Now that Empire’s first season has wrapped, we recommend checking out these five other shows with some of the same drama that made “Empire” such a hit.

by Kristina Bustos

Here at The Riveter, we’ve covered “Empire” extensively—episode recaps, an analysis of “Empire” within the real life hip-hop industry, an interview with the show’s costumer designer, Rita McGhee, and a breakdown of the stereotypes each female character embodies. And we’re not the only ones who have been sucked into the “Empire” vacuum. If the ratings prove anything, it’s that “Empire” had no problem finding an audience. When the freshman drama premiered on Fox in January, it took the number one spot with 9.9 million viewers and earned a rating of 3.8 in the key demographic of adults under 50. It continued its winning streak throughout the following weeks—jumping to 10.9 million viewers by the third episode, hitting the 13-million mark after the sixth episode and reaching close to 15 million viewers on its ninth episode. And just a day before its two-hour season finale this week, the “Empire” soundtrack debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, beating Madonna, who landed in second place with “Rebel Heart.”

Which brings us to a pressing question: What are you going to do now that “Empire” is over? While waiting for season two to arrive with even bigger guest stars (like Oprah, just to name one), we recommend you to catch these five shows, because each one shares some elements of “Empire.”

“Power”

This Starz drama and “Empire” follow different stories, but a feud was still sparked back in December, which pinned the shows against each other. Rapper 50 Cent, executive producer of “Power,” accused “Empire” of ripping off his show’s marketing campaign. Taraji P. Henson (who plays Cookie Lyon on “Empire”) hit back on Twitter: “I pay attention to $’s NOT cents.” But 50 Cent clearly has been tuning in to “Empire.” He compared Lee Daniels’ show to “Glee,” another Fox musical series, but “with a little hip-hop in it.” If you were watching the season finale of “Empire,” you might have seen a “Power” season two preview during the commercial breaks. The promo was enticing enough to pique some audience interest. Considering all the hoopla 50 Cent brewed up, and the fact that Twitter users are calling “Empire” a “Power” copycat, his show might just be a good substitute while “Empire” is on a break.

Season two of “Power” premieres on Starz on Saturday, June 6 at 9p.m. ET.

“Nashville”

The obvious show to watch while “Empire” is on hiatus is ABC’s own musical drama, “Nashville.” Both primetime dramas give a behind-the-scenes look at how the music industry works, but they do it through two distinct musical genres — “Empire” with hip-hop and “Nashville” with country. Even if you’re not a fan of either music genre, the intertwining storylines of their characters and strong female leads (Taraji P. Henson and Connie Britton) will likely be enough to grab your attention. Both Henson and Britton (who plays Rayna James in “Nashville”) portray two dynamic women in a music industry that mostly caters to the young. The difference between the actresses is that Britton already had an existing TV fan base from “Friday Night Lights,” which was touted as a major selling point for viewers, while Henson is just starting to create her own fan base for her fierce portrayal of Cookie.

Season three of “Nashville” airs on ABC on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. CT.

“The Royals”

Starring Elizabeth Hurley as Queen Helena and Vincent Regan as King Simon, the royal family of England also has their own share of drama and dysfunction while attempting to present themselves as otherwise to the public. There’s the rebellious princess who loves sex and drugs, and her twin brother who enjoys his playboy life until his older brother dies. When that happens, he’s pushed to the front of the line as heir to the throne. Added to the royal family’s chaotic life mix is the head of the security team, Ted, who also has his secrets. On “Empire,” Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) tries to promote his record label as family-oriented. But behind closed doors, the Lyon family has their own schemes and secrets that could potentially ruin their legacy. “Empire” also has a plotline involving their head of security. In terms of “family life,” E!’s first scripted show bears similarities to the Lyons—the royal family of hip-hop.

Season one of “The Royals” airs on E! on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.

“Blackish”

When “Empire” hit the scene, it was a welcome addition to the growing representation of black characters on TV. Unfortunately, both shows air on Wednesdays during the same time slot (“Empire” at 9/8pm and “Blackish” at 9:30/8:30pm), which means they are competing for similar key demographics, especially black viewers, who are their most supportive viewers. “Blackish” is nothing like “Empire”. The ABC comedy follows Dre Johnson (Anthony Anderson) who wants to create a sense of cultural identity for his family while living in a predominantly white, upper-middle-class neighborhood. But now that “Empire” is done for the season, viewers who were drawn away from “Blackish” can switch back to the ABC sitcom with no distraction…for now.

Season one of “Blackish” airs on ABC on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET.

“Jane the Virgin”

“Jane the Virgin” and “Empire” actually toe the same line. “Jane the Virgin” is based on a Venezuelan telenovela of the same name; Lee Daniels, creator of “Empire,” wanted to create a “black Dynasty” (an 80s hit primetime soap drama). “Jane the Virgin” has story twists that will leave you gasping (e.g. the real story behind Sin Rostro); “Empire” has something similar (e.g. the real story behind Lucious’s disease). “Jane the Virgin” heavily features Latin music; “Empire” is driven by hip-hop. If you love “Empire” for its soap-opera appeal, the telenovela qualities of “Jane the Virgin” might actually be a great choice.

Season one of “Jane the Virgin” airs on the CW on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.

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Kristina Bustos is a contributing writer for The Riveter and Digital Spy. She was an editor at fashion blog The Blay Report as well as a contributor for Honey, Essence, and Audrey magazines.You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @krisbustos.