The highly-anticipated country drama Monarch finally premiered on FOX on Sunday, Sept. 11, to a large audience. One report says 3.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the first episode, with another 1.5 million catching the encore presentation, for a total of 5.3 million total viewers.

That's the biggest fall debut of a scripted series on FOX since Prodigal Son launched three years ago. Monarch held its own while facing stiff competition, as the premiere of Sunday Night Football featured a big matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on NBC.

Charlie Collier — FOX Entertainment's CEO — is pleased with Monarch's initial performance, and sent out a company-wide email to congratulate his staff.

"Cooperation between Entertainment and Sports resulted in the strategic decision to streamline the OT after a FOX national NFL game that ended early, thus allowing Monarch to begin live across time zones at 7:45pm ET,” he writes in that email.

"It’s also worth noting that we drew in this post-game audience even as Monarch was up against Tampa Bay’s opening night, which marked Tom Brady’s big return to the field against the Cowboys. Despite this formidable challenger, Monarch still took a Texas-sized bite out of the night ... I’m really pleased with all of our efforts and with this beginning amidst a cluttered world."

"While it’s great to share news of a strong opening night with you, we must remember that this is just the beginning of Monarch's story as we remain focused on the long-tail," Collier adds.

The network is running encore airings of Ep. 1 throughout the week, including on Wednesday, Sept. 14. Monarch's second episode will debut during the series' regular time slot on Tuesday, Sept. 20 after The Resident. Fans can also stream the show on Hulu.

Monarch stars Trace Adkins, Susan Sarandon and Anna Friel and follows their lives as the fictional First Family of Country Music, the Romans. The series is a multi-generational drama created by Melissa London Hilfers.

Trace Adkins' Top 20 Songs: Love Songs, Military Tributes + Songs to Shake Your Country Butt To

Trace Adkins is one of the most versatile country music singers of the last generation, and this list of his Top 20 Songs proves it. Emotional ballads, stunning throwbacks, painful heartbreakers and meaningful songs of faith are scattered across his nearly 30-year catalog. Then, there are a whole lot of songs that make you want to shake your behind.

Scroll through to find 20 great Trace Adkins songs, ranked. You can almost break his career into three acts: The tender beginning, his more rowdy commercial peak and his pensive later years. While he has just three No. 1 hits, Adkins' wide range of subject matter and ability to use his voice in so many fascinating ways makes him an essential 21st century artist.

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