How many TV shows do you know that feature a guilt-free antihero as the protagonist? Well, I certainly can't think of many things, and I believe this is the prime case as to why NBC's The Blacklist was the number one show this fall. The idea behind this is that an ingenious criminal mastermind, for some apparent reason, begins to help the FBI arrest the world's most wanted criminals, some of whom were unaware of their existence. Although I'm already a fan of the series, I think The Blacklist borrows a lot of its premise from the American series White Collar. I think Andy Greenwald describes the series best when he says, "It's a police procedural with a criminal as the lead investigator." » Using Greenwald's description, who can we guess who NBC's target audience was? Yes, it's a detective series, and that to me is a telltale sign that their audience is primarily 18-49 year olds. Still, I think the lead role combination of Megan Boone as Elizabeth Keen and James Spader as Raymond "Red" Reddington brings more female and male viewers together than they would in solo roles. It was a great move to attract this audience, not only because they represent the widest age range, but also because they are the ones who watch the most prime time television. And for the purposes of this essay, The Blacklist airs on Monday nights. Let's analyze this particular moment when the show is broadcast, immediately after The Voice. Because we know that The Voice is in the top ten most-watched shows, the time slot following it can be considered prime real estate for other shows. That's how I and many others started watching the show, because Carson Daily ended with, "...stay tuned to The Blacklist." It was a perfect way to establish... middle of paper ...... why I think this is the case, we need to discuss their representation or Raymond "Red" Reddington and Elizabeth Keene juxtaposed with the vision of the writers. for the characters. Let's start with James Spader. As Raymond Reddington, in the very first episode, we see him make a deal with the FBI to remove a "blacklist" of criminals, only if he works alongside new agent Elizabeth Keen in return. Reddington is just a man of gentle sophistication, who appreciates a little old scotch, timeless poetry and beautiful women. Similar to James' more recent roles, he is a seductive and strange blend of charm, intellect, daring and self-control. Red could have been played by another actor, this hypothetical actor could not provide the same level of "sufficient satisfaction" as Spader. It would be a shock if Spader didn't get another Emmy for his work here.