Created by Lee Daniels (Precious), Empire follows music CEO Lucious Lyons (Terrence Howard) as he grapples with a devastating medical diagnosis. Told he has only three years before being fully incapacitated, Lyons must decide which of his three sons will take over the company he built from the ground up – Andre (Trai Byers), who lacks the charisma necessary to take the company to the next level; Jamal (Jussie Smollett), a sensitive musician who shies away from the spotlight; and Hakeem (Bryshere Gray), a spoiled playboy who doesn’t have the maturity or the work ethic to follow in his father’s footsteps. Putting pressure on Lucious is the fact that ex-wife Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) just got out of prison after doing nearly two decades and she’s not exactly happy to see him, not after feeling as if he snaked the company away from her and forced her to do the bid that had his name all over it.

This will be Campbell’s first series television credit since a 2003 episode of action drama Fastlane. Her most extensive television role was a six-episode stint on New York Undercover, where she played Simone Jeffers, underling of drug kingpin Danny Cort.

Empire is slated to premiere sometime in 2015 on FOX.

Will you be watching Empire? Who else would you like to see join the cast? Do you think the show, which seems very cable-friendly from its promotional material, will be able to find an audience on broadcast?

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Created by Oscar winner Lee Daniels (Precious), Empire tells the story of music CEO Lucious Lyon (Oscar nominee Terrence Howard), as he learns that he has a disease that will leave him crippled and incapacitated within the next three years. Desperate to continue his reign in the music industry, he must now decide which member of his inner circle will be given the reigns to Empire Entertainment, the company he guided to greatness – eldest son Andre (Trai Byers), the CFO of Empire who lacks the charisma Lucious deems necessary for the position; middle son Jamal (Jussie Smollett), who shies away from the spotlight and whose sexuality confounds his father; youngest son Hakeem(Bryshere Gray), a spoiled playboy with not much in the way of work ethic; and ex-wife Cookie (Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson), who demands a share of the company she helped co-found when she reemerges following a prison sentence.

Knight’s acting career has included a stint on syndicated comedy The First Family, a role in Tyler Perry film I Can Do Bad All By Myself, and a guest appearance on 30 Rock, where she played herself, as well.

Empire is slated to premiere midseason on FOX, with a concrete premiere date expected to be announced either late this year or early next. You can check out the trailer for the series below.

Will you be watching Empire? Do you think a drama like this can work on broadcast television? Which other musicians would you like to see appear on the show?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBzu_jKLJek

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