The Blacklist (TV series)

The Blacklist
Genre
Created by Jon Bokenkamp
Starring
Composer(s)
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 4
No. of episodes 89 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s) Anthony Sparks
Location(s) New York City
Cinematography
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 45 minutes
Production company(s)
Distributor
Release
Original network NBC
Picture format 576i SDTV
1080i HDTV
4K UHDTV (2016–)
Original release September 23, 2013 (2013-09-23) – present (present)
Chronology
Followed by The Blacklist: Redemption
External links
Official website www.nbc.com/the-blacklist

The Blacklist is an American crime thriller television series that premiered on NBC on September 23, 2013. Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader), a former U.S. Navy officer turned high-profile criminal, voluntarily surrenders to the FBI after eluding capture for decades. He tells the FBI that he has a list of the most dangerous criminals in the world that he has compiled over the years and is willing to inform on their operations in exchange for immunity from prosecution. However, he insists on working exclusively with a rookie FBI profiler by the name of Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone). The series also stars Diego Klattenhoff, Ryan Eggold, and Harry Lennix. The pilot episode was written by Jon Bokenkamp and directed by Joe Carnahan.[1] Executive producers for the series include Bokenkamp, John Eisendrath, and John Davis for Sony Pictures Television, Universal Television, and Davis Entertainment.

On October 4, 2013, NBC ordered nine additional episodes, filling out the series' first season.[2] On December 3, 2013, NBC renewed the series for a 22-episode second season.[3] On May 11, 2014, owing to the series' breakout success, NBC decided to air an episode in the coveted post-Super Bowl timeslot in 2015.[4] On December 5, 2015, the series was renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on September 22, 2016.[5][6] A spin-off series, The Blacklist: Redemption, premiered on February 23, 2017. On May 11, 2017, the series was renewed for a fifth season,[7] while the spin-off was canceled the following day.[8] The fifth season is set to premiere on September 27, 2017.[9]

The series has received positive reviews,[10][11] with many critics praising Spader's performance in particular.[12]

Premise

Raymond "Red" Reddington, a former US Naval Intelligence officer who had disappeared twenty years earlier to become one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, surrenders himself to FBI Assistant Director Harold Cooper at the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C. Taken to an FBI "black site," Reddington claims he wishes to help the FBI track down and apprehend the criminals and terrorists he spent the last twenty years associating with; individuals that are so dangerous and devious that the United States government is unaware of their very existence.

He offers Cooper his knowledge and assistance on two conditions: immunity from prosecution, and that he wants to work exclusively with Elizabeth Keen, a rookie profiler newly assigned to Cooper. Keen and Cooper are suspicious of Reddington's interest in her, but he will only say that she is "very special." After Cooper tests Reddington's offer in locating and killing a terrorist in the first episode, Reddington reveals that this man was only the first on his "blacklist" of global criminals, which he has compiled over his criminal career, and states that he and the FBI have a mutual interest in eliminating them. The mysteries of Reddington's and Liz's lives, and his interest in her, are gradually revealed as the series progresses. Each episode features one of the global criminals, Reddington assisting the team tracking and apprehending them.

One of the ongoing themes of the series is the effect that working with Reddington seemingly has on the characters of the FBI task force, as some of them start to compromise their own professional integrity, and do expedient or unprofessional things that they would never have considered at the outset of the series.

The rank of the featured criminal on the list is displayed at the start of every episode. Two episodes in the series, "Cape May" and "Requiem", do not follow this format.

Cast and characters

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedNielsen ratings
First airedLast airedRankAverage viewers
(millions)
122September 23, 2013 (2013-09-23)May 12, 2014 (2014-05-12)614.95[13]
222September 22, 2014 (2014-09-22)May 14, 2015 (2015-05-14)1413.76[14]
323October 1, 2015 (2015-10-01)May 19, 2016 (2016-05-19)2211.19[15]
422September 22, 2016 (2016-09-22)May 18, 2017 (2017-05-18)309.25[16]

