It’s been months and months since we first learned CBS had decided to cancel Blue Bloods. When most shows end, the end comes swiftly, but that has not been the trajectory of the Tom Selleck starrer, which is still expected to return on the fall 2024 TV schedule for one final run of episodes. Because it ain’t over until it’s over, this elongated cancelation has led to a lot of back and forth between the Eye Network and Selleck himself, who previously said he believed CBS would “come to their senses” in regards to the decision. As it turns out, two things might be true at once.
What CBS Has Said About Blue Bloods Ending
Amidst all of the canceled and ending 2024 shows, there’s a lot of CBS fodder. It was a bit of a bloodbath at the network, as the channel said goodbye to fan-favorites like Blue Bloods, CSI: Vegas, NCIS: Hawai’i and So Help Me Todd, among others. Of course, there’s been pushback from the fanbases in regards to some of those shows, with fans of the Reagan family drama coming out of the woodwork to ask CBS to renew the series.
This prompted the powers that be at the network a few weeks ago to come out and explain that while hard decisions had to be made this TV season, those decisions were finalized. The network admitted that while they “love this cast,” that’s not enough. Head honcho Amy Reisenbach was very firm when she noted, “We are going to end the show come December.”
That sounds like bad news for the fans, but not so fast.
What Tom Selleck Has Said About Blue Bloods Ending
The mustachioed actor has made no bones of his disdain for CBS’ decision. He and castmates like Donnie Wahlberg said prior to the cancellation that they felt the series had a lot of life left in it. So, when the show was canceled it was a blow. Separately, there have been rumors about Selleck’s expensive avocado ranch and how it may have a lot to do with how outspoken he’s been with keeping the series on the air. Rumor has it, he may simply need the money.
Either way, the end result has been that Tom Selleck has said he’d like Blue Bloods to stay on the air. He has a reasonably good argument, too. Firmly and repeatedly, he has mentioned how popular the show is within CBS’ Friday night lineup. It's a fact it wins its timeslot. Unlike a lot of CBS’ other canceled shows, Blue Bloods is not among the lower-rated programs on the network, at all. For Selleck, he’s “going to do whatever it takes” to keep the show on the air.
Now, a recent tease from the network has me seeing how there could be a path forward with Blue Blood still ending.
A Blue Bloods Spinoff? Let's Call It An 'Extension'
One of the reasons (allegedly) CBS had to shift so much stuff around had to do with parent network Paramount’s potential impending merger, which So Help Me Todd actress Marcia Gay Harden touched on after her own show was also canceled. Budgets are really up in the air right now, so people were paying attention when Paramount had its annual stockholders meeting this week. During this meeting, global CEO Brian Robbins spoke out.
He did not disappoint. In fact, he spoke about the status of the TV arm of the company, and mentioned several franchises that may be getting new iterations on TV (or probably) streaming, noting "world class content will always be a priority." He spoke about the company's "billion dollar brand strategy and teased building out franchises as a larger company goal.
We placed a bet on simplicity. We believed that if we turned some of our most successful TV series and films into expansive franchises, we would build value for the long-term. ...I'm very proud that we've done exactly that. ... We aren't dependent on any one genre. We saw the downsides of betting on a single genre like superheroes or comic books.
So how does that impact Blue Bloods? Here’s Robbins’ short but succinct tease:
In TV, new franchise extensions are coming for Dexter, Billions, and Blue Bloods, and CBS' hit Fire Country, shows huge promise.
This is the first mention of “extensions” for Blue Bloods, but it would make sense for CBS. The network already has myriad iterations of NCIS, past and present. It also recently greenlighted the Young Sheldon spinoff Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. As noted in the call, a Fire Country spinoff (also a Friday night show) has been in the works for a while.
A spinoff, excuse me, extension of the New York cop drama would be a way to bring in fresh blood (pun intended). It could also potentially help to bring down the bloated budget of Blue Bloods while still keeping some fan-favorite cast members in the fold.
Only time will tell if that would include Tom Selleck’s detective Frank Reagan, as CBS has given no indication of how the network feels about the outspoken way he's handled Blue Bloods ending so far. Regardless, a potential spinoff does feel like it would be a compromise for the fans, fans who are devastated about the axing of their weekend show. They are fans who love the family dinner scenes but who may be open to new characters and storylines 14 years in. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as the franchise expands.
