The FOX Television network launches the new year’s programming schedule with a powerful new drama about the head of a music empire whose three sons and ex-wife all battle for his throne.

Simply titled “Empire” and with a storyline reminiscent of King Lear, this new series is a hip-hop Shakespearean drama.

The network’s publicity team is putting a lot of effort into promoting a series with a primarily African-American cast.

Given the musical theme, it’s the kind of show that lends itself to clever marketing, emphasizing the potential gold to be mined from hit songs.

Speaking of gold, a surprise package arrived in the mail during the holidays. A faux-gold record surrounded by miniature album covers inside a frame carried a plaque with a personalized inscription that noted that I was the recipient of this commemorative item for the “Empire” premiere.

Mind you, this unique gift holds no sway over a dedicated reviewer. Only the first episode of “Empire” has been made available for review, and I would say the jury is still out.

In fact, I am too easily distracted by the onslaught of the midseason’s new shows and conceivably may not even get around to viewing the second episode.

Yet, “Empire” has some good things going for it.

For one, Terrence Howard, in the central role, is a compelling actor. If you’ve seen him in “Hustle & Flow,” you get the idea.

Here, he’s Lucious Lyon, the CEO of Empire Entertainment, a former street thug who started out as a drug dealer to finance his artistic talent as a rap star before becoming a record mogul.

Though charismatic and crafty, Lucious is not a particularly likable guy. After all, he let his then-wife Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) take the rap, and a 17-year prison stint, for selling drugs to finance his musical career.

Now, she’s out of the joint and is not about to be pushed aside from the family’s lucrative musical empire.

Diagnosed with an incurable disease that will have him incapacitated in a matter of three years, Lucious puts the King Lear element into gear by having his three sons compete to take over his crowning achievement, without destroying his already fractured family.

Oldest son Andre (Trai Byers), college-educated and possessed of a brilliant business mind, is the current chief financial of the company, and would seem the natural heir to the family empire.

Andre is assisted by his manipulative and like-minded wife Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday). But Andre lacks the charisma that Lucious believes is crucial to running the company.

Meanwhile, Lucious’s favorite is his youngest son Hakeem (Byshere Gray), a gifted musician and a spoiled playboy who values fame over hard work.

Given his frivolous temperament, Hakeem would seem to be most unlikely heir to the throne. But his artistic mood is most in sync with that of his father.

The middle son Jamal (Jussie Smollett) is a sensitive soul and musical prodigy who, unlike Hakeem, shies away from the spotlight.

Jamal also happens to be gay, which infuriates and embarrasses his homophobic father. Flashback scenes to Lucious’ cruel treatment of Jamal’s effeminate behavior are unsettling.

In the first episode, Cookie reasserts her position in the family business in a grand way. Part of her gambit appears to be a thorn in the side of her ex-husband, who has taken up a very attractive younger woman, Anika Gibbons (newcomer Grace Gealey), who also fills the position of head talent scout for Empire Entertainment.

The obvious play for Cookie is to persuade Jamal to break out of his shell and take a more active role in advancing his career with musical gigs to be seen by more than a handful of close friends. Certainly, Lucious has done nothing to help Jamal capitalize on his enormous talent.

For now, at least in the first episode, Lucious remains firmly in control of Empire Entertainment, relying on the sage advice and support of his longtime friend and chairman of the board, Vernon Turner (Malik Yoba).

But Cookie is a force of nature that Vernon and the other board members will find challenging.

“Empire” is an emotional chess game that threatens to tear the Lyon family apart. In that sense, the series could be a hip-hop version of “Dynasty,” set to a number of songs that fit the show’s themes.

The original soundtrack is written and produced by legendary artist Timbaland.

FOX is taking a big gamble on “Empire,” the type of show that, like “Power,” to cite just one example, may be better-suited for cable, where more audacious programs tend to thrive.

On the flip side, “Empire” is a series that would be most unlikely to appear on CBS, a network that skews to the older demographic.

Then again, if “Empire” catches on, I will have to decide if my personalized framed gold record could take up a more visible position than resting inside a closet stuffed with other relics of entertainment memorabilia.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.