Fox’s latest debut, The Last Man on Earth, premiered Sunday night to almost 6 million viewers, becoming the night’s most-viewed series by young adults - an impressive feat in a year that has seen very few strong debuts for comedies.

The Last Man on Earth currently stands as the fourth biggest launch of a comedy series of the 13 that premiered this season (behind only Black-ish, The Odd Couple and Fresh off the Boat).

On the drama side, Fox’s Empire has also been making waves with strong ratings and positive publicity for the network since its January debut. The hip-hop family drama has been gaining a strong audience since then, with almost 14 million viewers on the Feb. 25 episode growing from its Jan. 7 premiere of 9.9 million.

Dana Walden, co-chairman and CEO of Fox Television Group with Gary Newman, says these two shows are the foundation for the future of Fox TV.

“Empire highlights our original strategy at the studio,” said Walden, “which is the job of a great executive to push your creators to do the boldest version of what’s in their head.”

According to Nielsen, Empire is the first-ever series to grow an audience for seven straight weeks following its premiere. That’s a big help for Fox, previously ranked four of the Big Four networks (now tied with ABC for third). Walden says that Empire’s success has sent a positive message to the network about the possibility of scripted hits on TV. “It has sent a wave of enthusiasm and optimism through our business that you can create a scripted show, something that’s not a live event, and you can still eventize it in a way that a lot of people are going to make it appointment watching,” she told Adweek.

As for The Last Man on Earth, Walden called the idea “one of the most entertaining pitches I ever sat through.” Coming from SNL’s Will Forte and The LEGO Movie’s Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Walden calls the comedy an “incredibly bold, original swing.” She adds: “And I feel very proud when I look at our development and I see a show like this that doesn’t feel like, ‘How can we capitalize on the success of Modern Family?’”

When it comes to its struggling shows on the other end of the spectrum, like Rainn Wilson’s Backstrom, Walden says patience is key. “Creatively, this show is in a really good place,” said Walden. “I wish there was an opportunity on our schedule right now to give it some exposure in a different time period. But we view it as a show that has a lot of potential to be a long-term asset.”

Read more at Adweek.

Brief Take: Walden and Newman are moving on from the shows Fox already had on the slate when they took on the job, but now the duo has a few hits on their hands going into midseason and beyond.

[Image courtesy of Fox]

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