No surprise that "Empire’s" season 2 premiere was a ratings hit, drawing 16.02 million viewers according to Nielsen, making it the second most watched episode of the series thus far (the top spot belongs to last season’s finale episode which drew over 17.5 million viewers). But it certainly blows away last season’s premiere episode, which drew 9.9 million viewers in January.

So if anyone wondered whether fans would stick around after last season, wonder no more. Now let’s see if the series can repeat last season’s historic feat – gaining viewers with each successive episode, earning its place as one of the most astounding runs in TV history.

The show had a earned a healthy 6.5 rating with viewers aged 18 to 49 years old – the most coveted demographic.

And this number will grow even larger when the series gets a boost from those watching on-demand and via DVR.

Meanwhile, "Rosewood" – Fox’s brand new crime/medical drama series starring Morris Chestnut that premiered last night at 8pm as a lead-in to "Empire" – can probably thank the Lee Daniels-created soap opera for its relatively strong debut, drawing around 7.5 million viewers. Its Fox’s strongest new series debut performance so far this season, beating out both "Minority Report" which, as noted on this blog earlier this week, drew a very disappointing 3.09 million viewers, and "Scream Queens" with just over 4 million. Let’s see if the so-called "Empire" effect has legs, and keeps "Rosewood" in play for the rest of the season; or if the season can hold its own, with or without "Empire’s" help.

Did you watch either premiere last night? If so, thoughts?

RELATED: "The Devils Are Here" – Recap of ‘Empire’ Season 2, Episode 1