Empire returns to US TV screens with the season 2 premiere

Fans of the hit TV show have been waiting anxiously for it to return to their screens

Actor Terrence Howard at the season one premiere of Empire in January 2015 (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

The premiere of the second season of hit US TV show Empire is set to hit screens tonight, and millions of people across America are waiting anxiously for its return.

The show, telling the story of family feuds and in-fighting at the heart of the hip hop and entertainment company Empire Entertainment, began in January this year and quickly became a winner in the ratings.

The show even achieved the rare feat of gaining more viewers each week as the series went on. Even the cast and crew are the first to admit that no-one predicted just how huge the show would become.

Starring Oscar nominee Terrence Howard and created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, the minds behind The Butler and The Hunger Games, the show has a strong pedigree behind it.

It's surprising that the show hasn't caught on as much across the pond - E4 picked it up and began showing the first series in April, but Empire still has a long way to go to achieve the same levels of success in the UK that it's enjoyed in America.

However, like Mad Men, Breaking Bad and the Walking Dead, America's favourite TV shows eventually get their big break in the UK. E4 has confirmed that they will be showing Empire season 2 soon, so it's surely only a matter of time.