UPDATE, 9:48AM: The final numbers are in and Empire gone up again. Nielsen numbers have the 8 – 10 PM finale of the Fox drama snagging a 6.5 rating among adults 18-49 and 16.7 million total viewers. First of all, that’s a record for the TV ratings rule breaking series and up 71% and 69% respectively from the results of the show’s debut back on January 7. Secondly, compared to the series’ March 11 1-hour show that’s a 12% rise in both categories. It’s a 2% bop up from earlier demo numbers this morning and a 1% rise viewershipwise. While still behind the March 15 airing of AMC’s The Walking Dead, Empire has now solidly taken the lead among shows on the Big 4 among adults 18-49 this season. Last night’s airing of the hip hop family drama delivered the best first season result any new series on any broadcast network has had since the Shonda Rhimes created Grey’s Anatomy ended its debut cycle on ABC in 2005.
Comparing time slot to time slot, the 6.9 rating of the 9 PM hour of Empire‘s finale last night was up 82% in the key demo over its premiere episode. The 9 PM hour of last night’s Empire was up 19% from its March 11 show among the 18-49s. It is also the best any regular scheduled drama has done on the Big 4 since the 7.2/17 that CSI pulled in on October 9, 2008. The finale took Fox to the height of the best night any of the nets have done with regularly scheduled programming since the American Idol premiere on January 18, 2012.
PREVIOUS, 8:04 AM: There were resolutions, successions, music and arrests on the 2-hour Season 1 ender of the hip hop drama last night. And for the 10th week in a row since its January 7 debut, Fox’s Empire (6.4/20) hit a brand new viewership high of 16.5 million. That’s up 10% from the 14.90 million that the Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, Ilene Chaiken, Francie Calfo and Brian Glazer EP’d series drew on March 11. Empire also had another new record among adults 18-49 with a 10% rise over last week’s 5.8/17, which was tied with the drama’s March 4 show for the previous all time high. In early numbers, the 8 – 10 PM finale was also up an amazing 68% jump over the 18-49 rating of its debut and rose 67% over the 9.90 million who tuned in for that first show of the 12-episode season. Don’t be surprised if those Empire numbers are adjusted in later ratings – they commonly have been. As it is Fox easily won the night among the demo and in total viewers with its best Wednesday result since the American Idol finale of May 23, 2012. That’s also the highest rated night on any of the Big 4 with regular programming since that May 2012.
In its usual 9 PM slot, Empire pulled in a 6.8/21 and 17.5 million total viewers. That’s a 17% demo and viewership rise over last week. The first hour of the show got a 6.0/20 rating with 15.577 million viewers. Put that in perspective, that’s the highest rated finale a new series has had since the 9.8/24 that Grey’s Anatomy got for ABC back on May 22, 2005 – a very different era in TV, I might add. No new show has ended its first season with more total viewers since the 16.8 million that The Mentalist got for CBS in 2009 – and that could change once final Empire numbers come in.
Also Empire has grown its total audience every week since it hit the air and saw its demo rating slip only once over its entire first season – that slip was in its fourth week show of January 28 when the show got a 4.3, down a tenth from the 4.4 of the week before. Empire‘s February 4 broadcast garnered a 4.6 and the series has moved on up every week since with the last two weeks being even at a 5.8. With those strong Live + Same Day results plus a very strong digital afterlife on DVR and streaming and now ahead of The Big Bang Theory, Empire will end its season as the top series demowise on the Big 4 and just behind AMC’s blockbuster The Walking Dead on all of TV.
Speaking of which, the March 15 episode of the zombie apocalypse series based on the Robert Kirkman created comics got a 7.0 among the 18-49s. The all time high for The Walking Dead was its Season 5 premiere on October 12 last year when the AMC series got a 8.7 rating among adults 18-49 with a total viewership of 17.3 million. The Empire finale did top the 13.8 million total viewership that this week’s WD had.
