TV EXCLUSIVE “Empire” is such a big hit that of course, everyone wants a spin off. But history shouldn’t repeat itself: When “Dynasty” took existing characters and spun off “The Colbys,” it was a disaster. The new show lasted one season. Its theme music was later repurposed for “Star Trek.”
Now I’m told that Lee Daniels is casting a pilot that will feature four young women who are aspiring pop stars. This sounds like an “Empire” spin off, as a record company would be involved. It’s called “Star.”
The ladies’ names in this show are Star, Cotton, Alexandra, and Simone. They’re 18-20 years, black, white, and mixed, and one of them is, naturally, transgender.
What could be interesting is if the four girls gel, and become a singing group that makes records in real life– sort of “The Monkees” become Destiny’s Child. That’s a whole other income stream for everyone, especially Sony Music.
Daniels isn’t diluting “Empire” to make this pilot. “Empire” writer Danny Strong isn’t involved. Instead, Daniels’ writer on the show is Tom Donaghy, whose credits include “The Mentalist” and a Rob Morrow show I guess I missed called “The Whole Truth.”
Could Cookie make appearances? We’ll see….