Production and development

Conception

After showing a screening of the pilot at Comic-Con, producers revealed that their inspiration for The Blacklist came from the capture of Whitey Bulger.[17] Recalling the experience in an interview with Collider.com, executive producer John Eisendrath stated:

NBC bought the rights to The Blacklist from Sony Pictures Television in August 2012[19] and greenlighted the show in January 2013.[20] During an NBC upfront presentation in May 2013, it was announced that The Blacklist was NBC's highest-testing drama in 10 years.[21]

Casting

Eisendrath said the casting process was difficult.[18] In February 2013, NBC offered Kiefer Sutherland the lead role of Raymond Reddington.[22] After considering other actors for the role, Eisendrath and Bokenkamp called James Spader to see if he would be interested in it.[18] Feeling confident in Spader's understanding of the character, they cast him three days before filming began.[18]

Megan Boone took a week to prepare for her audition as FBI profiler Elizabeth Keen.[23] Feeling like her initial audition was one of the better auditions of her career, Boone later was called back for multiple auditions.[23] In March 2013, Deadline.com reported that Boone accepted the role as the female lead in the series.[24]

Filming locations and technique

Despite being set in Washington, D.C., the series is mainly filmed in the same Manhattan studio where Law & Order was filmed for 20 years.[25] Producer Richard Heus said they chose to film specific Washington, D.C. locations for the series, including the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the National Mall, because they were "iconic American locations".[26]

The series is filmed in 4K using Sony PMW-F55 cameras that are adapted to use Panavision lenses.[27] It is edited using Avid Media Composer, and editor Christopher Brookshire says the show has "a very distinctive look and pace".[28] An average of three cameras are used at one time, but as many as six cameras are sometimes rolling.[29]

Broadcast

The series is broadcast simultaneously on Global in Canada.[30][31] In New Zealand, the show premiered on TV3 on February 2, 2014.[32] The second season premiered on September 23.[33] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the show premiered on Sky Living on October 4, 2013.[34] The second season premiered on October 3, 2014.[35] Netflix has streaming rights to seasons 1–3 in the United States, Australia, Latin America, Finland, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Canada.

Reception

Critical response

The first season of The Blacklist received strong reviews from television critics. On Metacritic, the first season has a score of 74 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[36] On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a rating of 83%, based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The consensus reads, "James Spader is riveting as a criminal-turned-informant, and his presence goes a long way toward making this twisty but occasionally implausible crime procedural compelling".[37] The second season received a rating of 80%, based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The consensus reads, "Though The Blacklist flirts with narrative overload, it's held together by James Spader's scenery-eating performance and wildly entertaining action."[38] The third season received a rating of 92%, based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The consensus reads, "The Blacklist is back in top form with fresh dangers that put Red on the ropes while giving James Spader room to shine."[39]

David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle said about the pilot, "You think you know this situation and how it will turn out, but there are surprising, yet entirely credible, twists throughout Monday's episode".[10] Robert Bianco of USA Today said, "The Blacklist is a solid weekly crime show built around a genuine TV star. That's the kind of series the networks have to be able to pull off to survive. And with Spader in command, odds are NBC will".[40] Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter praised both Spader's performance and the procedural elements of the show, writing "there's an overarching element to the premise as well that makes it intriguing without making it overly complicated."[41]

Ratings

Season Timeslot (ET) Episodes First aired Last aired TV season Rank Avg. viewers
(millions)
Date Viewers
(millions)		 Date Viewers
(millions)
1 Monday 10:00 p.m. 22 September 23, 2013 (2013-09-23) 12.58[42] May 12, 2014 (2014-05-12) 10.44[43] 2013–14 6 14.95[44]
2 Monday 10:00 p.m. (1-8)
Sunday 10:38 p.m. (episode 9)
Thursday 9:00 p.m. (10-22)		 22 September 22, 2014 (2014-09-22) 12.34[45] May 14, 2015 (2015-05-14) 7.49[46] 2014–15 14 13.76[47]
3 Thursday 9:00 p.m. 23 October 1, 2015 (2015-10-01) 7.76[48] May 19, 2016 (2016-05-19) 6.88[49] 2015–16 22 11.19[50]
4 Thursday 10:00 p.m. 22 September 22, 2016 (2016-09-22) 6.40[51] May 18, 2017 (2017-05-18) 4.92[52] 2016–17 30 9.25[16]
5 Wednesday 8:00 p.m. 22 September 27, 2017 (2017-09-27)[9] TBD TBA TBD 2017–18 TBD TBD

