WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7

**SERIES PREMIERE**--"EMPIRE" - (9:01-10:00 PM ET/PT) CC-HDTV 720p-Dolby Digital 5.1

THE BATTLE BEGINS ON THE SERIES PREMIERE OF "EMPIRE" WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, ON FOX

Series Premiere of EMPIRE Airs with Limited Commercial Interruption

EMPIRE is a powerful new drama that follows LUCIOUS LYON (Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard, "Crash," "Hustle & Flow"), the head of a music empire whose reign has been unchallenged for years. But all that changes when he learns he has a disease and must choose one of his three sons to take over: ANDRE (Trai Bryers, "90210"), JAMAL (Jussie Smollett, "North," "The Mighty Ducks") or HAKEEM (acting newcomer Bryshere Gray, a.k.a. Yazz The Greatest). Complicating matters is their mother and Lucious' ex-wife, COOKIE (Academy Award and Emmy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson, "No Good Deed," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"), who emerges from prison to claim her share. Don't miss the all-new "Pilot" Series Premiere episode of EMPIRE airing with limited commercial interruption Wednesday, Jan. 7 (9:01-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (EMP-101) (TV-14 D, L, S, V)

Cast: Terrence Howard as Lucious Lyon, Taraji P. Henson as Cookie Lyon, Malik Yoba as Vernon Turner, Jussie Smollett as Jamal Lyon, Bryshere Gray as Hakeem Lyon, Trai Byers as Andre Lyon, Grace Gealey as Anika Gibbons and Kaitlin Doubleday as Rhonda Lyon

Guest Cast: Gabourey Sidibe as Becky, Antoine McKay as Bunkie