Blue Bloods will seemingly live on after all, but not in the way that anyone thought or campaigned for, making the network’s decision to cancel the show all the more puzzling. The CBS police procedural drama series, created by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, premiered on September 24, 2010, and quickly became one of the highest-rated shows on the network. Its success continued over the years, but a few months prior to the Blue Bloods season 14 premiere, CBS announced that the season would be its last, canceling the series before it could reach season 15 (and hit 300 episodes).
Of course, fans were upset by the Blue Bloods cancelation news and tried to save the beloved show via an online campaign. Despite their efforts, CBS held firm in their decision, and Blue Bloods will end in late 2024 following the season 14 finale. However, during the hiatus between season 14, part 1’s finale, and part 2’s premiere, Paramount Global co-CEO Brian Robbins alluded to a Blue Bloods spinoff currently in the works. According to TVLine, Robbins said, “In TV, new franchise extensions are coming for Dexter, Billions, and Blue Bloods.” Unfortunately, nothing else is known about the upcoming show.
Blue Bloods Getting A Spinoff Makes The Show’s Cancellation More Confusing
Why Couldn’t CBS Just Renew Blue Bloods For Season 15?
The Paramount executive seemingly confirmed a Blue Bloods spinoff is happening, which is exciting, but also makes CBS’s decision to cancel the original series all the more frustrating. If the network and the production company wanted to continue telling stories in the Blue Bloods universe, they could have just renewed the original show for a fifteenth season. Of course, other factors come in to play when the higher-ups choose which series to renew or cancel, like production costs. However, it’s still frustrating that the police procedural will continue without most of the main cast.
More and more networks and streaming services are seemingly sacrificing their shows to make room for spinoffs that cost less to produce. Money is certainly a reason behind several cancelations and subsequent spinoffs (including Blue Bloods’ upsetting cancelation). But executives also likely want to diversify and revitalize the IP via a sequel series. Essentially, they want to breathe new life into these fictional universes, which might be what’s happening with Blue Bloods even though the show has retained its quality after 14 years.
Why Blue Bloods Season 15 Should’ve Happened
Blue Bloods Produces Great Ratings For CBS
A Blue Bloods spinoff series is undoubtedly thrilling for those upset that the original show is ending after 14 seasons, but the police procedural drama shouldn’t have been canceled in the first place. Blue Bloods pulls in consistent ratings for CBS, despite the fact that it airs on Friday night, which is the dreaded timeslot where most shows go to die. Series don’t often release new episodes on Friday (or Saturday) because many people go out to enjoy their weekend instead of staying in to watch TV. Nevertheless, Blue Bloods has prevailed due to its passionate fanbase.
Perhaps [the Blue Bloods spinoff] will be a prequel that centers around a young Frank Reagan, or a sequel that jumps ahead years into the future and features Danny and Erin’s kids all grown up.
Although it’s in its fourteenth season, Blue Bloods continues to tell intriguing stories and has maintained its quality, which is why season 15 should be happening. Plus, the show is so close to hitting 300 episodes but will end just short of that number (seven episodes away from the milestone, to be exact). It’s devastating that CBS is pulling the plug when Blue Bloods still has so much life left and could have celebrated 300 episodes with season 15.
What Blue Bloods Spinoff Ideas Are Most Likely To Happen
CBS Has Several Spinoff Ideas To Choose From
At least fans have the elusive spinoff to look forward to after the remaining Blue Bloods season 14 episodes. However, nothing has been confirmed about the upcoming series. So, multiple possibilities exist regarding what the spinoff could be about. Perhaps it will be a prequel that centers around a young Frank Reagan, or a sequel that jumps ahead years into the future and features Danny and Erin’s kids all grown up. It’s also possible that Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, or Will Estes will get their own shows. Whatever the case, the Blue Bloods universe isn’t dying anytime soon.