Tom Selleck is openly pining for a Blue Bloods spinoff to keep the good times rolling, but friends are urging him to stop stressing about his career and put some of that energy into enjoying himself during his time off, instead.
“On one hand, it’s kind of commendable how intensely driven he is to get Blue Bloods back in some form,” a source exclusively tells Closer. “He’s got his heart set on some sort of spin-off deal and is really bent out of shape that CBS isn’t jumping at his ideas.”
The 79-year-old has been twiddling his thumbs since the fourteenth and final season of the show, which announced its cancellation over his objections in March 2023. As Closer previously reported, the actor, who plays NYPD Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, patriarch of the Reagan family, has taken on a fatherly role with many of the cast, including Donnie Wahlberg, who plays his son on screen.
The shock axing of the long-running drama came as a surprise to many as the show still had strong viewership and a healthy fan base. The source says that it’s exactly this reason why it’s “really frustrating for [Tom]” that no decent spin-off has been considered, even though “there’s no tangible reason not to utilize this franchise and this world they’ve created. It’s so loved by fans and gets great numbers. If it was a flop he’d just let it go but this feels like such an injustice, he can’t seem to let it go.”
Apparently, someone from the network did approach the actor with an idea for the continuation for the series. They planned on having Frank Reagan retire from the NYPD to work for a local police force, but Tom flat out rejected it, telling Parade, “I don’t see him retiring and going off somewhere. If he goes off to a small town, I’d rather do more Jesse Stone movies.” While he may disagree with the direction, he’s certainly still pining to play Frank, adding, “I’m open to suggestions because I love Frank Reagan, but nobody’s really asked.”
While his costar Donnie, 55, made a point to recognize how his work on Blue Bloods helped emphasize the importance of family, the insider notes that Tom has been so obsessed with finding the next step in his career he’s not able to stop and enjoy the success he’s had so far.
“It’s tough for his friends to see how consumed he is by it,” the source adds. “He lives on this beautiful property with the love of his life, he’s worked plenty in his life and who knows he may get other opportunities, it doesn’t really serve him to hang on to this so tight.”
“They want to see him get back to normal and start living life and appreciating all he’s got instead of obsessing over this show. Sure, he claims to need the money to keep the farm going but most people don’t really buy that, it’s not like he’s anywhere near the poor house, he really needs to just give this up already!”