Donnie Wahlberg has a new show, and the Blue Bloods actor is sticking with the crime genre for it. Wahlberg is the host of HLN's new series Very Scary People. He is no stranger to the genre, having starred on CBS' long-running procedural. Discussing the new docu-series, Wahlberg said:
[There] are real victims, real bad guys and gals and real consequences. It's heavy stuff, and I take the responsibility seriously.
Unlike Blue Bloods, which offers a fictionalized take on crime, HLN's Very Scary People will be going the true crime route. The series profiles some of the most monstrous criminals to make headlines. Donnie Wahlberg told St. Louis Post-Dispatch that viewers would learn more about its infamous subjects.
As Donnie Wahlberg points out, Very Scary People handles real-life horror. For his part, Wahlberg expressed that he takes the responsibility of telling the disturbing stories seriously. Unlike Blue Bloods, the stakes in the stories featured on Very Scary People, which profiles some of the worst of the worst, are real.
Donnie Wahlberg shared the edge he believes he has coming into the series -- his background on Blue Bloods. As Wahlberg told the Chicago Tribune:
It's a little less hollow when I’m speaking on these topics than maybe someone else might be. I’m not trying to toot my own horn, I’m just saying I’m an actor on a TV show. I’m not a real cop, I’m not a real homicide detective, I’m not a real investigator, but I work closely with a lot of them and study them intensely to be prepared to do my job, and so I think that’s helping me prepare to do this job.
Having collaborated with real cops while working on the show, Donnie Wahlberg seems hopeful his experience will come through. It is undoubtedly an asset that he has that insight to bring to the series. Plus, if some Very Scary People viewers also watch Blue Bloods, it will provide a familiar touchstone.
As for why he is sticking with crime shows -- if it ain't broke, why fix it? Donnie Wahlberg has seemed to find his niche in the crime genre.
He has starred on Blue Bloods for nine seasons as Detective Danny Reagan. His character is the son of Tom Selleck's character, Frank Reagan.
The show does not appear to be going anywhere, so he should be the star of Blue Bloods for a while yet. Blue Bloods has not gotten renewed for Season 10, but the chances seem promising. It has done well in the ratings. Possibly contributing to its success is that it is not all crime, all the time. The drama reaches beyond its procedural confines to also offer some compelling family drama.
The explosion of true crime series is not set to let up any time soon. Whether viewers prefer dramatized serials like Blue Bloods or those of the docuseries variety with Very Scary People, the television medium has lots in store.
Donnie Wahlberg is unmasking criminals on his new show and his long-running one. Busy man. When Blue Bloods returns, Wahlberg's Danny will find himself conflicted over a cold case. The reason? He finds out who the original detective was that worked it (via The Futon Critic). It sounds like this could get complicated.
You can catch Donnie Wahlberg as the host of Very Scary People when it airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HLN. New episodes of Blue Bloods return Friday, April 5 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.
