Entertainment

Fox’s ‘Empire’ Sets Growth Standard

Published

11 years ago

March 11, 2015

This photo provided by Fox shows, Taraji P. Henson as Cookie, in a scene from the special two-hour Die But Once/Who I Am Season Finale episode of “Empire,” airing Wednesday, March 18, 2015, (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT) on Fox. (AP Photo/Fox, Chuck Hodes)

DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — For the eighth straight time, Fox’s music business soap “Empire” pulled in more viewers than it had the previous week, an unusual standard of success that appears to be unprecedented in the modern television era.

The series’ ninth episode reached 14.3 million viewers, second only to AMC’s “The Walking Dead” as the most popular drama on television last week. Since the “Empire” premiere in January before 9.9 million people, the series has increased its audience every single week, the Nielsen company said.

A typical new program sees a drop in viewers between its first and second weeks, since a premiere will draw in the curious. Increasing its audience for eight straight weeks is extraordinary, and Fox’s research could turn up no other series that has grown for that long since Nielsen began using people meters to measure viewership more than two decades ago.

Among Fox’s target audience of viewers aged 18-to-49 years old, the “Empire” audience grows by some 40 percent when time-delayed viewing is taken into account.

That’s the good news for Fox. Less welcome is the widening gulf in popularity between television’s two biggest music competition shows, “American Idol” and “The Voice.”

Two episodes of NBC’s “The Voice” averaged 15.1 million viewers last week, a full six million more than Fox’s aging champ “Idol.” In the four years the two shows have aired at the same time, that’s the biggest advantage “The Voice” has ever had in a week when both shows aired two episodes, according to Nielsen.

CBS’ new spinoff series, “CSI: Cyber,” had 10.5 million viewers for its premiere last week, landing just outside of Nielsen’s top 10. ABC’s “American Crime” had a promising start, with more viewers for its debut than any other show on the network besides “Modern Family” and “Scandal.”

“The Big Bang Theory” was the week’s most popular show, with its 18.2 million viewers its largest audience of the season, Nielsen said.

CBS won the week in prime-time, averaging 8.6 million viewers. NBC had 7 million viewers, ABC had 6.2 million, Fox had 4.8 million, Univision had 3 million, Telemundo had 1.2 million, ION Television had 1.1 million and the CW had 1 million.

Fox News Channel was the week’s most popular cable network for the first time this year, averaging 1.88 million viewers in prime time. TBS had 1.82 million, USA had 1.79 million, AMC had 1.78 million and the Disney Channel had 1.77 million.

NBC’s “Nightly News” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 9.7 million viewers, and its edge over second-place ABC’s “World News Tonight” was the largest since Lester Holt took over for the suspended Brian Williams last month. ABC had 9.3 million viewers and the “CBS Evening News” had 7.7 million viewers.

For the week of March 2-8, the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships: “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 18.17 million; “The Voice” (Tuesday), NBC, 15.54 million; “The Voice” (Monday), NBC, 14.67 million; “The Walking Dead,” AMC, 14.53 million; “Empire,” Fox, 14.33 million; “The Odd Couple,” CBS, 12.36 million; “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 11.03 million; “Madam Secretary,” CBS, 10.82 million; “NCIS,” CBS, 10.79 million; “The Big Bang Theory” (Thursday, 9 p.m.), CBS, 10.54 million.

___

ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co. AMC is owned by AMC Networks, Inc. CBS is owned by CBS Corp. CW is a joint venture of Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corp. Fox is owned by 21st Century Fox. NBC and Telemundo are owned by Comcast Corp. ION Television is owned by ION Media Networks.

___

Online:

http://www.nielsen.com

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Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

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1 day ago

January 2, 2026

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Oakland Post: Week of December 24 – 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 24 – 30, 2025

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1 week ago

December 25, 2025

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Alameda County

Bling It On: Holiday Lights Brighten Dark Nights All Around the Bay

On the block where I grew up in the 1960s, it was an unwritten agreement among the owners of those row homes to put up holiday lights: around the front window and door, along the porch banister, etc. Some put the Christmas tree in the window, and you could see it through the open slats of the blinds.

