The surprising news that Blue Bloods is getting a spinoff makes me mad all over again that the original series was canceled. The Tom Selleck-led cop and family drama made Friday night television exciting because it didn’t follow the same formula as most other procedurals. Instead, Blue Bloods’ Reagan family was central to each story. All 293 episodes featured a now-iconic scene in which the family got together for Sunday dinner. Additionally, family members often turned to one another for support and occasionally butted heads over cases or policy decisions.
Unfortunately, CBS made the disappointing decision to cancel Blue Bloods despite how popular it was even after 14 years on the air. Neither a fan-led movement to save Blue Bloods nor the cast’s passion for continuing the series moved the needle with CBS executives, and Blue Bloods aired its finale on December 13, 2025. CBS has recently announced a Blue Bloods spinoff about Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg), but the new series will take place in Boston rather than New York, away from the rest of the Reagan clan.
Boston Blue Makes Me Annoyed We Couldn’t Just Get Blue Bloods Season 15
The New Show Stars Only One Of The Reagan Clan
Boston Blue, the new Blue Bloods spinoff, continues Danny Reagan’s story, and that’s a good thing. Danny was one of the best Blue Bloods characters. He grew a lot over the procedural’s 14 years and deserved the happy ending he got in Blue Bloods’ series finale. However, a new show starring only one Reagan isn’t nearly the same as CBS greenlighting Blue Bloods season 15. The spinoff won’t feature all the Reagans even though the family’s relationship is what made the series so special.
A fifteenth season of Blue Bloods would have meant 18 to 22 new stories about the entire Reagan family. The series finale was written in a way that would have made it easy to pick the series back up if it had been sold to a different network. The only major change for the family was that Blue Bloods’ Jamie and Eddie revealed they were expecting their first child, which is a story I would have loved to continue in a new season of Blue Bloods.
The Cast Reactions’ To Blue Bloods’ Ending Makes Me Feel Bad About Its Spinoff
Nobody Wanted Blue Bloods To End
One of the worst aspects of Blue Bloods’ cancelation is that the cast was as heartbroken as the audience. After 14 years on the air, Tom Selleck might have been justified in rationalizing that he’d had a good run and now could enjoy his retirement, but that was not how he felt. Selleck was one of the most vocal voices pressuring CBS to change its mind about canceling Blue Bloods, with Wahlberg a close second. Both the main cast and people who played more secondary characters have spoken out about how heartbreaking it is not to continue, and many have also expressed concern for the crew members who will now be out of a job.
Given how heartbroken he was about Blue Bloods ending, it makes complete sense that Wahlberg signed on for a sequel series. The new show will give him the opportunity to continue playing Danny Reagan in a different stage of life than he was in when Blue Bloods wrapped up. However, the new show isn’t the same as Blue Bloods, and it’s sad that the rest of the cast doesn’t have the same ability to continue playing their characters that they would if CBS had renewed Blue Bloods for season 15 instead.
Why Is Boston Blue Happening Instead Of Blue Bloods Season 15?
It All Comes Down To Costs
CBS’ main reason for canceling Blue Bloods was its high costs. Longer-running shows are always more expensive to produce because actors expect higher salaries after being with a series for several years. In Blue Bloods’ case, it had a high-profile star on board as well as large cast of actors, many of whom had been with the series since its beginning. Additionally, Blue Bloods filmed on location in New York City rather than in a Los Angeles studio. Filming in New York is always extremely expensive because of the location and the permits involved.
All of these factors made Blue Bloods cost-prohibitive despite its high ratings. However, Boston Blue doesn’t have these issues. Donnie Wahlberg will likely co-star with actors new to the franchise, making it less expensive to produce this show. Additionally, it takes place in Boston, not New York. While the series could film in Beantown, it’s more likely that it will move to a studio on the West Coast. Thus, the new Blue Bloods spinoff is far cheaper to produce than its predecessor.
The only other way to save money would have been to use cast rotation to eliminate characters from various episodes, and that would have destroyed Blue Bloods’ brand.
It’s a good business decision to go with the cheaper show. However, it’s heartbreaking that a high-quality, incredibly popular series had to be axed in favor of a smaller spinoff that would cost far less. Sadly, though, it was almost inevitable. Network TV has been struggling to pay for shows since the COVID lockdowns and the labor strikes of 2023. Thus, the only other way to save money would have been to use cast rotation to eliminate characters from various episodes, and that would have destroyed Blue Bloods’ brand.
I Hope Boston Blue Brings Back Other Blue Bloods Actors & Characters
It’s Possible More Original Cast Members Will Be Added, Though They Won’t Be Main Cast
Boston Blue likely hopes to maintain the same family feeling that made Blue Bloods popular without utilizing all the Reagans. Danny’s new partner is supposed to come from a prominent Boston police family. Thus, the emphasis will shift from the Reagan family to her family. However, this isn’t a satisfying solution. Blue Bloods wasn’t only popular because of the family dinner scenes — those scenes were one way that the audience bonded with the Reagans, so offering a brand-new family isn’t enough to maintain audience interest.
That said, it’s possible that Boston Blue’s showrunners will decide to include more of the Reagans. The series is not scheduled to air until Fall 2026 at the earliest, which gives the creators time to develop their concept further. They may decide to have some other Reagans appear on a recurring basis. While this would not be the same as having a fifteenth season of Blue Bloods, it would help solidify the connection between Boston Blue and Blue Bloods. However, these characters would be limited to visits and video chats, making it even clearer that this is a different show.
Blue Bloods was always about family more than procedural elements.
Including more Reagans won’t turn Boston Blue into a new version of Blue Bloods. However, it would protect the original series’ legacy. Blue Bloods was always about family more than procedural elements, and Danny was close with his siblings, father, and grandfather. Thus, it makes little sense for him to cut all ties after he moves to Boston. Keeping some family members in the recurring cast solves this problem. Additionally, it makes Boston Blue into a true sequel rather than a procedural that shoehorns Danny into a role that doesn’t fit him.