Eleven years after its debut, the Fast and Furious franchise is more lucrative than ever. The latest is the third film ever to break $1 billion in the box office. But is its success down to cars, girls and explosions? Or does it offer something no other franchise does – a cast as diverse as its audience?

In the digital age, being part of a minority group no longer has to mean feeling alone; a range of online platforms are letting people connect through their ethnic and cultural identities. Gal-Dem takes key talking points for young women of colour and provides a space in which they can be discussed.

Research suggests that the number of US minorities heading to the cinema increased in 2016. After a boycotting of the Oscars for the lack of diversity, the wider awareness and recognition of minority films and performers that has arisen since is drawing a more diverse audience to the big screen.

Somewhere between a gaudy soap opera and hip-hop rendition of Glee, Empire has enjoyed a growing viewership for ten consecutive weeks, now drawing more than 17 million viewers. But what is it that’s made Empire the biggest thing to hit America’s small screen in over a decade?