Chuck Hodes/FOX(NEW YORK) — Fox’s breakout hit, Empire, ends its first season on Wednesday night with a two-hour finale.
Empire’s rise as one of the most popular shows on television has been remarkable. Since its premiere in January, Lee Daniels’ hip-hop drama has become the number-one freshman series in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic that advertisers target.
Viewership for Empire has steadily increased week by week, drawing a series-high 14.92 million viewers last Wednesday.
Star Taraji P. Henson is not surprised by her show’s runaway success. The actress — who plays Cookie, the ex-wife of Terrence Howard’s music executive character, Lucious — says, “I knew I had an incredible script in my hands. I knew that with the right cast and the studio and the network behind it that it would change the face of primetime network television. And because all the pieces were in the right places, that’s what we’re watching happen.”
Jussie Smollett, a.k.a. Jamal, the gay singer-songwriter son of Lucious, calls the hoopla surrounding Empire “insane.” He continues, “The memes are the best part of the show. Thursday mornings are the best for me. I get to see all of the different memes, it’s fantastic, it’s really a dream come true.”
The season finale, featuring appearances by Snoop Dogg, Jennifer Hudson, Rita Ora, Juicy J and Patti LaBelle, will air on Fox at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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