In advance of the holiday season, NBC is making its list and checking it twice and the network has decided that the freshman drama “The Blacklist” has been very, very nice.
Yes. That was really convoluted, but this is really uncommon.
NBC announced on Tuesday (December 3) afternoon that “The Blacklist” has already been renewed for a second season, making it the second new show of the 2013-2014 season to get that vote of confidence.
The renewal came on the heels of a big bump for Monday’s “Blacklist” fall finale, which dominated its time period in all measures. “Blacklist,” which stars James Spader and Megan Boone,” is the season’s top new drama among adults 18-49 and it has regularly been setting Live+3 and Live+7 records, particularly in overall viewership gains.
“The success of ‘The Blacklist” demonstrates that inspired storytelling is alive and well in broadcast television, and I”m impressed on a daily basis by this creative team”s imagination and the extent to which they will go to capture this grand vision on film,” blurbs NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt said. “With gratitude to both our partners at Sony Pictures Television and our NBC development executives who took a great script and shepherded it into a great series, I hope that Red Reddington never runs out of names to bring down on his list!”
Adds NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke, “We are very proud of the creative achievements of ‘The Blacklist,” starting with creator Jon Bokenkamp and his incredible producing partners John Eisendrath, John Davis, John Fox and Michael Watkins. Our hats are off to them and to everyone in our dream cast – starting with the incomparable James Spader and Megan Boone – and our maverick pilot director, Joe Carnahan, and all of the gifted writers, producers, and directors who bring this cinematic show to life each week.”
In most current figures — that includes some Live+7 and some Live+3 and some Live+SD figures — “The Blacklist” is averaging a 4.9 rating among adults 18-49. The November 4 “Blacklist” episode grew 6.589 million viewers in Live+7 viewing, the largest viewer increase in the storied history of Live+7 figures. “Blacklist,” in fact, has the three largest increases of this kind.
NBC boasts that “The Blacklist” is NBC’s most-watched new drama eight weeks into its run in 19 years. Of course, that drama was 1994’s “Earth 2,” so take everything with a grain of salt.
The only other new show to already receive a renewal for next season is FOX’s “Sleepy Hollow,” but the catch there is that “Sleepy Hollow” is only getting a 13 episode first season and will be gone from February through next September. “Blacklist,” in contrast, will return for four January episodes, will be gone through the Olympics and will then resume its successful pairing with “The Voice” later in the spring.
I still need to watch Monday’s fall finale, but I’d describe “The Blacklist” as a solid “It is what it is” procedural that has been reliably elevated by spectacular casting for its guest baddies.
Are you played “The Blacklist” will be back next year?