This week will mark the first week without a new Blue Bloods episode since the series finale aired on December 13. But Donnie Wahlberg assured viewers that he tried his best to save the show from going off the air.
“I think one of the things we haven’t really talked about is having worked so long with the crew that we had in New York City,” Donnie, 55, told Fox News Digital on December 14. “I personally — and I’m sure some of the other castmates — felt bad. I felt sad.”
“Like, we tried to keep the show going,” he added. “We tried to help the show carry on, and we couldn’t. We couldn’t do it. You know, we did everything we could, everything in our power, to have the show carry on.”
After 14 years on air, CBS decided to pull the plug on the beloved show for reasons still unknown. Up until the very last day of filming, many of the cast members still had faith that the network would come around and realize their mistake.
“I think there was a long pause after they said ‘cut.’ And I think we all stood there or sat there kind of hoping that either, A, someone would say, ‘Hey, it’s all just a joke. We’re going to keep filming more episodes.’ Or B, everyone was hesitant because we knew once somebody started talking, we’d all become emotional,” Donnie admitted.
It’s been hard to let the Reagan family go after falling in love with their dynamic and admiration for the show’s leading man, Tom Selleck.
“Throughout the 14 years, at critical times — not just in the show’s existence, but in the state of our country — Tom had a knack for showing up to work and delivering a message, and oftentimes, not even in his own words,” Donnie told Variety on December 12. “He would quote different things to leave us with something to think about and focus us on what’s important. It was a magical thing. When they said, ‘That’s a wrap,’ we all waited.”
But the New Kids on the Block Singer already has another project to keep himself busy — hosting a new season of Very Scary People.
“I think for season 6, we wanted to try a slightly different approach,” he told Closer on December 13 before the Blue Bloods series finale aired. “The show is still very much the same show. It’s covering the same topics. But I think we’re trying to give a little more voice to survivors, victims and, you know, the victims’ families, people impacted.”
“It’s always been a delicate tightrope doing this show and not wanting to glorify depraved individuals who do horrific things,” he added. “But we want to tell the stories. And we think the best way to do that is to also give voice to some people who are close and impacted. It will be a difference in the show this season for sure. And I think it adds a lot more motion to the show.”