The Blacklist

The Blacklist is an American crime thriller television series created by Jon Bokenkamp and developed by John Eisendrath.

The Blacklist is an American crime thriller television series created by Jon Bokenkamp and developed by John Eisendrath. It stars James Spader as Raymond Reddington, a fugitive criminal who helps the FBI track other dangerous offenders on a list known as the Blacklist. The series premiered on NBC in 2013 and ended in 2023. The Blacklist aired widely in Canada through television and streaming distribution, making it familiar to Canadian viewers as a long-running American network crime drama, similar to series such as Grey's Anatomy and House.

Premise

The series follows Raymond Reddington, a fugitive with deep criminal ties, who cooperates with the FBI under unusual conditions. The series centers on Reddington, one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives, who turns himself in and offers to help capture other criminals. A major plot element is his list of criminals, known as the Blacklist, which he uses to assist in investigations. The series belongs to the crime thriller genre, also explored by series such as True Detective.

Production and broadcast

The Blacklist was created by Jon Bokenkamp and developed by John Eisendrath. The series was ordered by NBC in 2013 and aired for ten seasons. It ran from 2013 to 2023 and was produced by Davis Entertainment, Universal Television, and Sony Pictures Television Studios.

Cast and characters

James Spader starred as Raymond Reddington, the show's central character. The main cast also includes Megan Boone as Elizabeth Keen, Diego Klattenhoff, Ryan Eggold, Amir Arison, Hisham Tawfiq, and Harry Lennix in major roles. The ensemble expanded over the show's run.

Reception and audience

The pilot episode drew 12.6 million viewers in the United States. The series became a long-running NBC crime drama and was also available on streaming platforms such as Netflix in some regions.