NBC was all encores last night while ABC’s only original was the Diane Sawyer hosted 20/20: The Untold Story Of The Sound Of 
Music (1.4/5) special. The look at the classic pic tied for the top spot in the time slot and was up 16% among the demo from the last Sawyer hosted 20/20 special of February 13. Last night’s special was up 133% from the repeat of American Crime’s debut that ABC played at 10 PM last week. With an audience of 7.3 million, last night’s special was the most watched 20/20 this season so far.
Going head-to-head with the Empire finale, CBS’ Survivor (2.2/7) did not take a hit from last week. The 2-hour version of the veteran reality show was even with its 1-hour March 11 show when it took on American Idol. The same could not be said of lead-out CSI Cyber (1.4/4), which was down 18% from its March 11 show. Facing that double does of Empire, the CW’s Arrow (0.8/3) and the time slot debut of Supernatural (0.7/2) fell 27% and 13% from their respective last originals of February 25 and February 17.
It was too predictable. They probably aired both shows so they could get back in to production as soon as possible even though it hasn’t been announced for renewal. Also, terrence howard is on another show airing on fox as well. I’ll bet they’ll be some type of idol-voice style tour too. I watched survivor mostly going back and forth between the two shows.
The show was renewed after the 2nd or 3rd episode aired.
It was renewed after the pilot…10 days to be exact
That finale was so poorly written. Please somebody, get some really good cable writers for the show. That finale made no sense, it was rushed, and all the characters were out of characters, exc. for Lucious.
+100
+1000 Everything feels SO forced! Terrific premise, great acting (Teraji OWNS the show), actual, credible music, awesome production design… writing is clearly the weak link! Let things BREATHE… story/character arcs that should really take a couple episodes happen in one… feel like, if I miss an ep, there’s no use watching because everything will have changed so much, no need to ‘fill in”
+++++ That finale was nuts. It moved at warp speed, it had none of the previous episodes’ style or pacing and felt like a completely different show. I am still expecting it to be a dream.
I’ve noticed this rushed pacing in a lot of TV shows, where character relationships that would’ve taken years (like on Cheers) are jumped right into and story arcs that would’ve taken a whole season are done in a couple of episodes. I think the reason is industry insecurity. Ratings and “audience slide” are monitored and reported so intensely every week and shows can get cancelled after 1, 2 or a handful of episodes that the people creating the shows feel pressured to keep the audience’s attention from slipping even a little and they don’t feel the support from the network that would make them secure enough to let a show develop naturally.
I respect the opinion of some that this week’s episode may or may not have been poorly written. But the miracle that this show — co-created and featuring so many people of color galore — becomes a SMASH HIT is reason enough to celebrate the success of “Empire”… Given the lack of diversity in the industry, the money mojo of the program will do way more for opening doors than critical accolades likely ever would. At the end of the day, Hollywood is still mostly (and sadly) about the green. And while it is nice to see minority talents such as Lee Daniels and Shonda Rhimes raking in lots of green by attracting record-breaking eyeballs to their shows, we can only hope that someone out there one day does the same for feature films.
Yes, the show is incredibly successful. And spectacularly diverse, which is so refreshing. But why not aim for excellence? Why not go for the critical accolades as well? Put a little more time in the writers’ room breaking a story and elevate the show to an even higher level.
The show features an amazingly talented, A-list, mostly African-American cast. However it is not “spectacularly diverse” – that would imply that it heavily features members of many different ethnic groups on a regular basis, which it mostly does not, nor does it aim to. “Diverse” should not be used as a euphemism for “black” – it’s insulting.
That said, it was an excellent season and a phenomenal show. Can wait to see what Lee Daniels & co. have in store for season 2. Terrence and Taraji for Emmy nominations, please!
i think empire is one of the best shows i have seen in a long time, it shouldn’t be about white or black i am white it should be the fact it is well put together and the cast is right on and great of course i have always loved Terrance Howard he is great , dynasty was great in its day empire is better and more realistic.
