Starz's 'Power' is a ratings powerhouse. Why does it still feel like an underdog?
The curtain will soon fall on two long-running African American dramas, both flavored by hip-hop and family dysfunction. The higher-profile series is trying to shake off declining ratings and a staggering controversy. But it's the underdog going into its farewell season with the swagger of a champion.
This fall, Fox will launch the sixth and final season of "Empire," once TV's hottest drama. Although the series, which debuted in 2015, still has a loyal following, its viewership has declined, and the show in recent months has been clouded by the case of costar Jussie Smollett, who was accused of staging an apparent hate crime against himself in January. (Prosecutors subsequently dropped felony charges against Smollett.) The actor will not be in the cast when "Empire" returns.
Although newly appointed Fox Entertainment chief Charlie Collier assured TV reporters earlier this month that "Empire" will "go out with guns a-blazing,"
