Is The Blacklist Coming Back For Season 11?

Fans of The Blacklist are undoubtedly hoping the series will return for Season 11, as the show has been a staple part of NBC’s primetime lineup since it premiered in 2013. The procedural drama stars James Spader as Raymond “Red” Reddington, a wanted fugitive who previously worked as a United States Naval Intelligence agent.

Red was on the run for two decades before he turned himself into federal custody. In exchange for immunity from prosecution, Red agreed to help the FBI locate and detain other wanted criminals.

Naturally, fans of the crime drama are curious about the future of the popular show. Keep reading to find out if The Blacklist will return for Season 11.

The Blacklist is coming to an end following the July 13 finale, which will be two hours long. On February 1, NBC announced that the show’s 10th Season would be its last. The show previously aired on Sundays but has been moved to Thursdays for its final stint with the network.

In a statement released to The Hollywood Reporter, Lisa Katz, president of scripted content at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, thanked the cast and crew of The Blacklist for their years of hard work. “The Blacklist proved to be a perfect combination of highly talented producers, stellar writing, a cast that never failed to deliver, and a crew that always rose to the occasion,” Lisa said.

James has since become synonymous with the murderous character, but the role was first offered to several other actors. In an interview with Variety, showrunner John Eisendrath revealed that Kiefer Sutherland, Richard Gere, Bryan Cranston, and Pierce Brosnan turned down the offer. Luckily, James joined the cast three days before production began and fit perfectly into Red’s shoes.

James previously opened up about his time on the drama series and explained that he joined the show because of the depth of Red’s character. “This is a show that is very emotional, very funny, sometimes disturbing and startling, and sometimes all of those things at the same time,” he said during an appearance on PBS’ Amanpour and Company.

He also discussed the series’ end, explaining that The Blacklist had run its course. “I think if the show went beyond this year, it would turn into a very different show,” he told NBC. He explained further that the team behind the popular NBC series never created a roadmap for the show, suggesting that the show would likely become “less recognizable” if it continued past Season 10.

The ending of The Blacklist comes after a noticeable drop in viewership during Season 9. According to TV Series Finale, the James-led crime drama averaged 2.9 viewers in Season 9, with a 0.29 rating. However, Season 8 averaged a 0.35 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 3.26 million viewers.

And while the network has not indicated whether the dwindling viewership contributed to the show’s end, fans of The Blacklist are undeniably disappointed to see the show come to an end.

Until it ends, however, fans can tune into NBC every Thursday at 8 p.m. EST to watch The Blacklist‘s final episodes.