Accolades

Year Association Category Nominee Result
2014 Golden Globe Awards[53] Best Actor – Television Series Drama James Spader Nominated
People's Choice Awards[54] Favorite New Television Drama The Blacklist Nominated
Entertainment Weekly
Season Finale Awards[55]		 Best Non-Romantic Cliffhanger "Berlin (No. 8) Conclusion" Nominated
Funniest Moment in a Drama Nominated
Weakest/Most Divisive Twist Nominated
Best Final Shot Nominated
Most Likely to Earn Someone an Emmy Nomination Nominated
Biggest Regret That I Didn't See It, I Just Heard or Read About It Nominated
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Miniseries, or Movie The Blacklist Won
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top TV Series The Blacklist (Dave Porter) Won
Saturn Award Best Network Television Series Release The Blacklist Nominated
Best Actor in a Television Series James Spader Nominated
2015 Golden Globe Awards[56] Best Actor -Television Series Drama James Spader Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Alan Alda Nominated
2016 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Miniseries, or Movie The Blacklist Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series stunt castnote 1 Nominated
2017 People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Crime Drama The Blacklist Nominated
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Miniseries, or Movie Pending
Note
  1. ^ The stunt cast included Airon Armstrong, Kevin Ball, Chris Barnes, Nitasha Bhambree, Michael C. Brennan, Bryce Burke, Jared Burke, Kachina Dechert, Neimah Djourabchi, Paul Drechsler-Martell, Stefanie Flores, Edward Gabree, Christopher Jon Gombos, Tony Guida, Gene Harrison, Greg Harvey, Chad Hessler, Cort Hessler, Donald John Hewitt, Scott Kelly, Pete Klein, Drew Leary, Luke Lesko, Roberto Lopez, Terence Lorino, Stephen Mann, Michael Matera, Chazz Menendez, Luis Moco, Declan Mulvey, James Newman, Josiah Nolan, Christopher Parker, Ashley Pynn, Jodi Michelle Pynn, Bob Roseman, Akos Schenek, Hannah Scott, Derrick Simmons, Brian Smyj, Matt Triplett, Thad Turner, and Aaron Vexler.

Other media

Comics

Titan Books released an official comic book series based on the series, written by Nicole Phillips and drawn by Beni Lobel. The series' crew is working in the project as well.

Editor David Leach told The Hollywood Reporter that the comic is "a true extension of the television series" giving "new dimensions of the characters that have captured the audiences worldwide". The series will open with a six-issue story arc, which will be "a journey deep into the dark world of international espionage, conspiracies and intrigue on a global scale".

Issue #1 was launched July 22, 2015, in both comic book and digital stores.[57]

Games

A mobile game by Gameloft based on the series, The Blacklist: Conspiracy, was released on June 23, 2016, for Android, iOS and Windows devices.[58]

Spin-off

In March 2016, NBC began developing a spin-off series created by Bokenkamp and Eisendrath, who would also serve as executive producers with Davis and Fox. The project was set to star Famke Janssen as Susan "Scottie" Hargrave (formerly Halsted) and Eggold, in his role as Tom Keen, as well as Edi Gathegi reprising his role as Matias Solomon. Tawny Cypress has been cast as Nez Rowan, a character already recurring during the third season.[59] Hargrave first appeared on The Blacklist episode "Susan Hargrave", with "Alexander Kirk" serving as a backdoor pilot for the potential series. That episode was written by Bokenkamp and Eisendrath and directed by Michael Dinner.[60] On May 14, 2016, a pilot for the series, The Blacklist: Redemption, was ordered.[61] The series was canceled after one season,[62] and Eggold will continue his role on The Blacklist.[63]

