Ratings: ‘Empire’ episode 6 (again) breaks record

Who knew that we were going to see “Empire” really forge what is a literal empire for Fox? It is completely surprising, but also very cool to watch unfold. Regardless of whether or not you like this particular show, we are excited that a network TV show actually is generating this sort of buzz and attention in an era where streaming services are getting more and more pull.

Last night, the sixth episode of the series managed to draw an incredible 4.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic, which is something that a new, scripted network series has not pulled off in many years. We cannot really think of the last time that we saw something like this straight out of the gate in the DVR era. “The Walking Dead” may be the best similarity, but that is on cable.

The biggest takeaway that we have from all this is something that networks really should make themselves familiar with: You don’t need to make excuses for yourself if a show does not perform as expected. It is not about competition; it’s about making something original that people want to actually watch. This does that; it’s fun, well-acted, and brings something different to the table given all of the legal / medical dramas out there.

Do we think that “Empire” will hit a ceiling at some point? Sure, but given the current trajectory, we feel like it may have another season or so of increases unless the quality starts to sag. While many shows tend to decline year-to-year, having a shorter first season should give new fans a chance to catch up.