Blacklist gets early renewal at NBC

The Blacklist, the most successful of this year’s batch of new season broadcast dramas, has been given an early renewal by NBC.

Making the announcement, NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt said the show’s ratings success “demonstrates that inspired storytelling is alive and well in broadcast television” – an attempt to disprove a growing industry belief cable channels now produce the best scripted fare.

The Blacklist stars James Spader as an underworld kingpin that gives himself up to the FBI to help catch other criminals on the proviso he only ever speaks with a rookie investigator (Megan Boone).

The series is US broadcast television’s top new series for the key 18-49 demo and is the second top overall in that target group. It averages a 4.9/12 share in most current viewing and, significantly, has fared well in ‘live-plus same-day viewing to live-plus-7’ bracket, with its November 4 episode recording the largest recorded increase of nearly 6.6 million.

Blacklist also represents NBC’s most watched new drama at this point in its run – eight weeks in – since Earth 2 in 1994.

The new season will be for 22 episodes. Davis Entertainment Company will once again produce in association with Sony Pictures Television.