Empire (2015 TV series)

Empire is an American musical drama television series created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong for Fox that ran from January 7, 2015, to April 21, 2020. It is a joint production by Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox Television and syndicated by 20th Television. Although it is filmed in Chicago, the show is set in New York. The series centers on the fictional hip hop music and entertainment company Empire Entertainment, and the drama among the members of the founders' family as they fight for control of it. It stars Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, Bryshere Y. Gray, Jussie Smollett and Trai Byers as members of the Lyon Family, along with a supporting cast including Grace Byers, Kaitlin Doubleday, Gabourey Sidibe, Ta'Rhonda Jones, Serayah, Malik Yoba and Vivica A. Fox.
The series premiered on January 7, 2015, to nearly 10 million viewers while the first-season finale was watched by 17 million viewers. Its first season received positive reviews from critics, who praised its acting, particularly Henson's, its direction, soundtrack, writing, costumes, editing and the overall tone of the show, with many critics describing it as a "fresh take on a musical." Subsequent seasons also received positive reviews, with its second season being the most well-received.
During its run, it was one of the most-watched television shows on Fox. On April 30, 2019, Fox renewed the show for the sixth season and final season, and the first without Smollett, who was confirmed to not be returning after he was charged with filing a false police report in an incident where he allegedly was assaulted by two men he claimed were Trump supporters. The season premiered on September 24, 2019, and the series concluded on April 21, 2020.
A spin-off of the series, centered around Taraji P. Henson's character, Cookie Lyon, was set to launch in 2020. However, Fox passed on the pilot, and it is being shopped to other networks. It has since been axed altogether.
Category:TV Shows