Blue Bloods is one of the most popular and long-running shows on CBS for a reason. The series, which has completed 13 seasons so far, follows the unofficial first family of law enforcement in New York City: the Reagans. Starring Tom Selleck as Frank Reagan, the NYPD Commissioner and father to many, along with his family comprised of a detective, an assistant district attorney, a beat cop, and more. With such a wide array of professions that aren’t just limited to standard police officers, the series has been able to explore a variety of different storylines and topics each season since it premiered in 2010. When it comes to the behind-the-scenes look at the show, it would be easy to assume that the action scenes would be the most difficult to film, or maybe the crime investigations and the mysteries that have to be uncovered. However, the reality is a lot less glamorous but nonetheless important, as the most consistently difficult and lengthy scenes to shoot are… their family dinners?
Sunday Dinners Are the Heart and Soul of ‘Blue Bloods’
The family dynamic isn’t just one aspect of the show — it’s the heart and soul of the series. The Reagans are connected by their blood more than they are through their careers. It’s their family legacy that plays a role in each member’s hardwired pursuit of justice. Ultimately, yes, they are considered “blue bloods” in New York law enforcement because their entire family is connected to the field. Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) is a streetwise detective, Erin (Bridget Moynahan) is an intelligent assistant district attorney, and their youngest brother Jamie (Will Estes) started the series as a beat cop before being promoted to sergeant. The three main siblings of the show all carry their family reputation into their widely different but connected fields. At the head of the figurative, and literal table on Blue Bloods is Tom Selleck’s Frank who is the police commissioner. Even he’s not the first one to have that position, as his father Henry (Len Cariou) also held the title before his retirement. However, while these are the on-paper reasons that the family is connected, that is not the fullest extent of their relationships and dynamics.
Every Sunday the Reagan’s meet together for dinner at Frank’s house. And every episode there is at least one scene of a Reagan family dinner. To be a part of this family, you have to come to Sunday dinner. It’s a tradition that feels just as important as working in law enforcement. These dinners most consistently appear at the end of the episodes, helping to wrap up the lessons the characters have learned and cement their growth from their challenges. These suppers are an opportunity for all the characters to speak to one another, allowing for interactions that wouldn’t happen while each member is at their job.
The dining table is thus the setting for everything from character conflict, words of wisdom, and even surprise reveals. Tensions can run high and arguments can be had among members, but that also gives them a chance to show their support and love for one another. These scenes give each character a chance to shine, both individually and as a member of the family. When Joe Hill (Will Hochman) is introduced in Season 10 as the previously-unknown son of the deceased Joseph Reagan, his welcome into the family is cemented by his invitati on and attendance at the family supper. Just by consistently showing up to dinner, it is abundantly clear to the audience how important family is to each character.
Dinner Scenes on ‘Blue Bloods’ Take Hours to Film
While these scenes appear to be simple conversations among characters, they are actually some of the hardest to film in the entire series. In a 2018 interview with CBS, Tom Selleck gives a behind-the-scenes look at the production of the show, which illuminates important details on filming and just how difficult it is to put these integral scenes together. Selleck said that the scenes take around 6 to 8 hours to film, which is an incredible workload for a single scene. In television and film, scenes that involve food can be some of the most challenging to accomplish. Actors have to eat food while they’re on camera, but it’s not like eating a single meal. When they have to redo a take, they have to eat more of the same thing that they just had. The lack of variety wouldn’t be an issue if it weren’t for how much they have to eat. Remember, that’s an 8-hour workday focused on one meal. Vanessa Ray, who plays Eddie Janko, Jamie’s partner-turned-romantic-partner, has even talked about how she once “ate a roll for 4 hours” while trying to find a motion to repeat during the filming of the scene.
The props department for the show is as familiar with the cast regarding the difficulty of these scenes. They are ultimately the ones who decide what the Reagan’s will be eating each day. According to Prop Master Jim Lillis, there are always potatoes, a vegetable, a roll, and a salad. On the day of the CBS interview, the scene they shot involved a pie. Which naturally meant that Lillis had to prepare a dozen full pies. Managing food props is a tricky balance as the department has to make sure there are enough duplicates for multiple takes while minimizing how much goes to waste. An interesting aspect of filming these dinners that most viewers might not have considered important is the use of plastic forks and knives, instead of real silverware. They had used real silverware before, but the studio microphones picked up too much of the plate clinking, so they opted for a quieter alternative instead.
The dinner scenes are also the only filming days when the entire cast is gathered together. This can make it one of the more logistically challenging days to organize, but the results speak for themselves. The family bond between characters is strengthened by these opportunities for the actors to get together and spend time with each other. They’re not just strictly there for work as these shoots give them all a chance to catch up and bond. De facto leader Tom Selleck on and off screen even joked about how during one dinner scene, his knife once broke while cutting a chicken cutlet, so he threw it across the set. (It didn’t hit anybody though, he confirmed.)
What Else Happens Behind the Scenes of the CBS Hit?
In addition to the complexity of the famous Sunday dinner scenes, there is plenty of work that happens in the background that helped make Blue Bloods as successful as it is. In the same CBS interview, they refer to James Nuciforo who served as their technical advisor for “all things police related.” Nuciforo worked in law enforcement for over 2 decades and was the go-to person for script advisory with regard to accuracy in law enforcement. He would give notes on scripts, inserting appropriate terminology into the dialogue to make it more realistic to actual policing. He even helped pay attention to smaller, but important details, such as where pins are located on an officer’s lapel. Since 2014, Nuciforo has also worked as an associate producer and producer for 9 seasons of the show.
There are so many reasons why Blue Bloods is one of the longest-running shows on CBS. Perhaps one of the most important reasons is its focus on family, something that is highlighted and achieved thanks to these difficult-to-film dinner scenes. So if you want more of the Reagan family, there are plenty more Sunday suppers to be had as Blue Bloods will return for Season 14.