The new season of "The Blacklist" was originally scheduled to be released on Sept. 24. However, Variety reports that the season 3 premiere has been pushed back by a week due to NBC expanding the premiere of "Heroes Reborn" into a 2-hour special. 

"The Blacklist" season 3 will now premiere on Oct. 1 at 9 p.m., giving it room to avoid a head-on clash with ABC's "Scandal," which is also a political/spy thriller series. This new premiere schedule was officially announced by NBC chairman Robert Greenblatt during the Television Critics Association press tour. 

Season 3 of "Blacklist" is touted as a different show with the same characters, given that Liz (Megan Boone) is no longer working with the FBI and has instead run off with Reddington (James Spader). 

"The trajectory of the story is great because it's a switch-up from what the format has been," explained Greenblatt in a report from Zap2It. He also stated that Liz and Reddington "are literally on the run together. It's going to energize the whole thing. It's a different feel this year." 

The season 2 finale revealed that Liz shot her father to protect her mother, an event that Red tried to hide for Liz's own good and safety. However, Liz also killed Conolly (Reed Birney), forcing her to leave the FBI. Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) is appointed as the new task force head while Liz's name is placed right beside Reddington's on the FBI Most Wanted List. 

While fans await the premiere of "Blacklist" season 3, they can enjoy the return of "Heroes Reborn." The show is being treated by NBC as season 10 of the original "Heroes" series even if it had been absent since after its original 4-season run. The 2-hour premiere will air starting 8 p.m. on Sept. 24. It will also be the only broadcast television series to screen at the Toronto Film Festival.