TV One builds Empire

Empire stars Terrence Howard (centre)

US cablenet TV One has acquired the second-window rights to Fox drama Empire and commissioned its first original drama.

Empire, from 20th Century Fox Television and Imagine Television, will debut on TV One this spring. The second season will join the network’s summer schedule following its finale on Fox in May.

The plot focuses on the head of a music empire whose three sons and ex-wife battle for his throne. It was created by Academy Award nominee Lee Daniels and Emmy winner Danny Strong, with Brian Grazer executive producing.

TV One president Brad Siegel announced the acquisition at the channel’s annual Upfront presentation in New York, along with a slate of 28 original movies, 14 new and returning series and the network’s first original drama.

The new commissions include scripted series Sneaker Pawn, about a 17-year-old in Harlem who launches his own footwear firm, and docuseries Family Bond, which focuses on a family-owned bail bonding company in North Carolina.

Dating format The Dating Games, in which teams of people compete against each other to answer questions on two daters while watching a real date in progress, has also been greenlit.