has a good relationship with his father, but his relationship with his mother is strained at best.
The fourth most significant “Empire” character is Anika Calhoun (Grace Gealey). She heads the Empire Enterprises A&R department and is engaged to Lucious Lyons. She and Cookie hate each other’s guts and their verbal sparring is an “Empire” high point every week.
“EMPIRE,” co-created by Lee Daniels (who is also director) and Danny Strong, has no problems luring big stars for guest (or recurring) appearances. Thus far, we’ve seen Cuba Gooding, Jr., Naomi Campbell, Courtney Love, Raven- Symone, Anthony Hamilton and Gladys Knight, among others.
Malik Yoba, Gabourey Sidibe and Kaitlin Doubleday are three more “Empire” regulars.
Six-time Academy Award-nominated film director Daniels has approached two-time Oscar winning Denzel Washington about appearing on “Empire,” and the megastar is considering it. If he accepts the invitation, it will open the floodgates and “Empire” will have more superstars lined up than it can handle.
One of the most intriguing things about “Empire” is the relationship between Lucious and Cookie. Despite their differences, and her resentment for his abandoning her, the two have an obvious chemistry. They generate a sexy kind of electricity that is fascinating.
This relationship, of course, infuriates Lucious Lyon’s fiancée, Anika, who resents Cookie’s sudden presence at Empire and, far more than that, her ongoing connection to the man whose marriage proposal she has accepted.
The words Cookie uses to describe Anika — to her face — are hilarious, including “debutante,” “skank” and “fake Lena Horne.”
THERE IS great chemistry between the actors and actresses on “Empire” and each one is perfect for the part.
Henson and Howard have worked together before. In fact, it was she who insisted on Terrence Howard being hired for the part of Lucious Lyon. Another well known actor was being seriously considered for the role, but Henson used everything within her power to convince the decision makers otherwise.
Not that the hip, edgy show — filmed in Chicago, by the way — has no faults. It can at times be over-the-top and sometimes even “ghetto,” but “Empire’s” many plus factors manage to overshadow that.
The highly imaginative writers are key to the success of “Empire.” In a very short period of time, viewers got used to expecting the unexpected. Predictability can easily drag a show down. So can being much or just like some other show. But you never know what’s going to happen on “Empire” from week to week, so viewers are full of anticipation on Wednesday nights.
“Empire,” which gave the Fox its highest rated debut in three years, is also the first series in at least two decades to have viewership increase from week to week in its first five episodes.
Word of mouth, which can be as effective as advertising, if not more so, has been exceptionally good for “Empire.”
The in-your-face style of “Empire” is appealing to a huge number of people, and those viewers are sure to stick with the show, guaranteeing the kind of ratings that make network executives and other stakeholders smile.
And television will never be the same.
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