NBC Renews ‘The Blacklist’. CBS Renews ‘Elementary’.
Two more renewals for you today. NBC has renewed ‘The Blacklist‘ for a 6th Season of 22 episodes, and CBS has picked up ‘Elementary‘ for its 7th Season.
‘The Blacklist’ stars James Spader as criminal mastermind Raymond Reddington and Megan Boone as Elizabeth Keen, the FBI agent who is part of the Reddington task force, a group designed to take down Red’s “Blacklist” – individuals so dangerous and devious that the US government is unaware of their very existence. Of course, Red doesn’t see anything wrong if that happens to help his criminal empire along the way…
When the show debuted in 2013 it was a huge breakout hit for the network. Its ratings have tumbled somewhat from that 1st Season, but it’s been a solid performer for the network both live and on DVR catch up. The show also sells well to streaming services and overseas, allowing the producers, Sony TV, to give NBC a lower license fee for the ageing series.
‘Elementary’ stars Jonny Lee Miller as detective Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr Joan Watson in a modern-day retelling of the crime-solving duo who crack the NYPD’s most impossible cases. Initially, sober companion and client, Watson and Holmes’ relationship evolved into a symbiotic professional investigative partnership.
Whilst the show doesn’t perform all that well through linear tv broadcast in the US, it has the advantage that CBS owns the show. The series sells extremely well to streaming services and internationally, allowing the network to make money on it that way instead. Show ownership has become much more important in the renewal process in recent years. CBS actually commented last year it made more money from off-network and international sales of its shows than it did from domestic advertising for the first time. ‘Elementary’ alone earned over “$80 million profit” for the network last year according to CBS CEO Les Moonves.
‘The Blacklist‘ is currently airing on Sky One in the UK, whilst ‘Elementary‘ returns for its 6th Season on Sky Living from Monday, 21st May 2018 at 9pm.
