During their executive session at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour, Fox Television Group Chairmen and CEOs Dana Walden and Gary Newman handed out early renewals to freshman dramas Empire and Gotham as well as to sophomore comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, Empire has emerged as the No. 1 new series of the season. Following its second episode, it is the only new broadcast drama this season to grow from week one (a 3.8 rating) to week two (a 4.0 rating). It's unsurprising that FOX wants to lock down this property as quickly as possible.
Empire is a high-stakes family drama set behind-the-scenes of a successful hip-hop music label featuring original music by prolific producer Timbaland. The cast includes Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, Trai Byers, Jussie Smollett, Bryshere Gray, Grace Gealey, Malik Yoba and Kaitlin Doubleday.
Daniels, Strong, Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo and Ilene Chaiken serve as executive producers for Empire. 20th Century Fox Television and Imagine Television produce.
Meanwhile, Gotham is averaging a 4.2 rating in adults 18-49 and 10.6 million viewers for its first season. Gotham also ranks as the season's No. 1 broadcast drama overall among men 18-49 and men 18-34. The debut episode which exploded with a 6.0 rating delivered FOX's highest-rated fall drama debut in 14 years. This Live+7 rating reflects the largest post-three-day ratings gain (+0.9) of any broadcast drama, ever.
Gotham is an origin story of the great DC Comics Super-Villains and vigilantes, revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told. Created by Bruno Heller, Gotham follows one cop's rise through a dangerously corrupt city teetering between good and evil, and chronicles the birth of one of the most popular super heroes of our time.
The cast includes Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, David Mazouz, Zabryna Guevara, Sean Pertwee, Robin Lord Taylor, Erin Richards, Camren Bicondova, Cory Michael Smith, Victoria Cartagena, Andrew Stewart-Jones, Jada Pinkett Smith and John Doman.
Heller, Danny Cannon, John Stephens and Ben Edlund serve as executive producers. Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment produce.
Season-to-date, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is averaging a 2.7 rating in Adults 18-49, up +17% in the key demographic versus last season, and generating the largest year-to-year gains of any sophomore series. Additionally, the series' Jan. 4 broadcast delivered a Live+3 rating of 3.6, the show's highest rating of the season.
Created by Dan Goor and Michael Schur, Brooklyn Nine-Nine stars Andy Samberg as a talented but carefree detective and Andre Braugher as his by-the-book precinct captain. The cast also includes Melissa Fumero, Joe Lo Truglio, Chelsea Peretti, Terry Crews, Stephanie Beatriz, Dirk Blocker and Joel McKinnon Miller.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is produced by Universal Television, 3 Arts Entertainment and Fremulon. The series is executive produced by Goor, Schur and David Miner.
