Actor James Spader starred in all ten seasons of the critically acclaimed NBC thriller series The Blacklist. The series features Spader in the role of Raymond “Red” Reddington, a master criminal turned FBI informant with a mysterious past and connection to FBI special agent Elizabeth “Liz” Keen. Despite receiving positive reviews, the series eventually saw a downfall.
During an interview, Spader addressed the one curse that follows shows such as The Blacklist and leads to their eventual decline in form. From Spader’s words, it is safe to say that the acclaimed series was also haunted by the same curse that has become a major problem for network television in the past few years. Here is what Spader had to say about the curse of network television and its effect on The Blacklist.
James Spader Revealed the Curse That Haunts Shows Like The Blacklist
On the heels of his brilliant stint on The Office, James Spader took on the lead role of Raymond “Red” Reddington in the NBC thriller series The Blacklist, which debuted in 2013. The series aired for ten seasons, drawing positive reactions and high viewership, especially during its earlier seasons.
During an interview with Time, Spader was asked about the show’s network television schedule, which typically led to seasons of roughly 22-23 episodes every year. In response, Spader admitted that despite the challenges of working on a tight schedule, he relished the opportunity.
This show happened to be on a broadcast network, and I have a very real need to work. A financial need to work, and on a broadcast network, the curse is that it’s 22 episodes as opposed to 12 or 13.
Spader made the above statement, admitting that network television shows enjoyed a lot less creative freedom compared to their cable counterparts while also having a more punishing schedule.
Furthermore, Spader’s comments implied that the series’ 22-episode per season format was rather laborious and ultimately affected the overall quality of its story. Nonetheless, Spader felt that he benefitted from the longer seasons in a financial sense.
The Network Television Curse Doomed the Later Seasons of The Blacklist
During its initial run, The Blacklist received praise for its performances and overall storyline, earning various accolades. The show’s first season drew in an average viewership of 14.95 million per episode, cementing it as one of the best on network television.
However, the network television curse eventually caught up with the series as it experienced a steep decline, especially during its final two seasons. Seasons 9 and 10 weren’t as well received as its predecessors among the critics.
Moreover, the ratings had also drastically dropped, with the final season averaging only 3.83 million viewers per episode. Part of the reason behind this drastic decline was the show’s typical 22-episode format, which saw the overall storyline stagnate over the season.
The show’s latter seasons would have greatly benefitted from a more tightly-knit and well-rounded story contained within a 12-13 episode installment. Similarly, the series also refrained from furthering some of its main plot threads in order to keep its basic premise intact.
Furthermore, the episodic nature of some episodes frustrated viewers as it drew attention away from resolving the main plot around Red’s real identity and his mysterious connection to Liz. Hence, it is safe to say that The Blacklist fell prey to the network television curse.
The Blacklist is streaming on Netflix.
