Fox smash Empire continues to defy ratings gravity in season two, the premiere episode putting up a 6.5 rating in adults 18-49. Airing at 9 p.m., Empire's season two debut featured a guest turn from Chris Rock as an unsmiling prison tough, and the continued machinations of the Lyon clan as they fight for control of their hip-hop empire.
Empire's two-hour, season one finale last March scored a 6.5 rating and 16.7 million total viewers, according to Nielsen time-zone adjusted numbers.
Fox easily won the night, scoring a 4.4 rating/15 share. CBS got the silver with a 2.3/8, on the back of a strong Survivor, while ABC put up a 2.1/7, NBC a 1.6/5 and The CW a 0.3/1.
Fox's rookie drama Rosewood debuted to a 2.4.
Ninety minutes of Survivor on CBS, this installment set in Cambodia, averaged 2.4, level with its spring premiere. Then 90 minutes of Big Brother scored a 2.2, down 15% from last season's finale.
ABC's The Middle showed a 2.1, up 19% from the 1.7 it closed with last spring. The Goldbergs opened to a 2.4, up 20% from last May's 2.0. Modern Family had a 3.1, up 13% from the finale's 2.7, and black-ish a 2.4, up 13% from the finale's 2.1. Nashville's season debut scored a 1.3, same as it left off with last spring.
Over on NBC, The Mysteries of Laura showed a 1.2, up 9% from its season finale. The 17th season premiere of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, with two episodes from 9 to 11 p.m., averaged a 1.7, up 21% from its 1.4 finale last season.
The CW's America's Next Top Model and A Wicked Offer were down tenth at 0.4 and 0.2, respectively.