Published

2 weeks ago

December 21, 2025

Oakland Post

Christmas lights on a house near the writer’s residence in Oakland. Photo by Joseph Shangosola.

By Wanda Ravernell

I have always liked Christmas lights.

From my desk at my front window, I feel a quiet joy when the lights on the house across the street come on just as night falls.

My father, the renegade of the block, made no effort with lights, so my mother hung a wreath with two bells in the window. Just enough to let you know someone was at home.

Two doors down was a different story. Mr. King, the overachiever of the block, went all out for Christmas: The tree in the window, the lights along the roof and a Santa on his sleigh on the porch roof.

There are a few ‘Mr. Kings’ in my neighborhood.

In particular is the gentleman down the street. For Halloween, they erected a 10-foot skeleton in the yard, placed ‘shrunken heads’ on fence poles, pumpkins on steps and swooping bat wings from the porch roof. They have not held back for Christmas.

The skeleton stayed up this year, this time swathed in lights, as is every other inch of the house front. It is a light show that rivals the one in the old Wanamaker’s department store in Philadelphia.

I would hate to see their light bill…

As the shortest day of the year approaches, make Mr. King’s spirit happy and get out and see the lights in your own neighborhood, shopping plazas and merchant areas.

Here are some places recommended by 510 Families and Johnny FunCheap.

Oakland

Oakland’s Temple Hill Holiday Lights and Gardens is the place to go for a drive-by or a leisurely stroll for a religious holiday experience. Wear a jacket, because it’s chilly outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at 4220 Lincoln Ave., particularly after dark. The gardens are open all day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with the lights on from dusk until closing.

Alameda

Just across the High Street Bridge from Oakland, you’ll find Christmas Tree Lane in Alameda.

On Thompson Avenue between High Street and Fernside drive, displays range from classic trees and blow-ups to a comedic response to the film “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Lights turn on at dusk and can be seen through the first week in January.

Berkeley

The Fourth Street business district from University Avenue to Virginia Street in Berkeley comes alive with lights beginning at 5 p.m. through Jan. 1, 2026.

There’s also a display at one house at 928 Arlington St., and, for children, the Tilden Park Carousel Winter Wonderland runs through Jan. 4, 2026. Closed Christmas Day. For more information and tickets, call (510) 559-1004.

Richmond

The Sundar Shadi Holiday Display, featuring a recreation of the town of Bethlehem with life-size figures, is open through Dec. 26 at 7501 Moeser Lane in El Cerrito.

Marin County

In Marin, the go-to spot for ‘oohs and ahhs’ is the Holiday Light Spectacular from 4-9 p.m. through Jan. 4, 2026, at Marin Center Fairgrounds at 10 Ave of the Flags in San Rafael through Jan. 4. Displays dazzle, with lighted walkways and activities almost daily. For more info, go to: www.marincounty.gov/departments/cultural-services/department-sponsored-events/holiday-light-spectacular

The arches at Marin County Civic Center at 3501 Civic Center Dr. will also be illuminated nightly.

San Francisco

Look for light installations in Golden Gate Park, chocolate and cheer at Ghirardelli Square, and downtown, the ice rink in Union Square and the holiday tree in Civic Center Plaza are enchanting spots day and night. For neighborhoods, you can’t beat the streets in Noe Valley, Pacific Heights, and Bernal Heights. For glee and over-the-top glitz there’s the Castro, particularly at 68 Castro Street.

Livermore

The winner of the 2024 Great Light Flight award, Deacon Dave has set up his display with a group of creative volunteers at 352 Hillcrest Avenue since 1982. See it through Jan. 1, 2026. For more info, go to https://www.casadelpomba.com

Fremont

Crippsmas Place is a community of over 90 decorated homes with candy canes passed out nightly through Dec. 31. A tradition since 1967, the event features visits by Mr. and Mrs. Claus on Dec. 18 and Dec. 23 and entertainment by the Tri-M Honor Society at 6 p.m. on Dec. 22. Chrippsmas Place is located on: Cripps Place, Asquith Place, Nicolet Court, Wellington Place, Perkins Street, and the stretch of Nicolet Avenue between Gibraltar Drive and Perkins Street.