Maybe Tom Selleck was right: The Blue Bloods universe may not be finished after all.
In a presentation at an annual stockholders meeting on Tuesday, Paramount Global co-CEO Brian Robbins hinted that a new Blue Bloods series is in the works following the CBS drama’s announced end later this year.
It was not clear if any such offshoot would be for CBS or Paramount+.
“In TV, new franchise extensions are coming for Dexter, Billions, and Blue Bloods,” Robbins told shareholders, adding that “CBS’ hit Fire Country shows huge promise.” Now we knew that new offshoots of Dexter, Billions and Fire Country were already in development, but nothing has been officially announced about a possible Blue Bloods spinoff. Yet, anyway. (CBS declined to confirm any news when reached by TVLine.)
Blue Bloods, starring Selleck as veteran cop and family patriarch Frank Reagan, is set to end later this year with the conclusion of Season 14. Selleck and other cast members have lobbied for the show to continue, but CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach has remained firm that it’s time for Blue Bloods to turn in its badge. “We love this cast, we love their passion for the show. All shows have to come to an end. It’s important to us to refresh the schedule,” Reisenbach told our sister site Deadline. “We are going to end the show come December.”
Selleck and his castmates might have a point, though: Blue Bloods was broadcast TV’s No. 8 most-watched program this past TV season, regularly leading Friday night in total audience. (With reporting by Matt Webb Mitovich)
Paramount Television Studios will cease operations by the end of the week, impacting about 20-30 individuals. The move is part of a long-term strategic plan being carried out by co-CEOs Brian Robbins, George Cheeks and Chris McCarthy.
Going forward, all current PTVS series and development projects — such as Prime Video’s “Cross” and Apple TV+’s “Before” and “Murderbot” — will transition to CBS Studios.
“To be clear, this is not a decision based on how PTVS performed. This move is the result of significant changes in the TV and streaming marketplace and the need to streamline our company,” Cheeks wrote in an internal memo to staff on Tuesday. “I want to thank PTVS president Nicole Clemens and the talented team she built for the many signature hits they produced. Under Nicole’s leadership, this studio consistently punched above its weight in attracting top storytellers and stars to create best-in-class series. I want to thank every PTVS employee for shepherding a slate of shows that helped usher Paramount into the streaming era.”
