FOX musical drama ‘Empire’ is UK bound.
Already popular online thanks to its groundbreaking run in the US, the Lee Daniels series looks set for an international breakthrough now that it’s found a home on one of the UK’s biggest channels.
Details below…
It was announced today that the Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson production will commence airing on E4 this Spring.
A sister channel to major broadcaster Channel 4, the network is considered the UK’s top youth geared station.
Beyond being a major coup for both the show and E4, ‘Empire’s arrival in Britain is noteworthy because it almost never happened.
In a feature published by The Hollywood Reporter, it was revealed that there was minimal interest in the show internationally pre its airing Stateside. After it exploded, the climate naturally changed:
An international push is key to Empire‘s growth strategy. Although the series has generated enthusiasm overseas, Marion Edwards, 20th Century Fox’s president of international TV, notes that took time and ratings success that was impossible to ignore. In fact, when Edwards began screening the pilot for international buyers last spring, she was surprised by the widespread disinterest. “They thought the show was cast with people who potentially couldn’t work in their markets,” she says, referring to the show’s African-American cast led by Oscar nominees Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson. “And music is hard because you can’t dub it.”
But that international interest level began to increase considerably when buyers saw the amount of marketing muscle Fox had put behind the show (Empire and Gotham consumed the lion’s share of the network’s marketing dollars this season) and then the eye-popping ratings it started to garner. By week three, Edwards had multiple broadcasters in key territories eager to get a deal done. She cites the U.K. market, often a strong indicator of European heat, by way of example: “We had no offer and no interest [prelaunch], and now we have three broadcasters vying to get it.”
Interesting!
It’s no secret that international markets sadly continue to be weary pushing anything remotely “Urban” – on both the big and small screens. Hopefully the arrival of ‘Empire’ serves as a catalyst for much needed change.
Y
LOL I meant YAY!!!
Good News, I’m in the UK and already finished the first season, looking forward to season 2
When you leave such a huge gap between US and UK air dates, why bother. We’ve all seen it through to the end. It won’t be a ratings hit and they’re to blame!
The way this show pushes and promotes depraved acts of homosexuality is deplorable.
the only thing that’s deplorable is your disgusting intolerance to love… I’ll pray for you
Most people appealed to this kind of thing would have already wathed it online! Stupid delay as usual
Why? really now? in South Africa we’re on episode 8
This will not work.. in Uk no room for ratchet Tv it will Floop.
If E4 has it then it will be a sure fire hit in the UK! As long as it don’t run during Come Dine With Me then I’m good.
Hahah yes the narrator throes shade haha
LOL Dave Lamb is a messy little queen jk
Ima give it the viewing it deserves but seen em all online.
They might as well show it from the new season 2. The majority of us have already live streamed episodes that air over in the US or caught up online
Sorry. It will flip in the UK. Scandal flopped in the UK and HOW to get away with muder is not even known in the UK. Empire is shown in Hong Kong already.
Reason why it will flop in the UK? The black community in the UK is not big , rich or strong enough to carry this film in the way African american came through. That is the downed of lost of interracial relationships. If all blacks just marry whites and have half white kids, those mine kids marry/ mate with whites and then there is no blacks left.
REASON 2: UK is inherently racist; 1/3 of Brits ADMITTED TO A Think tank POLL, THAT THEY ARE RACIST, in whatever fashion, so, a all black show from the UK is not gonna fly in middle england. IN the UK, u don’t even see black couples of families on tv or adverts.
IF THE BLACK COMMUNITY IN THE UK Is to survive, they are going to to need and have children with BLACK PEOPLE AND FOCUS ON EDUCATION AND INDEPENDENT BUSINESS, LIKE WHAT THE INDIAN DO.
THE INDIANS CAME AFTER THE BLACKS AND THEY ARE 7% AND THE RICHEST, MOST POWERFUL, EDUCATED IMMIGRANT IN THE WORLD.
she was surprised by the widespread disinterest. “They thought the show was cast with people who potentially couldn’t work in their markets,” she says,
TOLD YOU! Europe is more racist than the USA. ALL the racist things we have in the USA……THEY HAVE IN Europe too, even though blacks have not even bee there that long or in high numbers.
Due to trickery of integration and assimilation, blacks have not pride and date out so much, that there IS NOT BLACK MIDDLE CLASS.
THE FACT THAT IS ALREADY SHOWN IN HONG KONG THAN ANY EUROPEAN COUNTRY says it all. SCANDAL FLOPPED IN europe, There are not here for swirl or black women as lead.
I have looked on the UK charts album and singles. NOT A SINGLE BLACK ENGLISH PERSON ON THE CHART AND HAS NOT BEEN IN YEARS,
WHILLE AFRICAN AMERICANS like beyonce, JAY, RIHANNA ( she lives in us ) ARE CONTROLLING the game….blacks in England ARE STILL WAITING ON WHITE MAN TO SIGN THEM but he is not. ALL the ‘ black ‘ singers are mixed race. ALL the ‘ black’ actresses are mixed race. I just saw fast furious and the lead girl was some UK mixed race girls/
. It seems black women are snubbed in the UK.
eresting!
It’s no secret that international markets sadly continue to be weary pushing anything remotely “Urban” – on both the big and small screens. Hopefully the arrival of ‘Empire’ serves as a catalyst for much needed change.
THAT is cos of YALL not them. YALL are so obsessed with integrating and assimilation, that you are lost. YOU Need to create and black community and black economy and create YOUR OWN EVERSION OF EMPIRE.