#TBT IS EMPIRE BIGGER THAN CLASSIC BLACK SITCOMS?

The national estimates from Nielsen for this week episode of “Empire” was rose up to a 5.4 rating in 18-49 and 13.9 million viewers overall. It gained of 42% and 40%, respectively from the show’s Jan. 7 premiere.

On Wednesday, “Empire” added nearly 1 million more viewers to approach the 14-million mark while growing yet again in the key young-adult demo of adults 18-49 (up a tick to a 5.3 rating/15 share), according to Nielsen national estimates. In 18-49, it bested the night’s former champ, ABC’s “Modern Family,” by more than 50%. “Empire” has now grown seven consecutive weeks in total viewership since its Jan. 7 premiere: 9.90 million (Jan. 7), 10.32 million (Jan. 14), 11.07 million (Jan. 21), 11.35 million (Jan. 28), 11.47 million (Feb. 4), 11.96 million (Feb. 18), 13.02 million (Feb. 18) and now a preliminary 13.8 million. And in adults 18-49, it’s been up six times in those seven weeks: 3.8/11, 4.0/12, 4.4/13, 4.3/13, 4.6/14, 4.8/15; 5.2/15; and now a preliminary 5.3/15. Last week, “Empire” moved ahead of CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” as the week’s top broadcast series in 18-49 for the first time (5.2 vs. 4.5). Only AMC’s “The Walking Dead” topped it overall (6.9 rating). Fox won Wednesday even though “American Idol” dipped (2.6/8 in 18-49, 10.2 million viewers overall). The music competition still led its hour in all key categories. It's the fact that black shows with major network backing are so few and far between that when one gets this kinda push we want it to be perfect and we nitpick every aspect about it. I have seen all the commentary about how the show should represent the black community better, but the show is basically Dallas 2.0 with black characters.

Hopefully the success of this show and black-ish to a lesser degreee will help the deicsion makers realize that black viewership is a underrepresented market and we'll get more diverse high quailty black shows in the future.

In the 1970s and '80s, shows like The Jeffersons, Sanford & Son, Good Times, and The Cosby Show attracted broad audiences and were huge ratings hits. However, since 1991 and the Cosby spin-off A Different World, there hasn't been a TV series with a predominantly African-American cast in the top 10 of the Nielsen ratings. Also of note, all of the TV series I just mentioned were half-hour sitcoms. One could probably count on two hands the number of dramas with a primarily non-white cast, let alone considerations of how successful those series performed when they made it to air.

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African Americans actually watch 37 percent more television than any other demographic, and are more active in social media circles like Twitter than other groups. Basically, it's a situation where a part of the audience consumes a disproportionate amount of a product and is also more likely to create positive buzz for it, but the people who make the product don't take that demo into account when programming their shows. The criticisms about the speed of the plot are accurate. It's almost seems like they thought they would be canceled so they try to hit you with everything all at once. It did well to make a show a quick hit but, hopefully they slow it down a bit next season. Of course, there will always be critics who do make some valid points such as Dr. Boyce Watkins who believes the show is all about coonery.

Jimmie Walker once stated in an interview that after the Cosby show debuted and was a hit the other networks decided to counter program with a show that wasn't so PC but when the script was written..the working title for it was NOT THE COSBYS..and even tho they thought it was HILARIOUS they turned it down because they believed if it was done with a black cast that the black community would tear it apart. Fox ended up doing it but casting a white family...TA DAAA...instant classic hit we all know and love called Married With Children!

During the 80's before The Boyz N The Hood era when a lot these dysfunctional youth came along that gave birth to the disrespectful teens you see today, what were the horrible black show TV show then? We always want to blame the news (which a lot of the time is dysfunctional), TV, movies and music. What some critics have to realize is that what is mostly written about in TV, movies and music is a depiction of real life that is created into a fiction.

The issues of these "rich music people" are pretty basic and universal with the big splashy stuff as decoration. I'm sure there were people that didn't relate to "Dallas" or "Dynasty" but that didn't mean people didn't watch it to enjoy the trashy aspects of them.

It's called TV. The point of it is to entertain. Not to portray a realistic image of a real Black family although somehow rumors went flying on the internet that Puff Daddy believes Empire is based on his life and family. That is a whole other topic in itself. If anything, the Cosby show was fake. You telling me that the average Black family at that time had both parents in the house, they both had jobs, AND every kid in the house went to college? Critics then want to say Empire is selling young Black folks dreams?

(THE VIEWS ABOVE ARE OF WWETV WRITER KEISHA HENRY AND DOES NOT REFLECT ALL VIEWS OF WWETV CREATIVE STAFF)

#empire #cosbyshow #goodtimes #sanfordson #adifferentworld #thejeffersons #marriedwithchildren