(Photo: CBS)
Blue Bloods will return later this month on CBS, and the final episodes of the 14th season will begin airing. Series star Tom Selleck recently reflected about what it was like to end the long-running Friday night series.
Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, Len Cariou, Marisa Ramirez, and Vanessa Ray star in the Blue Bloods series, which follows a New York City family who all work in law enforcement.
Frank Reagan (Selleck) leads the family, and the actor has been very outspoken about CBS’s decision to end the popular Friday night series.
In a new interview with TV Insider, he said the following:
“I’m kind of frustrated. During those last eight shows, I haven’t wanted to talk about an ending for Blue Bloods but about it still being wildly successful. In a Top 100 Shows of 2023-2024 (in total viewers, we were number 9 out of 100), if you discount the three football shows, we’re #6 !
I’m not going to turn into a bitter old guy saying, “Get off my lawn!” I don’t believe in holding grudges, but if you were to say to the television network, “Here’s a show you can program in the worst time slot you got, and it is going to guarantee you winning Friday night for the next 15 years,” it would be almost impossible to believe.
My frustration is the show was always taken for granted because it performed from the get-go. So how do I feel? It’s going to take a long time to sort all of this out. I remember after the weekend [of the final episode’s shoot], I said, “I’ve got to get to bed early tonight because I have to do my dialogue for Monday.’” Well, there was no Monday. It’s just going to take a while.”
Selleck talked about his final time playing Frank and said, “My last scene was ironically family dinner; that was also the first scene I shot on the show 15 years ago! I’m not going to tell you everything about the last episode…but the family dinner kind of reunites the Reagan family. Erin’s daughter Nicky (Sami Gayle) was there and so was Jack (Tony Terraciano) Danny’s older son. Everybody agreed with me that we should close the set for the family dinner and not exploit that. Most of them had four more days to shoot, but not me.”
While he had finished filming, Selleck made a point to fly back to New York from Los Angeles (where he had been filming a commercial) in June, to be with the cast and crew when the show wrapped. He shared, “I watched the last scenes with Bridget and Steve (Schirripa] and then Donnie and Marisa [Ramirez]” Selleck recounted. “It was hard, but I didn’t want to just stay home; I wanted to be there, and I felt an obligation to share the experience.”
Blue Bloods returns to CBS on October 18th. The network has teased a possible spin-off of the series, but that is in early development.
What do you think? Have you enjoyed this CBS series? Will you be sad to see it end in December?
Bad enough the powers that be (are they all 12-year-old-boys?) decided to end Blue Bloods but I am surprised the show wasn’t rescued by now by another network or cable. I guess stupidity costs less and pays more than intellgent, creative drama with real actors. I am sad . . . and disgusted.
Best Show on TV, can you not just leave good things alone? Nobody wants to be cancelled come on People rally and keep the show on TV. It’s got morals. It’s got good family drama. It has everything this country needs. Don’t cancel it.
I am so sad I have watch every episode since the first Friday night it aired. I watch the reruns.
I definitely will miss Blue Bloods. It is one of the few shows left on TV that you would consider “family friendly”. Shame in CBS for ending it.
This is UTTERLY UNBELIEVABLE!!! I have never spoken to anyone who doesn’t LOVE this show. It has been my ONLY “MUST WATCH” show on any network for many, many years. I have been hooked since the first episode and have never missed an episode since. I can assure CBS that I will NEVER AGAIN take a risk by getting attached to one of their shows. To be honest, change that – I KNOW I will never again watch one of their shows. The quality of this show has always far exceeded anything else on any network, so why should I… Read more »
I will miss this show and Tom Selleck. I am sad.
I really like the blue bloods
What a terrible decision to end this show… so sad… I have been watching since the beginning, I have seen all episodes many times even in french! I don’t get it why stop now? feel like I,m saying goodbye to my family!
I watch Blue Bloods WHENEVER I see it playing. I never tire of watching the same episodes over and over. It’s one of the best shows to EVER be on television and I am so sad to see it go away. I think CBS is making a grave mistake.
My favorite show is ending and I am very disappointed in CBS canceling a show that is doing so well and airing shows like Elsbeth,what a joke
Blue Bloods has been the best tv show for 15 years. I can not see how CBS can justify cancelling it. Great actors and great storylines. I for one am done with CBS and I am sure they will realize what a mistake they made. What were they thinking. I can not believe another network has not yet picked this show up.
An outstanding show that leaned right. A FAR left network. I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did. Given the ratings, I’m also surprised no one else has picked it up. Sad to see the best show on TV leave.
The producers must be nuts to cancel this wonderful show/TV series. It’s the only consistently good show on TV now and gas been for many years. Why on earth would they cancel it??? Out of touch with reality? Poor decision making?? Not understanding what a good show is??? I’m guessing all of the above. This show has an excellent group of actors and an excellent story writing staff!
They cancel the great shows but all the stupid reality shows are still on .blue bloods is and always will be the best of the best. Sorry to see it go.
Tom I’m right there with you CBS must keep ON BLUE BLOODS