Insofar as few drama pilots have the ability to impress everyone, most series fail to retain their premiere audiences. Week two drops in the neighborhood of 10-20% are not simply tolerated but expected.
Every once in a while, however, a show subverts that expectation and avoids a decline. “Empire” is one such show.
Wednesday’s episode actually outperformed the blockbuster premiere in adults 18-49 and total viewers. After delivering a 3.8 rating with 9.90 million viewers for its opener, “Empire” posted a 4.0 with 10.29 million viewers in week two.
The same positive outcome did not emerge for lead-in “American Idol.” FOX’s reality juggernaut drew a reduced 2.9 adults 18-49 rating (down from last week’s 3.2) with 10.66 million viewers (down from last week’s average of 11.20 million) in the 8PM hour this week.