About this season
Empire is a unique programme that reports on and debates global powers on behalf of an international citizen. It does so in a way whereby it questions those geopolitical, geoeconomic, corporate, and other forms of power that influence citizens across borders. Many of those are not held accountable by any one government or any one nation, and so looking at the world as the global village it has become - with its integrated societies - we try to answer the questions on the minds of many of our viewers: why and how does global power act, react? And how does it throw its weight around?
Episodes (11)
1. America and al-Qaeda 3.0
Aired 26 January 2014
We examine the resurgence of al-Qaeda in one of the world's most troubled regions and unpick the US' response.
2. Towards a post post-Cold War era
Aired 30 March 2014
What is Moscow and Washington's endgame in Ukraine, and how could their strategies affect global security?
3. The US and Cuba: Obsession
Aired 27 April 2014
After decades of tension and hostility between the two nations, has change finally come to US-Cuba relations?
4. The Rise of the Oligarchs
Aired 25 May 2014
Empire examines the rise and role of the new oligarchs and the decline of democracy in the United States and beyond.
5. What Future for the Arab World?
Aired 29 June 2014
Empire examines old and new forces dominating the political scene after the Arab revolutions.
6. The new scramble for Africa
Aired 27 July 2014
Caught between competing powers to the West and East, how can Africa emerge from the race for its riches?
7. Hollywood: Chronicle of an Empire
Aired 28 September 2014
We examine the dominance of the US entertainment industry and its power to shape perceptions about culture and society.
8. The Promise and Peril of Democracy
Aired 5 October 2014
Twenty-five years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, why is European democracy in flux?
9. War on Terror, War on Muslims?
Aired 26 October 2014
Empire asks if the global fight against terrorism is eroding the democratic principles it set out to defend.
10. Obama and Media: The Mystery
Aired 30 November 2014
Empire goes to Washington DC to demystify the relationship between political power and the media in the US.
11. McAmerica: The Success Secrets of Brand USA
Aired 28 December 2014
Empire examines the allure of Brand America as American soft power continues to be unrivalled anywhere in the world.