With the fall TV schedule upon us, fans can finally look forward to their favorite shows. Though with NBC allegedly thinking about trying something new for the future that could help local stations, it could spell trouble for some fan favorites, including The Blacklist, which is about to enter its 10th season at the Peacock Network.
NBC may reportedly be following in the footsteps of networks like Fox and The CW by completely axing the 10 p.m. timeslot. The move would help the network in order to save money in an era when linear TV is less and less lucrative, per a report in the Wall Street Journal. If that were to happen, a lot of current fan-favorites would be at risk, The Blacklist included.
In fact, The Blacklist would likely be among the shows that woould get canceled if NBC moves forward with this plan. With the series seeing the departure of Megan Boone as Elizabeth Keen in Season 8 and two departures for the Season 9 finale, it’s also the lowest-rated scripted series on the network. Having it premiere midseason for the 2022-23 season could also indicate the beginning of the end, and TVLine had previously reported Season 10 might be the last for the show anyway.
It was recently announced that Season 10 of The Blacklist will include a Season 1 twist. With the upcoming season already including a throwback -- something many shows do during their final episodes -- this plot could be a good way to kick start a potential final season. Since the show isn't coming back until next year, there isn’t a word about when it will premiere or where in the schedule The Blacklist will be placed. The James Spader starrer has done the 10 p.m. slot four times over the course of its run, so it’s hard to tell if it'll keep the slot of 8 p.m. or move back, but regardless of where it lands this TV season, it's worth noting that would be a convenient way to cut back on programming at the end of the TV season.
To note, the Task Force going through a major change for Season 10 of The Blacklist, as they'll be without two major players will be something to look forward to even more so if this is the end. While there are still a number of shows on NBC, with several in the 10 p.m. timeslot, it will be interesting to see what shows get the axe if the network chooses to move forward with fewer primetime slots. Fox and The CW have proven successful by giving their local affiliates more airtime, so it’s a definite possibility. But less shows mean less content.
It's also worth noting the network has dominated Wednesday and Thursday nights with a full three hours of its One Chicago and Law & Order franchises, respectively, and has done well with shows like New Amsterdam and The Blacklist in the later hour. So if we have to say goodbye to that third primetime slot, what else will get cut?
As of now, it’s not confirmed if NBC will move through with cutting the latest primetime slot, and if the network did, it would likely happen for the 2023-24 season. So rest assured, The Blacklist is sticking around for now, though again Season 10 won’t be premiering until midseason.
