Empire: The new US drama you need to watch

LOOKING for a new show to fill your Game of Thrones void? Empire has smashed television records in the US, and now the eagerly anticipated American drama series is finally coming to Australian screens.

LOOKING for a new show to fill your Game of Thrones void? We’ve got you sorted.

Empire has smashed television records in the US, and now the eagerly anticipated American drama series is finally coming to Australian screens.

Oscar nominee Terrence Howard stars as the head of a hip hop music empire battling with his three sons and his ex-wife (Taraji P. Henson), who all want a slice of his lucrative business.

Empire is the first series in more than 23 years to have its viewership in the US increase week to week for the first five episodes — a huge feat in an era where many shows get cancelled after a few episodes.

Continuing in style of hit shows such as Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire and House Of Cards, Terrence Howard says Empire feels less like a TV show and more like a feature film.

“It’s a multifaceted, multidimensional show that talks about life-changing moments or everyday events that happen in most people’s lives,” he says.

“And we do it without apology — every single subject, you know, there’s gonna be someone that’s pro and someone that’s against it, and each person will speak as loudly as they possibly can.”

The cast of Empire, featuring Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard. Photo: Channel Ten.

Music has a distinct identity in Empire. Director Lee Daniels brought mega producer Timbaland on board (he’s worked with Jay-Z, Madonna and Rihanna) to craft the music for the series.

“Some of the songs [on the show] should be number one songs on the radio — that’s how good the music is, so it’s a lot to look forward to,” Howard says.

One of the biggest reasons Empire has received so much praise is its diverse cast and that it’s not afraid to tackle tough topics — Howard’s character Lucious is homophobic, but has an openly gay son, Jamal (Jussie Smollett).

“When you get a cast that is predominantly black, then there comes this label, ‘Well that’s a black this or a black that.’ And the danger in saying that is that you make others that aren’t black feel, ‘Oh, well that’s just for black people’,” says Howard’s co-star Taraji P. Henson.

“I don’t label things when I go to the movies, I don’t go say, ‘Oh, you know, this week I wanna see a white movie. I wanna see that good Chinese movie.’ I go because I see the preview and it moves me to wanna spend my money.

“I don’t care what it is — if somebody’s in love or they’re in pain or they lost a loved one — I understand that. That has no colour. It crosses all colour lines ‘cause it’s humans going through things that humans go through.”

The more of that, the better.

Empire debuts on Ten this Sunday at 9pm.

Originally published as Empire: The new US drama you need to watch