References

  1. 1 2 "NBC Reveals Its 2013–14 Primetime Schedule". The Futon Critic. May 12, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  2. ↑ Bibel, Sara (October 4, 2013). "'The Blacklist' Picked Up for a Full Season by NBC". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  3. ↑ Bibel, Sara (December 3, 2013). "'The Blacklist' Renewed for Second Season by NBC". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  4. ↑ "NBC reveals fall TV schedule". Entertainment Weekly. May 11, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  5. ↑ "The Blacklist has been renewed for season 4". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
  6. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (June 15, 2016). "NBC Sets Fall 2016 Premiere Dates, 'The Good Place' Gets Post-'The Voice' Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  7. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (May 11, 2017). "'The Blacklist' Renewed For Season 5 By NBC".
  8. ↑ "'The Blacklist: Redemption' Canceled After One Season". May 12, 2017.
  9. 1 2 Ausiello, Michael (July 31, 2017). "NBC Tweaks Fall Rollout: Good Place Gets Early Talent-Boosted Premiere, The Blacklist Return Moved Up". TVLine. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  10. 1 2 Wiegand, David (September 18, 2013). "Suspense dramas 'Blacklist,' 'Hostages' to premiere". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  11. ↑ Jensen, Jeff (October 12, 2013). "The Blacklist Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  12. ↑ Ostrow, Joanne (September 6, 2013). "Review: James Spader in "The Blacklist" on NBC". The Denver Post. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  13. ↑ The Deadline Team (May 22, 2014). "Full 2013-2014 TV Season Series Rankings". Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  14. ↑ de Moraes, Lisa (May 21, 2015). "Full 2014-15 TV Season Series Rankings: Football & 'Empire' Ruled". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  15. ↑ de Moraes, Lisa (May 26, 2016). "Full 2015-16 TV Season Series Rankings: 'Blindspot', 'Life In Pieces' & 'Quantico' Lead Newcomers". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  16. 1 2 "Final 2016-17 TV Rankings: ‘Sunday Night Football’ Winning Streak Continues". Deadline Hollywood. May 26, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  17. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (July 18, 2013). "Comic-Con: 'The Blacklist' Inspired by Whitey Bulger's Capture". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Radish, Christina (July 28, 2013). "THE BLACKLIST Showrunner John Eisendrath Talks about the Show's Inspiration, Getting Inside the Mind of a Criminal, Casting James Spader, and More". Collider.com. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  19. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (August 13, 2012). "ABC Buys Extended Family Comedy, NBC Goes For International Crime Drama". Deadline.com. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  20. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (January 22, 2013). "2ND UPDATE: NBC Orders Four Drama & Three Comedy Pilots". Deadline.com. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  21. ↑ Guthrie, Marisa (May 12, 2013). "TV Upfronts: Five Takeaways From NBC's Presentation". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  22. ↑ Berkshire, Geoff (February 27, 2013). "Kiefer Sutherland's pilot offer is more bad news for 'Touch'". Zap2it. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  23. 1 2 Vogt, Tiffany (September 23, 2013). "THE BLACKLIST Intel: EP John Eisendrath and Megan Boone Preview their Intriguing New Spy Series". The TV Addict. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  24. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (March 1, 2013). "Megan Boone Cast As Female Lead In NBC Pilot 'Blacklist'". Deadline.com. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  25. ↑ Moore, Frazier (October 26, 2013). "James Spader, Megan Boone Talk 'The Blacklist'". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on May 25, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  26. ↑ Gates, Angie (March 28, 2013). "Interview with The Blacklist Producer Richard Heus". Office of Motion Picture and Television Development. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  27. ↑ Soltz, Ned (March 4, 2014). "4K in the TV Environment: Where It Is Now". TV Technology. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  28. ↑ Romanello, Linda (January 1, 2015). "Primetime: NBC's 'The Blacklist'". Post Magazine. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  29. ↑ "'The Blacklist' Short Lists Anton/Bauer, Litepanels and OConnor". ProductionHUB. April 29, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  30. ↑ "The Blacklist". Global Television Network.
  31. ↑ Knox, David (October 1, 2013). "The Blacklist Tops Monday But Homeland Sinks". TV Tonight. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  32. ↑ "The Blacklist". Mediaworks New Zealand. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  33. ↑ "The Blacklist". TV3.
