Blue Bloods is a CBS network police procedural drama series created by Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess.
The show has aired since September 24, 2010.
Plot[]
The series centers on the Reagans, a family of police officers who work at the New York City Police Department.
Cast[]
- Donnie Wahlberg as Detective Daniel "Danny" Fitzgerald Reagan
- Tom Selleck as Commissioner Francis "Frank" Xavier Reagan
- Bridget Moynahan as ADA Erin Reagan
- Will Estes as Sergeant Jameson "Jamie" Reagan
- Len Cariou as Commissioner (ret.) Henry Reagan
- Amy Carlson as Linda Reagan
- Sami Gayle as Nicole "Nicky" Reagan-Boyle
- Jennifer Esposito as Detective Jackie Curatola
- Marisa Ramirez as Detective Maria Baez
- Vanessa Ray as Officer Edit "Eddie" Janko
Production[]
Tom Selleck mentioned that he was drawn to the project because of the strong pilot script and that he was concerned about becoming involved in an ongoing series because he did not want to compromise his commitment to the "Jesse Stone" television movies.
Beginning January 19, 2011, "Blue Bloods" was moved to Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. for a four-week tryout. In February of 2011, it returned to its Friday night time slot due to the series premiere of "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior".
On October 20, 2012, CBS announced that Jennifer Esposito was being dropped from the series, with her character, Detective Curatola, being placed on indefinite leave of absence.
Esposito and CBS had been at odds over her limited availability for work after she was diagnosed with celiac disease. She had missed a week after collapsing on set earlier in the season. According to Esposito, CBS challenged her request for a reduced work schedule, and further, kept her from finding work elsewhere.
In a press release from CBS, the network said that Esposito had "informed us that she is only available to work on a very limited part-time schedule. As a result, she's unable to perform the demands of her role and we regretfully had to put her character on a leave of absence." Curatola's last appearance was in the season three episode "Nightmares."
According to TV by the Numbers, by committing itself to a third season of "Blue Bloods", CBS all but guaranteed a fourth season because (as a CBS Television Studios production), CBS had a financial incentive to produce at least the minimum number of episodes needed for stripped syndication.
On March 27, 2013, CBS made it official by renewing "Blue Bloods" for a fourth season to begin in the fall of 2013. It was renewed for a fifth season on March 13, 2014 and has since been renewed for seasons 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
A house in Bay Ridge in Brooklyn is used for exterior shots of the Reagan house. The series received $79 million in tax breaks from the state of New York for its seasons four through seven.
Ratings[]
The pilot episode of "Blue Bloods" garnered 15.246 million viewers because of the Live + 7 days after with viewings from DVRs. Without the DVR adding to the live viewing the show's debut episode garnered a total of 13.02 million viewers. Overall, the ratings have been steady for the series, after the pilot episode.
The lowest viewer total of 8.88 million occurred in episode eight of season seven (which ran against Game 3 of the 2016 World Series), and is one of just a few episodes to date that had less than 9 million initial-broadcast viewers.
The second-season finale on May 11, 2012, was watched by 10.73 million viewers and received a 1.2/4 ratings/share among adults ages 18–49.
The highest (non-pilot) live viewership of 12.93 million occurred in episode 14 of season four ("Manhattan Queens"), which was the series' 81st episode.
In January 2013, CBS announced via press release that "Blue Bloods" was the first scripted Friday series in 10 years to average at least 13 million viewers (live + 7), gaining eight percent more viewers than the previous year. The second season of "CSI" in 2001 had 14.78 million viewers, while the fourth season of "Law & Order: SVU" in 2003 had 14.92 million.
Reception[]
Reviewers have praised the series' on-location shooting.
The New York Daily News praised Tom Selleck's performance as Frank Reagan while also praising the family dinner scene for discussion of morally complex issues.
The Daily News drew comparisons between Selleck's characters Jesse Stone and Frank Reagan, saying that both Reagan & Stone are moral, principled men of few words.
In Entertainment Weekly's annual Fall TV Preview, Ken Tucker named "Blue Bloods" one of the "5 Best New Shows" of 2010.