FOX Picks Up Gotham and Empire For Second Seasons!

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Empire and Gotham have been grabbing ratings for FOX so the network has picked them up for second seasons. Check out the press releases after the jump.

FOX ORDERS A SECOND SEASON OF HIT DRAMA “GOTHAM”

FOX has renewed hit drama series GOTHAM for a second season, it was announced today by Dana Walden and Gary Newman, Chairmen and CEOs, Fox Television Group.

In the next all-new episode of GOTHAM, “What The Little Bird Told Him,” airing Monday, Jan. 19 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, in an attempt to get his job back, Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) seeks to capture Jack Gruber (guest star Christopher Heyerdahl), a deranged electrical genius who escapes Arkham Asylum. Meanwhile, Falcone (John Doman) struggles to hold onto his empire after Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) makes her next move.

Averaging a 4.2 rating in Adults 18-49 and 10.6 million viewers, GOTHAM is this season’s No. 1 broadcast drama overall among Men 18-49 and Men 18-34. The debut episode, which  exploded into Premiere Week with a 6.0/18 rating among Adults 18-49, outperformed “The Blacklist” and “Scorpion” and delivered  FOX’s highest-rated fall drama debut in 14 years. This Live +7 rating reflects the largest post-three-day ratings gain (+0.9) of any broadcast drama, ever.

GOTHAM is an origin story of the great DC Comics Super-Villains and vigilantes, revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told. From executive producer/writer Bruno Heller (“The Mentalist,” “Rome”), GOTHAM follows one cop’s rise through a dangerously corrupt city teetering between good and evil, and chronicles the birth of one of the most popular super heroes of our time. The series stars Ben McKenzie (“Southland,” “The O.C.”), Donal Logue (“Vikings,” “Sons of Anarchy”), Jada Pinkett Smith (“Hawthorne,” “Collateral”) and Robin Lord Taylor (“The Walking Dead”).

GOTHAM is based upon the characters from DC Comics and is produced by Warner Bros. Television. Executive producer Bruno Heller wrote the pilot, which was directed and executive-produced by Emmy Award nominee Danny Cannon (the “CSI” franchise, “Nikita”). John Stephens serves as an executive producer on the series. “Like” GOTHAM on Facebook at facebook.com/GOTHAMonFOX. Follow the series on Twitter @Gotham and join the discussion using #gotham. See photos and videos on Instagram at @GOTHAMonFOX.

FOX ORDERS A SECOND SEASON OF HIT DRAMA “EMPIRE”

FOX has renewed hit drama series EMPIRE for a second season, it was announced today by Dana Walden and Gary Newman, Chairmen and CEOs, Fox Television Group.

In the next all-new episode of EMPIRE, “The Devil Quotes Scripture,” airing Wednesday, Jan. 21 (9:01-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, the Lyons head to Philadelphia for Bunkie’s funeral and get a taste of what their life could have been if Lucious (Terrence Howard) hadn’t made it big. Then, Lucious promotes Hakeem’s (Bryshere Gray) new relationship with hip-hop star Tianna (guest star Serayah), but tensions rise when another woman tries to catch Hakeem’s eye. Supermodel Naomi Campbell, Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding, Jr. (“Jerry Maguire”) and music legend Gladys Knight guest-star.

Averaging a 5.3 rating in Nielsen’s Most Current measure, EMPIRE has emerged as the No. 1 new series of the season. Following its second episode, it is the only new broadcast drama this season to grow from week one to week two. 

From Academy Award nominee Lee Daniels (“Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “Precious”), Emmy Award winner Danny Strong (“Game Change,” “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”) and Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer (“A Beautiful Mind,” “24”), comes EMPIRE, a drama about a family dynasty, set within a world of music, glamour, danger and power.  

Featuring music by prolific producer Timbaland, the series stars Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard (“Crash,” “Hustle & Flow”) and Academy Award and Emmy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson (“No Good Deed,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”).  

Among the series’ other featured cast members are Malik Yoba, Jussie Smollett, Trai Byers, and Kaitlin Doubleday, as well as newcomers Bryshere Gray and Grace Gealey. Additional guest stars include Academy Award nominee Gabourey Sidibe (“American Horror Story,” “Precious”), Grammy Award and Golden Globe Award nominee Courtney Love (“The People vs. Larry Flynt”), Derek Luke (“The Americans”) and Judd Nelson (“The Breakfast Club”).

EMPIRE is from Imagine Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television. The series is created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong. The pilot is written by Daniels and Strong. The series is executive-produced by Daniels, Strong, Brian Grazer, Ilene Chaiken and Francie Calfo. Daniels directed the pilot. “Like” EMPIRE on Facebook at facebook.com/EmpireFOX. Follow the series on Twitter @EmpireFOX and join the discussion using #empire. See photos and videos on Instagram by following @EmpireFOX.