There are a few things fans look forward to with each passing episode of “Blue Bloods.” You can be confident there will be at least one new case for someone in the Reagan brood to solve. This generally leads to some kind of tension within the family itself as the Reagans often discuss with one another the best way to go about fighting a particular crime. And, of course, no episode of “Blue Bloods” would be complete without the traditional family dinner.
Once per episode, the Reagans all gather around a table to enjoy a meal. It offers a chance for discussion and reflection, as the crime of the week tends to function as the main topic of conversation. However, there have been other times when they’ve talked about less substantial fare, such as their favorite police movies. Even long-time fans may not have realized the one detail about these scenes that’s easy to have flown under the radar.
The wine is actually grape juice
The food on the Reagan dinner table is real. The prop master for the show, Jim Lillis, told People in an interview, “We give them real food on camera, but we try to keep it mildly seasoned because they have to do so many takes.” While they can certainly eat, it’s understandable that many actors in the cast choose to cheat their way around doing so. After all, a dinner scene can require a lot of takes, and if someone’s not careful, they could wind up eating tons and tons of potatoes and whatever else is on the menu.
Fortunately, it sounds like the Reagan cast has learned to cheat their way around eating the same thing repeatedly. Sami Gayle, who plays Nicky on the show, also told People, “We have to look like we’re eating during every take so we’ve all figured out ways to pretend. Tom [Selleck] always butters his bread, so no one else can use that technique. Bridget [Moynahan] cuts her food a lot. I’ll cut my food, too, and drink water a lot.”
The one thing on the table that isn’t real is (naturally) the wine. It makes sense; actors have to be able to remember their lines after all, and after a few glasses, that task may become difficult. So no, they never drink actual wine on the show. Instead, they’re given grape juice, according to Donnie Wahlberg, who plays Danny Reagan. “Someone asked me if we get drunk because we have a lot of wine during the dinner scene, but, sadly, it’s just grape juice,” he explained. “Sorry, guys. And ‘Scotch’ is iced tea. I think they give us decaffeinated or we’d be bouncing off the walls.”
With grape juice, all they have to worry about is how much sugar they’re putting away.