WEDNESDAY
SHILO: 8:00 Empire; 9:00 Studio City
CRAIG: 8:00 Studio City; 9:00 Empire
SHILO: Although I’m sure the FOX affiliates were beside themselves with each climb Empire made in the ratings, I think it’s simply too big to stay at 9:00. FOX’s drama slate is shallow enough to where it needs to use the Empire lead-in to build up another drama and see if it can’t do what ABC did with Scandal – find a show compatible enough to keep a loyal audience who doesn’t normally watch television tuned in for another hour. Simply judging by premise, Studio City, about an aspiring singer who’s the daughter of a drug dealer to the stars, might be as compatible to Empire as FOX could get without straight spinning the music industry soap off; other dramas in FOX’s development this season aren’t as urgent or don’t sound like they’d target the same audience as Empire. It’s the type of soapy, glamorous project that could keep a decent portion of Empire’s audience, a twisty drama that would demand live viewing and become the How to Get Away with Murder to Empire’s Scandal.
CRAIG: I’m purposely defying you now! Mwahaha! I’m keeping Empire at 9 for one of the reasons you mentioned up above: It keeps the affiliates happy. The bigger challenge/problem I think FOX will face with the series is the notion that they will most likely not have the typical 22-episode order. To go before it? Studio City, of course. This is the night of this fantasy schedule that I’m the most confident in.