The definition of spectacular is “dramatically daring or thrilling.” In this context, i.e. Hollywood, having an entire cast of African American actors is dramatically daring. Is that wrong? Absolutely. But don’t be insulted by my choice of words, be insulted by the status quo.
Marie, the problem is not your use of the word “spectacular,” it is your use of the word “diverse” to mean “black.” The two are not synonyms and to use them as such is very ignorant and trivializes the identities of people of color. I am a black woman, not a “diverse” woman.
However, I respect the overriding sentiment behind your commentary, which seems to be that the show’s casting is groundbreaking as is its success. I agree wholeheartedly and commend the creators as well as the network (Fox) for taking this leap of faith and trusting that the audience will tune in for good entertainment no matter what the ethnicity of the cast.
Thank you, couldn’t have said it better myself. Diverse does not equal black.
You should rename yourself Bobby the Naive if you truly believe this is going to meaningfully diversify the employment landscape.
I’m not naive. Just …hopeful. If one kid of color who is, say, 9 or 10 now becomes inspired by “empire” or “fresh off the boat” or “jane the virgin”, then maybe the industry will be more representative in 30 years, instead of retreading the same old stories featuring white folks and their stories. Just Sayin’ !
Sanford and Son debuted 43 years ago and there were many other shows featuring mostly black casts in the 70s, 80s, and 90s (even a few in the 60s). The lily-white TV landscape is a recent phenomenon, not an ago-old one… which means it can be overcome.
Programming choices are dictated by advertisers who have become increasingly narrow in their preferred target demographics. Perhaps the success of a show like Empire will remind advertisers that a show with a predominantly black cast can draw a large audience from across the spectrum. If so, it will indeed lead to more opportunities in front of the camera for people of color.
Piss po written….Just horribly written. Really?You built everything up for this! I love the show but give the story lines time to breathe. You dont have to introduce and end a story line in the same episode.
awesome show, awesome success…even the empire crew didnt think it would go on pass 1st season and it was green lit after 2nd episode!! Some say piss poor writing? I say this is life bitches and becuz mainstream is envious now they wanna cry foul. The actors are brilliant and the writing dumbazzes were inspired by Shakespeare’s King Lear!!! Pick up the book. This is pure entertainment that is true behind doors of hip hop culture and businesses!
And 10 Things I Hate About You was inspired by Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. Should the Best Picture Oscar have gone to that film instead of American Beauty? Girl, you dumb!
Shakespeare is one of the largest mining sources in all of movies and TV… what’s your point?? Everything derived from a Shakespeare play has to be pure poetry???
Last night was terrible. Laughable even.
That being said, I still love it and am happy and proud of it’s success.
It was a good season until last night. But why are you “proud?” Did you have a roll in it or in its success?
It’s a primetime soap, not ” The Grapes of Wrath”.
They can’t write what they don’t know. The show is set in the old school recording industry. I lived through a much darker side of the industry before 1965.
No wonder they kept SVU in repeats while Empire was on.The competition would have hurt ratings for SVU. Now its over they can put new episodes on and the ratings should look better. Clever management.
Now that the show is home run, maybe they will hire the best writers so Taraji could turn the lead writing reins over to someone who can keep up with her ….
They should replace the writers who made it a phenomena to hire the “best writers?” If you’re not a development exec, you should become one. You’d do very well.
LOLOLOLOLOL you mean “Phenomenon” ? I’m not a development exec but you’re right , I should be one cause the writing for the show sucks. It’s a VC Andrews novel at best.
