NBC has officially crossed off The Blacklist.
On Wednesday, the network announced that the James Spader-led drama will end after its upcoming 10th season, which is set to premiere on February 26.
“After 10 years, hundreds of Blacklist cases and more than 200 episodes produced, we are proud to have reached a conclusion,” executive producer John Eisendrath said in a statement.
“It’s fun to make Blacklisters weird, devious and fun to challenge Raymond Reddington and the FBI Task Force every week.”
He continued:
“We want to thank everyone at NBC and Sony, the incredible crew who make the impossible happen every day, the inventive writers and producers, and the incredible cast who bring these characters to life.
“We appreciate our dedicated fanbase who came along for this great ride and are excited to share this final season with them.”
Along with the cancellation message, NBC showed a promo for the final season of The Blacklist, which promises a “last ride” for US Naval Intelligence officer Reddington (Spader).
“It’s not often that a series resonates so much with the audience that it aired for 10 seasons, but Blacklist proved to be the perfect combination of talented producers, stellar writing, a cast that never fails to deliver and a crew that always rises to the occasion,” Lisa Katz , president of scripted content at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in a statement.
“A big thank you to our partners at Sony, everyone from the past decade who made this show an integral part of NBC’s history and, of course, a special nod to James Spader, whose performance remains spectacular.”
The Blacklist aired in 2013 and tracked Spader’s Red … who disappeared from the box and became one of the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives.
After surrendering to authorities, he provided the FBI with a blacklist of criminals.
The last season will pick up as Red squares off against a new threat after he avenges Liz Keen’s (Megan Boone) murder.
In the Season 9 finale, No. 84 from the blacklist escapes from prison and tells the other fugitives that Red is an FBI informant who is putting them in danger while seeking “revenge”.
Jason Clodfelter, Co-President of Sony Pictures Television Studios, added on Wednesday:
“We thank our wonderful partners at NBC for 10 incredible seasons of The Blacklist, the series that introduced the world to Raymond Reddington, beautifully portrayed by James Spader.
“James has led a multi-talented and diverse cast that also features legendary guest stars and hundreds of Blacklisters who make us all into this anti-hero.
“We tip our Reddington hat to the dedicated production staff, hard-working crew and talented writers.
“Unpredictable plot twists have produced legacy TV shows that delight audiences around the world and as we head into our final season, we can’t wait for viewers to see how Raymond Reddington takes his final bow.”