Empire
Lucious Lyon and his music-making, power-hungry family are heading to free TV with the first season of Empire.
Season 1 Wednesdays (from 3 February) e.tv 21:30
Music is a cut-throat business at the best of times, but what happens when you throw a dysfunctional family into the mix? Empire (2015current), that’s what! The recordbreaking drama centres on rapperturned-media mogul Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard), who’s diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a type of motor neuron condition) and given three years to live. Lucious plans to leave his dynasty to one of his three sons, he’s just not sure which one will sit on his throne at Empire Entertainment. There’s also one other matter to worry about: his convict ex-wife Cookie ( Taraji P Henson) is out of prison!
MAJORS & MINORS
Lucious lives in a mansion and wears tailored suits, but make no mistake: he is a thug from the street who won’t bat an eyelid at squashing anyone in his way. Cookie’s spent the last 17 years in prison, taking the fall for a drug deal. She’s free now and wants something for her sacrifice: a chunk of Empire Entertainment. Andre ( Trai Byers) is the eldest Lyon son and Empire’s chief financial officer. What “Dre” lacks in music talent, he makes up for by managing the family business. Jamal (Jussie Smollett) is the talented gay middle son. While Jamal just wants to perform, he’s being used as a pawn in Lucious and Cookie’s powerstruggle. Hakeem (Bryshere Y Gray) is the youngest Lyon and Empire’s biggest musical act. He’s flashy, talented, temperamental and has a thing for older women. Anika Calhoun (Grace Gealey) is Lucious’s fiancée and the head of the A&R division – she finds new acts and develops them.