NBC Renews The Blacklist

Today in unsurprising renewals: James Spader's The Blacklist will be back for a fifth season. The NBC drama is the network's second most watched show after juggernaut This Is Us, averaging nearly 10 million viewers and 2.2 rating in the key 18 to 49 demo. (via The Hollywood Reporter)

The procedural thriller comes from The Call's Jon Bokenkamp and also stars Megan Boone, Diego Klattenhoff, Harry Lennix, Amir Arison, Mozhan Marno, and Hisham Tawfiq. The Blacklist's 22-episode fifth season will bring the series to its hundredth episode, which further incentivized the network in ordering another season. However, with The Blacklist's consistently high ratings and Spader's star power, it was a lock for renewal.

The show's freshman spin-off, The Blacklist: Redemption, also from Bokenkamp, has yet to hear its fate. The series, starring Famke Janssen, Ryan Eggold, Edi Gathegi, Tawny Cypress, and Adrian Martinez, has been less of a hit in the ratings than its predecessor, but has still averaged around four million viewers and is likely for renewal. (via TV By the Numbers)

NBC recently renewed the majority of their Chicago-set series, ordering new seasons of Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago P.D. (Chicago Justice is still up in the air.) They also handed down renewals to shows like Blindspot, The Good Place, Shades of Blue, Superstore, and Taken, along with giving a two season renewal to This Is Us. However, not every show at the network has lived to see another day. They recently canceled fan favorite Timeless, along with Emerald City and the DC Comics comedy Powerless.

New series for next season at NBC include the Will and Grace revival, the Jason Katims high school musical theater drama Rise (formerly titled Drama High), the Anne Heche-starring military drama For God and Country, and the Glenn Howerton-starring Lorne Michaels/Seth Meyers comedy A.P. Bio.

While we wait for The Blacklist's fifth season, see why Spader doesn't get many movie offers anymore.