Over a decade in, and CBS’ Blue Bloods is still going strong! The police procedural has built a very strong following over the years, and that’s partially due to the efforts of lead actor Donnie Wahlberg. The long-running series has taken up a significant portion of his professional life since it debuted back in 2010 but, as of right now, he seems content. However, stars do like to add new things to their plates at some point or another, and that seems to be the case for Wahlberg. Because should everything work out, he’ll be double dipping at the network when it comes to crime shows.
CBS Studios is in the process of developing two crime dramas, on which the Blue Bloods star is set to serve as an executive producer as part of his deal with the company. The projects are titled Harbor Blue and Samaritan, and both shows also feature another CBS stalwart in the form of Chad Gomez Creasey. Creasey, who has EP duties on NCIS and held the post for its since-ended New Orleans spinoff, will be a writer and producer on both shows, per Deadline. As of right now, it’s unclear as to when these productions will actually premiere.
This is a sweet opportunity for Donnie Wahlberg, as it allows him to expand his creative footprint at the Eye Network. Considering his working relationship with the company, it makes sense that he’d get such an opportunity. Wahlberg also has prior experience as a producer, as held the EP title on Wahlburgers (his family’s reality TV show), Boston’s Finest, Very Scary People and more. So all in all, Wahlberg gets to do more moving forward, and the media corporation he works for ensures that one of its biggest talents remains in the fold. I’d call that a win-win situation.
Deadline also shared details on the two shows that he’s now attached to. The Chad Gomez Creasy-written and produced Harbor Blue centers on a group of thrill seekers who assemble a harbor unit for the NYPD. With this, the group will have to enforce justice across both land and water. Samaritan, which Kreasy developed with Halo’s Steven Kane, sounds even more intriguing. The drama sees a seasoned detective teaming up with a hustler after the latter discovers an error in her app, which is meant to keep track of any sort of emergencies.
As these new projects progress with development, Blue Bloods is pushing through its 13th season. The show has impressively managed to maintain a sense of freshness while not relying on cliffhangers or other conventional aspects of the genre. It’ll also hit its 300th episode before we know it, and Donnie Walberg will surely continue to be along for the ride. It’s worth mentioning that he wouldn’t be the first star to do double duty of some kind under the Paramount Global umbrella. Just recently, SEAL Team’s Max Thieriot began starring on CBS’ Fire Country, though the actor formally exited the former program when his character was killed off.
But members of the Blockhead Family shouldn’t worry when it comes to Donnie Wahlberg. Given that he’s only a producer on these other two projects, the chances of him leaving his current show are very slim. I’d expect to still see Wahlberg during those famous family dinner scenes as he expands his professional portfolio.
Blue Bloods airs on Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS as part of the 2022 TV schedule. You can also stream past episodes using a Paramount+ subscription.