  34. ↑ Munn, Patrick (September 11, 2013). "Sky Living Sets UK Premiere Date For 'The Blacklist'". TV Wise. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Sky Living Sets UK Premiere Date For 'The Blacklist' Season 2". TV Wise. September 17, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  36. ↑ "The Blacklist – Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  37. ↑ "'The Blacklist', Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  38. ↑ "The Blacklist - S02 reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  39. ↑ "The Blacklist : Season 3". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  40. ↑ Bianco, Robert (September 22, 2013). "'Blacklist,' 'Hostages' each have suspenseful charms". USA Today. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  41. ↑ Goodman, Tim (September 19, 2013). "The Blacklist: TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  42. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (September 24, 2013). "Monday Final TV Ratings: 'The Voice' & 'How I Met Your Mother' Adjusted Up; No Adjustment for 'Hostages' or 'The Blacklist'". TV by the Numbers.
  43. ↑ Bibel, Sara (May 13, 2014). "Monday Final TV Ratings: 'Bones', 'Castle', 'Dancing With The Stars' & 'Friends With Better Lives' Adjusted Up; 'Star-Crossed' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
  44. ↑ "Full 2013-14 Series Rankings". Deadline.com. May 23, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  45. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (September 23, 2014). "Monday Final Ratings: 'Forever', 'Dancing With the Stars' & 'The Big Bang Theory' Adjusted Up; 'Scorpion' & 'America's Next Top Model' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 26, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  46. ↑ Bibel, Sara (May 15, 2015). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Blacklist' Adjusted Up; 'Reign' Adjusted Down; No Adjustment to 'Scandal'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  47. ↑ "Full 2014-15 Series Rankings". Deadline.com. May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  48. ↑ Dixon, Dani (October 2, 2015). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Bones' & 'The Player' Adjusted Up + Final Football Ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  49. ↑ Porter, Rick (May 20, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: 'Bones' adjusts up, 'The Catch' finale and 'Game of Silence' adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  50. ↑ "Full 2015–16 TV Season Series Rankings". Deadline Hollywood. May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  51. ↑ Porter, Rick (September 23, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Superstore' and 'Good Place' adjust up, 'Notorious' adjusts down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  52. ↑ Porter, Rick (May 19, 2017). "‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Masterchef Junior’ finales, ‘Amazing Race’ adjust up: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  53. ↑ "Golden Globes, USA (2014)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  54. ↑ "People's Choice Awards (2014)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  55. ↑ Bierly, Mandi (May 28, 2014). "TV Season Finale Awards: YOUR 2014 Winners". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  56. ↑ "2015 Golden Globe Nominations". The Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Archived from the original on December 12, 2014.
  57. ↑ McMillan, Graeme (April 14, 2015). "NBC's 'The Blacklist' Coming to Comics This Summer". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 14, 2015. David Leach, who'll edit the new monthly series, called the comic book 'a true extension of the television series['], promising a glimpse at 'new dimensions of the characters that have captured the audiences worldwide.'
  58. ↑ "Gameloft Launches "The Blacklist: Conspiracy" for Smartphones and Tablets" (Press release). Gameloft. Retrieved January 20, 2017 – via PR Newswire.
  59. ↑ "'The Blacklist' Spinoff: Tawny Cypress Cast". Deadline.com.
  60. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (March 29, 2016). "'The Blacklist' Spinoff Starring Famke Janssen In the Works At NBC". Deadline.com. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  61. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie. "'The Blacklist' Spinoff Picked Up To Series By NBC, Gets Title". Deadline.
  62. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (May 12, 2017). "‘The Blacklist: Redemption’ Canceled By NBC After One Season".
  63. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (May 12, 2017). "Ryan Eggold To Rejoin ‘The Blacklist’ As Series Regular Following ‘Redemption’ Cancellation".
Preceded by
New Girl
2014		 Super Bowl lead-out program
The Blacklist
2015 		Succeeded by
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2016
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