Fans of The Blacklist may not have to worry about the future of the NBC crime thriller, as it was renewed for a 10th season back in February. However, after seeing the series' Season 9 move from Fridays to Thursdays, then back to Fridays again, fans may continue struggling to keep up with when the James Spader-led drama is airing. Now, NBC has announced its fall schedule plans, and The Blacklist is not even scheduled to return this September. Rather, Season 10 will see its premiere arrive in the midseason.
The Blacklist recently answered a huge question in who killed Liz Keen and why. Two episodes remain for the ninth season, however, and the longtime NBC series is known to go big for its finales and their big reveals. Sure, it’s good to know that whatever cliffhangers audiences are left with after the Season 9 finale on May 27 will presumably be resolved in Season 10, but it’s a bummer that fans won’t get those answers until early 2023.
Red Reddington and the Task Force have proven to have maintained some loyal fans, who not only carried the series through multiple seasons in its traditionally dreaded Friday primetime slot, but also stuck with it through its various other changes in recent years. On top of that, fans also weathered the exit of Megan Boone and creator and showrunner Jon Bokenkamp after eight seasons, to the point where the show exceeded expectations by lasting beyond its Liz-free ninth season.
At this point, The Blacklist fanbase would probably be suspicious if NBC aired two seasons in a row that didn't feature a major scheduling shake-up. To be sure, while The Blacklist's ratings stats have bounced around over the years, the drama has earned annual boosts from delayed viewership to help with its everchanging airtimes, so everyone at least knows where to find the show after the fact.
Along with The Blacklist, NBC announced a couple of other returning series whose returns will also be held until the new year: the sitcoms American Auto and Grand Crew, both of which were just recently renewed for second seasons. As well, that's when we'll get our eyeballs on the network revival of Night Court.
American Auto — the latest series from Superstore creator Justin Spitzer — had been expected to receive a renewal. Starring Ana Gasteyer, Harriet Dyer and Jon Barinholtz, the sitcom focuses on the employees of Detroit-based Payne Motors who are struggling with a new CEO amidst a rapidly changing industry.
Grand Crew’s future was less certain, as TVLine reports the first 10-episode season averaged shy of 2 million total weekly viewers, along with a 0.4 demo rating (including Live + 7 playback). The series stars Echo Kellum, Justin Cunningham, Grasie Mercedes, Carl Tart, Aaron Jennings and Nicole Byer as a group of Black friends who unpack the ups and downs of life and love at a wine bar.
Finally, Night Court, a sequel to the beloved sitcom from the 1980s and ‘90s, will also debut midseason. The series stars and is executive produced by Melissa Rauch, with John Larroquette reprising his role as District Attorney Dan Fielding from the original series.
Fans of The Blacklist have proven their patience with the series before, and that will be tested again. However, at least there are still two episodes remaining before the long hiatus. The Blacklist returns for its penultimate Season 9 episode at 8 p.m. ET Friday, May 20, on NBC, ahead of its May 27 finale. Check out our full list of spring finales to be sure you don’t miss anything big, and also look at our 2022 TV Schedule to see what premieres are coming soon.
