14 Seasons Later, Tom Selleck Still Thinks Blue Bloods Has Fresh Ideas
Blue Bloods is saying goodbye after almost a decade and a half on the air.
Summary
- Blue Bloods is a police procedural on CBS that is entering its 14th season.
- This will be the last year for the show, but star Tom Selleck says he thinks they could go on longer.
- In spite of his age, 79-year Selleck says he'll work 'as long as they'll have me.'
What's It About?
The hit CBS show Blue Bloods follows the Reagan family, three generations of law enforcement in New York. Broadway legend Len Cariou plays Henry Reagan, a retired police commissioner. His son Frank (Tom Selleck) is the current police commissioner and the father of NYPD detective Danny (Donnie Wahlberg), NYPD sergeant Jamie (Will Estes), and assistant district attorney Erin (Bridget Moynahan).
Each member of the family represents a different area of law enforcement, each dealing with the criminal justice system at different levels. No matter how difficult their jobs are, the Reagans gather together once a week for the family dinner that is the heart of every episode.
Saying Goodbye
After almost a decade and a half on the air, Blue Bloods is ready to say goodbye. The show has taken its audience on a lot of twists and turns over the years: the reveal of Joe's killer early in the first season, the exit of Jamie's wife, the reveal of a fourth generation of Reagan in the firearms unit.
Through it all, the show has maintained remarkably steady ratings for such a long tenure. But in November of 2023, CBS announced that the 14th season will be its final bow.
In a joint statement, CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach and CBS Studios president David Stapf said:
'Blue Bloods will forever be a beloved part of CBS's legacy. It ruled Friday nights with unprecedented dominance since its premiere and established itself as a pillar of our winning lineup with an exceptionally devoted fan base… We'll be forever grateful to the legendary Leonard Goldberg for developing this signature series and to the amazing cast led by Tom Selleck, who America embraced as family and watched as welcomed guests at the Reagan dinner table.'
Tom Selleck Is Still A Fan
Network television has a notoriously grueling filming schedule, but even at 79 years old Tom Selleck isn't quite ready to let go of Blue Bloods. In a recent interview with TV Insider, he said:
'CBS will find an awful lot of people aren't ready to say goodbye to [Blue Bloods]. The show's more popular than ever, and I think [numbers] will increase with the interest this year. We're certainly not out of ideas.'
When asked if he would take some time to relax on his California ranch after the show wraps, he replied:
'I'm not counting the days so I can do something else. I love the work. Sometimes the hours are a little harder because I'm older, but so what? I want work as long as they'll have me.'
Selleck also reminisced about his first time reading the pilot episode of Blue Bloods. When he got to the first dinner scene with the Reagan family, he said to executive producer Leonard Goldberg, 'They're going to cut that, aren't they?' Goldberg replied, ''No, that will be a centerpiece of the show.'
And, Selleck acknowledges, that turned out to be absolutely true.
Where & When Can I Watch?
The final season of Blue Bloods was expected to begin in the fall of 2023, but filming was delayed by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. The first half of the season will premiere on February 16, 2024. The second half will begin airing in the fall of 2024.
You can watch Blue Bloods on CBS Fridays at 10pm ET/PT. You can also catch up on old episodes on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, or Paramount+.
Source: Eonline, TV Insider.