The Blacklist (TV series)

The Blacklist is an American crime drama 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, who had eluded capture for decades, voluntarily surrenders to the FBI, offering to cooperate on capturing a list of criminals who are virtually impossible to catch. He insists on working with a rookie 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 gave a back nine order, 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 announced the show would air an episode in the coveted post–Super Bowl timeslot in 2015.[4]

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

On February 5, 2015, NBC renewed the series for a third season.[8]

Contents
[hide]
 * 1 Premise
 * 2 Cast and characters
 * 2.1 Regular
 * 2.2 Recurring cast
 * 3 Episodes
 * 4 Critical response
 * 4.1 Ratings
 * 4.2 Awards and accolades
 * 5 Broadcast
 * 6 References
 * 7 External links

Premise[edit]
Main article: List of The Blacklist episodes

Raymond "Red" Reddington, a former officer of the United States Navy who disappeared twenty years ago and became one of the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, surrenders himself to Assistant Director Harold Cooper at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Taken to an FBI "black site", Reddington claims to share the FBI's interest in getting rid of criminals and terrorists he has associated with, that are so dangerous and devious that Cooper is unaware even of their existence. He offers Cooper his knowledge and assistance on two conditions: immunity from prosecution, and working 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.

As the series progresses, the mysteries of Reddington's and Liz's lives, and his interest in her, are revealed slowly. Twists are introduced involving other characters.

Cast and characters[edit]
Main article: List of The Blacklist characters

Recurring cast[edit]

 * Hisham Tawfiq as Dembe Zuma, Reddington's bodyguard.
 * Charles Baker as Grey, Reddington's mysterious aide and bodyguard.
 * Deborah S. Craig as Luli Zheng, one of Reddington's bodyguards and his money manager.
 * Jane Alexander as Diane Fowler, Head of Criminal Division of the Department of Justice.
 * Alan Alda as Alan Fitch, Assistant Director of National Intelligence.
 * Susan Blommaert as Mr. Kaplan, Reddington's personal cleaner.
 * Graeme Malcolm as "The Man with the Apple", a man who was spying on the Keen household.
 * Rachel Brosnahan as Jolene Parker/Lucy Brooks, a woman who makes her way into the Keens' life.
 * Lance Reddick as Cowboy, a bounty hunter hired by Red to find Jolene.
 * Peter Stormare as Milos "Berlin" Kirchoff, a former member of the KGB.
 * Emily Tremaine as Audrey Bidwell, Ressler's former fiancée.
 * Mary-Louise Parker as Naomi Hyland/Carla Reddington, Reddington's ex-wife.
 * Paul Reubens as Mr. Vargas, Reddington's double agent.
 * Hal Ozsan as Ezra, a bodyguard assigned to Elizabeth by Reddington.
 * Scottie Thompson as Zoe D'Antonio, Berlin's daughter.
 * Ron Perlman as Luther Braxton, a high-profile international thief.[9][10]
 * David Strathairn as the Director, the mysterious head of the US National Clandestine Service.
 * Janel Moloney as Kat Goodson, the Director's assistant, who serves as a liaison between the National Clandestine Service and the FBI.

Episodes[edit]
Main article: List of The Blacklist episodes

Critical response[edit]
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".[13] On Metacritic, the series has a score of 74 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14]

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".[15]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".[16] 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."[17]

The series has proven so successful that Netflix has bought timed exclusive rights for $2 million per episode.[18]

Broadcast[edit]
The Blacklist is broadcast in India on Star World Premiere HD.[28] The series is broadcast simultaneously on Global in Canada.[29] In Australia, Seven Network premiered the show on September 30, 2013 under the title James Spader's The Blacklist. The premiere was the highest-rated program for the night.[30] In New Zealand, it premiered on TV3 on February 2, 2014.[31] The second season premiered on September 23.[32] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it premiered on Sky Living on October 4, 2013.[33] The second season premiered on October 3, 2014.