Today at the Television Critics Association (TCA) Winter Press Tour, it was FOX’s turn to take the stage and talk about the future plans for the network.
What seems like a no brainer, the network has ordered a second season of its hit freshman series Empire starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson. In its first two airings, the series has done extremely well for the network. Both outings it has built on the lead-in audience from American Idol.
Averaging a 5.3 rating in Nielsen’s Most Current measure, 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 to week two.
Several other announcements were made at the panel:
– FOX has ordered a third season of the award-winning comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Season-to-date, the popular series is averaging a 2.7/7 in Viewers 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 3.6/9 in Adults 18-49, the show’s highest Live +3 rating of the season.
– The network also announced it was ordering a second season of the breakout series Gotham. Gotham is an origin story of the great DC Comics Super-Villains and vigilantes, revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told. Averaging a 4.2 rating in Adults 18-49 and 10.6 million viewers, GOTHAM is this season’s No. 1 broadcast drama overall among Men 18-49 and Men 18-34. The debut episode, which exploded into Premiere Week with a 6.0/18 rating among Adults 18-49, outperformed “The Blacklist” and “Scorpion” and 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.
– FOX has tapped Juliana Hough and Vanessa Hudgens to star in Grease Live! Hough will play the angelic “Sandy” – Rydell High’s most talked-about newcomer – and Hudgens as iconic bad girl “Rizzo,” this first-ever live television production of “Grease” will re-imagine the hit crossover musical for an entirely new generation.
– Finally, the network has picked up a 15 episode order for the comedy-horror anthology series Scream Queens. The series will star Emma Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Joe Manganiello, Keke Palmer, Lea Michele and Abigail Breslin. Pop sensation Arianna Grande will have a recurring role in the series. Scream Queens comes from the minds of Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan.