The Blacklist (TV series)

This article is about the NBC television program. For the list of top unfilmed movie scripts, see Black List (survey). For other uses, see Blacklist (disambiguation).
The Blacklist
Genre
Created by Jon Bokenkamp
Starring
Composer(s)
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 3
No. of episodes 65 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s) Anthony Sparks
Location(s) New York
Cinematography
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 45 minutes
Production company(s)
Distributor
Release
Original network NBC
Original release September 23, 2013 (2013-09-23) – present (present)
External links
Official website

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 rat out the lads and 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 show 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 more episodes, filling out the series' first season.[2] On December 3, 2013, NBC renewed the show for a 22-episode second season.[3] On May 11, 2014, owing to the show's breakout success, NBC decided to air an episode in the coveted post-Super Bowl timeslot in 2015.[4]

The show has received positive reviews,[5][6] with many critics praising Spader's performance in particular.[7]

On February 5, 2015, NBC renewed the series for a third season which premiered on October 1, 2015.[8][9] On December 5, 2015, Jon Bokenkamp announced that the series had been renewed for a fourth season.[10]

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 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. The rank of the featured criminal on the list is displayed at the start of every episode.

Cast and characters

Main characters

Actor Character Position Seasons
1 2 3
James Spader Raymond "Red" Reddington Confidential informant, FBI Main
Megan Boone Elizabeth "Liz" Keen/Masha Rostova Special consultant, FBI Main
Diego Klattenhoff Donald Ressler Special agent, FBI
Director of the Counterterrorism Division, FBI 		Main
Ryan Eggold Tom Keen/Jacob Phelps Covert operative Main
Parminder Nagra Meera Malik Field agent, CIA Main
Harry Lennix Harold Cooper Director of the Counterterrorism Division, FBI Main
Amir Arison Aram Mojtabai Computer specialist, FBI Recurring Main
Mozhan Marnò Samar Navabi Agent, Mossad Main
Hisham Tawfiq Dembe Zuma Reddington's bodyguard Recurring Main

Recurring characters

Season 1

It is not known how Red and Grey came to meet, but they appear to have known each other long enough that Red trusted him with fighting his unknown adversary and to have knowledge on what Red is doing with the FBI. Deborah S. Craig as Luli Zheng, one of Reddington's bodyguards and his money manager

Season 2

Season 3

Episodes

Season Episodes Originally aired Nielsen ratings
First aired Last aired Rank Viewers
(million)
1 22 September 23, 2013 (2013-09-23) May 12, 2014 (2014-05-12) 6 14.95[13]
2 22 September 22, 2014 (2014-09-22) May 14, 2015 (2015-05-14) 14 13.76[14]
3 23[15] October 1, 2015 (2015-10-01) May 19, 2016 (2016-05-19)[15] TBD TBD

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.[16] Recalling the experience in an interview with Collider.com, executive producer John Eisendrath stated:

“ So, the idea was, 'Well, what would happen if a man like Whitey Bulger turned himself in and said, "I am here. I have some rules that I want you to follow, but if you follow them I will give you the names of people that I have worked with, during the 20 years that I have been a fugitive."' So, there was a real world influence that affected the shaping of the show that was already being thought about. How can you put someone that you don't trust in the center of a show about trying to find criminals? And here was an example in the real world of just such a person. It was a fortuitous turn of events, where the idea for a show was being considered, and then here comes a real life story that helped give it some shape.[17] ”

NBC bought the rights to The Blacklist from Sony Pictures Television in August 2012[18] and greenlighted the show in January 2013.[19] During an NBC upfront presentation in May 2013, it was announced that The Blacklist was NBC's highest-testing drama in 10 years.[20]

Casting

Eisendrath said the casting process was difficult.[17] In February 2013, NBC offered Kiefer Sutherland the lead role of Raymond Reddington.[21] After considering other actors for the role, Eisendrath and Bokenkamp called James Spader to see if he would be interested in it.[17] Feeling confident in Spader's understanding of the character, they cast him three days before filming began.[17]

Megan Boone took a week to prepare for her audition as FBI profiler Elizabeth Keen.[22] Feeling like her initial audition was one of the better auditions of her career, Boone later got called back for multiple auditions.[22] In March 2013, Deadline.com reported that Boone accepted the role as the female lead in the series.[23]

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.[24] Producer Richard Heus said they chose to film specific Washington, D.C. locations for the series because they were "iconic American locations".[25] These locations included the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the National Mall.[25]

The series is filmed in 4K using Sony PMW-F55 cameras that are adapted to use Panavision lenses.[26] It is edited using Avid Media Composer, which editor Christopher Brookshire says keeps the show's "very distinctive look and pace".[27] An average of three cameras are used at one time, but as many as six cameras are sometimes rolling.[28]

Reception

Critical response

The first season of The Blacklist received strong reviews from television critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show has a rating of 82%, based on 45 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's 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".[29] On Metacritic, the series has a score of 74 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[30]

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".[5] 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".[31] Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter praised both Spader's performance and the procedural elements of the show, writing "there's an over-arching element to the premise as well that makes it intriguing without making it overly complicated."[32]

Ratings

U.S. television ratings for The Blacklist
Season Timeslot (ET) Episodes Premiere Finale TV Season Rank Viewers
(in millions)		 Live + DVR
Viewers
(in millions)
Date Viewers
(millions)		 Date Viewers
(millions)
1
Monday 10:00 p.m.
 22
September 23, 2013
 12.58[33]
May 12, 2014
 10.44[34] 2013–14 #6[35] 14.95[35] 16.90[36]
2
Monday 10:00 p.m.
Thursday 9:00 p.m.
 22
September 22, 2014
 12.34[37]
May 14, 2015
 7.49[38] 2014–15 #14[39] 13.76[39] 15.10[40]
3
Thursday 9:00 p.m.
 23[15]
October 1, 2015
 7.76[41]
May 19, 2016[15]
 TBD 2015–16 TBA TBA TBA

Potential spin-off

NBC has begun developing a spin-off series created by Bokenkamp and Eisendrath, who would also executive produce with Davis and Fox. The project would 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.[42] Hargrave first appeared on The Blacklist's May 5, 2016 episode, with its May 12, 2016, episode serving as a backdoor pilot for the potential series. That episode will be written by Bokenkamp and Eisendrath and directed by Michael Dinner.[43]

Accolades

Awards and nominations for The Blacklist
Year Association Category Nominee Result
2014 Golden Globe Awards[44] Best Actor – Television Series Drama James Spader Nominated
People's Choice Awards[45] Favorite New Television Drama The Blacklist Nominated
Entertainment Weekly
Season Finale Awards[46]		 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[47] Best Actor -Television Series Drama James Spader Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Alan Alda Nominated

Broadcast

The series is broadcast simultaneously on Global in Canada.[48][49] In New Zealand, the show premiered on TV3 on February 2, 2014.[50] The second season premiered on September 23.[51] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the show premiered on Sky Living on October 4, 2013.[52] The second season premiered on October 3, 2014.[53] Netflix has streaming rights to the first and second seasons in the United States, Australia and Latin America.

Comics

Titan Books will start releasing an official comic book based on the series, being written by Nicole Phillips and drawn by Beni Lobel. The series' crew is working in the project too.

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.[54]

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". May 11, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Wiegand, David (September 18, 2013). "Suspense dramas 'Blacklist,' 'Hostages' to premiere". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  6. ↑ Jensen, Jeff (October 12, 2013). "The Blacklist Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  7. ↑ Ostrow, Joanne (September 6, 2013). "Review: James Spader in "The Blacklist" on NBC". The Denver Post. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  8. ↑ Bibel, Sara (February 5, 2015). "'The Blacklist', 'Chicago Fire', 'Chicago P.D.', 'Grimm' & 'Law & Order: SVU' Renewed by NBC". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  9. ↑ Kissell, Rick (August 13, 2015). "'Heroes Reborn' Gets Two-Hour Premiere, 'The Blacklist' Season 3 Premiere Delayed". Variety. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  10. ↑ "The Blacklist has been renewed for season 4". Retrieved December 7, 2015.
  11. ↑ Schneider, Michael (November 13, 2014). "Exclusive: NBC's The Blacklist Casts the Villain For Its Super Bowl Episode". TV Guide. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  12. ↑ Barr, Merrill (November 18, 2014). "'The Blacklist' Casts Ron Perlman as Villain of Super Bowl Episode". Screenrant. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  13. ↑ Deadline Team, The (May 23, 2014). "Full 2013-14 Series Rankings". Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Full 2014-15 Series Rankings". Deadline Hollywood. May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "Shows A-Z - blacklist, the on NBC". The Futon Critic. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  16. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (2013-07-18). "Comic-Con: 'The Blacklist' Inspired by Whitey Bulger's Capture". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Radish, Christina (2013-07-28). "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 2015-06-14.
  18. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (2012-08-13). "ABC Buys Extended Family Comedy, NBC Goes For International Crime Drama". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  19. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (2013-01-22). "2ND UPDATE: NBC Orders Four Drama & Three Comedy Pilots". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  20. ↑ Guthrie, Marisa (2013-05-12). "TV Upfronts: Five Takeaways From NBC's Presentation". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  21. ↑ Berkshire, Geoff (2013-02-27). "Kiefer Sutherland's pilot offer is more bad news for 'Touch'". Zap2it. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  22. 1 2 Vogt, Tiffany (2013-09-23). "THE BLACKLIST Intel: EP John Eisendrath and Megan Boone Preview their Intriguing New Spy Series". The TV Addict. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  23. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (2013-03-01). "Megan Boone Cast As Female Lead In NBC Pilot 'Blacklist'". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  24. ↑ Moore, Frazier (2013-10-26). "James Spader, Megan Boone Talk 'The Blacklist'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2015-06-16.
  25. 1 2 Gates, Angie (2013-03-28). "Interview with The Blacklist Producer Richard Heus". Office of Motion Picture and Television Development. Retrieved 2015-06-16.
  26. ↑ Soltz, Ned (2014-03-04). "4K in the TV Environment: Where It Is Now". TV Technology. Retrieved 2015-06-16.
  27. ↑ Romanello, Linda (2015-01-01). "Primetime: NBC's 'The Blacklist'". Post Magazine. Retrieved 2015-06-16.
  28. ↑ "'The Blacklist' Short Lists Anton/Bauer, Litepanels and OConnor". ProductionHUB. 2015-04-29. Retrieved 2015-06-16.
  29. ↑ "'The Blacklist', Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  30. ↑ "The Blacklist – Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  31. ↑ Bianco, Robert (September 22, 2013). "'Blacklist,' 'Hostages' each have suspenseful charms". USA Today. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  32. ↑ Goodman, Tim (September 19, 2013). "The Blacklist: TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  33. ↑ 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.
  34. ↑ 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.
  35. 1 2 "Full 2013-14 Series Rankings". Deadline.com. May 23, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  36. ↑ Bibel, Sara (June 9, 2014). "Live+7 DVR Ratings: Complete 2013-14 Season The Big Bang Theory Leads Adults 18-49 Ratings Increase; Raising Hope Earns Biggest Percentage Increase; The Blacklist Top Viewership Gains". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  37. ↑ 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. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  38. ↑ 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.
  39. 1 2 "Full 2014-15 Series Rankings". Deadline.com. May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Live+7 Ratings: Complete 2014-15 Season 'The Big Bang Theory' Leads Adults 18-49 Ratings Increase; 'The Messengers' Earns Biggest Percentage Increase, 'The Blacklist' Tops Viewership Gains". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved 2015-06-08.
  41. ↑ Dixon, Dani (October 2, 2015). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Bones' & 'The Player' Adjusted Up + Final Football Ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  42. ↑ http://deadline.com/2016/03/the-blacklist-spinoff-tawny-cypress-cast-1201728743/
  43. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (March 29, 2016). "'The Blacklist' Spinoff Starring Famke Janssen In the Works At NBC". Deadline.com. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  44. ↑ "Golden Globes, USA (2014)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  45. ↑ "People's Choice Awards (2014)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  46. ↑ Bierly, Mandi (May 28, 2014). "TV Season Finale Awards: YOUR 2014 Winners". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  47. ↑ "2015 Golden Globe Nominations". The Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
  48. ↑ "The Blacklist".
  49. ↑ Knox, David (October 1, 2013). "The Blacklist Tops Monday But Homeland Sinks". TV Tonight. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  50. ↑ "The Blacklist". Mediaworks New Zealand. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  51. ↑ "The Blacklist". TV3.
  52. ↑ Munn, Patrick (September 11, 2013). "Sky Living Sets UK Premiere Date For 'The Blacklist'". TV Wise. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  53. ↑ "Sky Living Sets UK Premiere Date For 'The Blacklist' Season 2". TV Wise. September 17, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  54. ↑ 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.'

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