OHH that finale was out of control I was shocked with Lucriious saying no ALS disease he wasn’t misdiagnosis whoa
I know the haters are out there, but everyone I know watched this . and its all people are talking about today. Its as over the top as Dynasty was . Its a fun watch. Its not rocket science . People like it for what it is. Nobody is expecting Shakespeare
It’s funny that you put it that way, because what makes shows like Dynasty and Empire so appealing and successful is the fact that they draw directly on the cultural legacy of Shakespeare. The narrative formula, the bawdy writing, even the rushed final act with a healthy dose of deus ex machina. All are familiar territory because of the impact of Shakespeare.
What a stupid last episode.. It made no sense…. It was rushed to much happened in that final episode. It was just all over the place…. I was really disappointed. ..plain and simple it dug its grave last night..
Loved it
I don’t care what any of the others say, bad writing, all over the place..whatever. It was exciting! Is in paperback? Are there going to be sequels? Please say yes! I loved it!
Sequels? Do you mean more seasons? If so yes. The ratings are there for this show to be around for a very long time.
Too bad it was so poorly written and inconsistently acted. The music is great, but that’s really all I can say on a positive note about this show. I love to support a winner, but man, the writers of this show don’t make that easy.
This won’t last past next season before ratings are less than half of what they are now (which probably still wouldn’t leave them that bad off). The final last night shows that the writing is already starting to deteriorate.
I can’t see it dropping below a 5 next season in the 18-49. Something catastrophic would have to happen for what you’re suggesting to happen. Assuming the will is there from everyone involved, I see no reason why Empire can’t go on for at least 7-8 seasons. The ratings are there.
Even the critics can’t deny the numbers…..
I am a huge fan!!! Love all the characters, love the music, writing and directing. Congratulations to everyone that is a part of the show both in front of and behind the scenes. For all those with criticism, in the words of Cookie “Bye Felicia!”
It was absolutely wonderful!!!!
You know, with the runaway success of Scandal, Empire and How to Get Away with Murder, I haven’t seen the online “realists” who only a year ago were swearing that black leads on TV shows don’t sell and never would. Gee, uhm, where are they?
Seems that desperately hoping the ratings will fall (NEXT season LOL!) is the best they can do now.
I agree, Taraji has OWNED THIS MOVIE from day (1). This series has unparalleled casting, unique and over the top acting and everything else in between. I love this show!! Keep it coming, Lee Daniels. I am not a Fox fan, but this show has kept me highly entertained (addicted). I want to thank Terrence Howard, Taraji Henson (The Queen), Jennifer Hudson(Golden Pipes)
, Jussie, Portia and everyone I have failed to remember to mention, I love y’all.
How long til Terrence H pisses away this good thing? Doesn’t matter. Doubt it will be on the air in two years. Also, not to editor: There is no BIG FOUR anymore.
Oh goody! Robert Downey Jr. chimes in
BRAVO to Empire, this show appeals to 2 crowds (1) Those who like flash and simple drama of the physical kind (2) Those who like deep and quality drama, stories with substance and gravitas. It is not easy to appeal to both of these crowds but Empire has managed to do just that! I hope they will shut out everything else and lean into the success and continue to appeal to both of us, Empire 1 and Empire 2 fans. For the record, I am an Empire 2 fan,
Get Luscious out of JAIL he is why I watch the show. Please save Lucious. U writers can get rid of Cookie I’m tired of her. She serves no purpose just predicted promblems.
Empire strikes again. Well well well, i’m a 55 year old lady who has found joy and heavy laughter and crying all in one episode of Empire. Don’t know how they did this but i highly appreciated every waking moment watching this show. You have the old with the young in any given situation. Good,bad and ugly. That’s very juicy in this day and age of TV. Believe me when i say i couldn’t even get up to go to bathroom for fear that i might miss a scene. This has not happen to me in years. Last time i remember this type of embrace was watching dynasty in the 80’s. Please by all means keep this show on for many seasons it heart felt and every bit of entertaining. For the record maybe we wont have so many young people committing suicide because they have a voice now that it is okay to be different and beautiful in their own way. WOW WHAT A REALITY CHECK.