Fans of CBS’ Blue Bloods have circulated petitions to save the show and mounted a hashtag campaign on X ever since news broke that the series was ending, but it’s not clear if it will work. The Tom Selleck-led cop drama, which features a close-knit New York family who are almost all involved in law enforcement, has been a popular Friday night program since its premiere in 2010, often winning the night in the ratings. However, CBS announced in November 2023 that season 14 would be the final year of Blue Bloods, prompting protests from long-time fans.
Fan-led efforts to save the series and continue Blue Bloods’ story beyond season 14 have included both circulating a petition to be sent to CBS and using social media to demonstrate support for the series. One such effort involves using the hashtag “#SaveBlueBloods” on X after each episode airs to demonstrate widespread interest in Blue Bloods’ continuation. These efforts have caught the attention of some of the stars; Donnie Wahlberg’s recent response to the series’ ending offered hope that the cancelation could be reversed. However, it is unclear whether these efforts will result in the good news participants hope for, as fan-led efforts to save shows rarely work.
Why Blue Bloods Is Being Canceled After Season 14
The series is ending despite its popularity.
Blue Bloods’ ratings have fallen since the announcement that the show was ending (via TV Series Finale), but continues to command an average share of .36 in the 18–49 demo, making it CBS’ 13th highest-rated show. The main reason the series is ending is not because of the ratings, but because it is expensive to produce. Negotiations for season 14 took longer, leaving the series’ future in doubt, because of budgetary issues, and the cast and crew took a pay cut of 25% to keep the series within budget for its final season.
Popular but aging shows have found themselves in a precarious position in recent years because of budgetary issues. The longer a series is on, the more expensive it is to produce, especially for a series like Blue Bloods that has kept its cast mostly intact for fourteen years, as long-running stars command bigger paychecks than newer talent. In addition, the series is filmed in New York City, which is more expensive than shooting in other areas of the United States. Thus, CBS was unable to afford to keep it on the schedule regardless of its performance in the ratings.
The Save Blue Bloods Campaign Is Unlikely To Be Enough To Save The Show
Fan Passion Rarely Moves the Needle When a Series’ Future is In Doubt
Almost every time a series is canceled, its fans mount a furious campaign to change the network’s mind. Petitions and hashtag campaigns have become so commonplace that they generally do little to improve the chances that a show’s cancelation will be reversed. This doesn’t necessarily mean that fan-led campaigns are a waste of time, however; sometimes they do work, as was recently seen when CBS changed its mind about SWAT and gave it a final season after cancelation. This could happen for Blue Bloods as well, but that doesn’t mean the series will be renewed indefinitely, especially considering the financial concerns behind the decision to cease production.
Even if CBS changes its mind, Blue Bloods is still expensive to produce. Thus, if the fan-led movement does move the needle, CBS may agree to one more season to give the series a proper farewell. Renewal decisions are generally made for only one or two years at a time, so Blue Bloods will likely find itself in the same position again at the end of season 15 if CBS changes its mind about cancelation, and fan-led movements might not work a second time.
Tom Selleck & Donnie Wahlberg Updates Make Blue Bloods Continuing More Likely
The Stars Have Indicated That They Would Like To Continue The Series
Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg have both stated repeatedly that they don’t want Blue Bloods to end yet. Selleck has been especially emphatic about his disappointment (via TV Insider), stating that “CBS will find an awful lot of people are not ready to say goodbye… we certainly aren’t out of ideas.” In addition to echoing Selleck’s statements, Wahlberg has indicated that there’s a possibility CBS will change its mind. While these comments don’t guarantee CBS will renew Blue Bloods, they are a strong sign that the movement to save this show has better-than-average chances of success.
The stars of a long-running series like Blue Bloods have a stronger relationship with network executives than fans do and may be able to negotiate a farewell season. The cop drama’s cast has already demonstrated their commitment to the show by taking a pay cut for season 14 and may be able to negotiate something similar for season 15. Their willingness to continue the series may also be a selling point when shopping for a new home for Blue Bloods if CBS doesn’t reverse its decision to cancel the series.
Blue Bloods remains one of CBS’ most popular series, which is what prompted outraged fans to begin pushing for it to be saved. While fan-led movements to save canceled shows rarely work on their own, this one has better than average chances because of star support and the series’ enduring popularity. However, it is more likely that the series will only be renewed on a short-term basis if this movement works, so fans who are hoping for a reprieve should steel themselves for the series’ eventual cancelation.