Boston Blue fans, rejoice.
When Blue Bloods was cancelled in 2024, and officially came to an end in December, its stars and fans made no secret of their disappointment with the news.
Some consolation came when the show, or at least its Danny Reagan character, was subsequently revived with the spin-off Boston Blue, which has proved so popular, it’s coming back for a second season.
Seven episodes into its inaugural season, CBS has renewed the police procedural, as well as fellow newcomer Sheriff Country, both of which premiered on October 17.
Per Deadline, Boston Blue, which in addition to Donnie Wahlberg stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Ernie Hudson, Maggie Lawson, Gloria Reuben, Marcus Scribner, and Mika Amonsen, is averaging 8M viewers in live + seven-day, and the network says streaming alone has seen an 87% lift from last season.
In a statement, President of CBS Entertainment Amy Reisenbach said: “Two new shows on Friday night have become instant hits with audiences quickly embracing Boston Blue and Sheriff Country across broadcast and streaming,” adding: “These early renewals reflect the power of character-driven storytelling, compelling narratives and the exceptional talent on both sides of the camera.”
© Getty ImagesLead star Donnie, who started playing Danny in 2014, recently gushed about both Blue Bloods and Boston Blue, maintaining his commitment to furthering the universe.
Speaking on CBS Sunday Mornings on Sunday, October 12, he emphasized: “I love Blue Bloods. I fought tooth and nail to keep it on the air, and here’s an opportunity to keep this character alive,” before noting: “And suddenly when I started to look at it through that lens it was like, ‘How do I not do this?'”
“If all of those millions of Blue Bloods fans don’t show up and love it, then I know we put our best foot forward,” he added.
© CBS via Getty ImagesAlso addressing his commitment to keeping busy, Donnie shared: “People say to me, ‘Gosh, when do you sleep?’ You want me to complain? Everything I’ve ever wanted, I’m doing it,” and, tearing up, maintained: “I want to work harder, I want to be worthy of the gift that so many people give me, their time and their love, it’s like, how can I not work my ass off to repay them.”
Donnie’s co-star Sonequa also recently opened up about being a successor to such a beloved show. Speaking alongside Donnie in a video shared by CBS, she first recognized that the new cast is “obviously standing on the shoulders of the Reagan family, the culture that was already established.”
Still, she emphasized: “I love it, because we’re going to get close with another family, the Silvers, which is also another prominent law enforcement family and that’s where Lena Silver is from,” and noted: “It’s very similar to the Reagans. I mean they couldn’t be more different, but they are also so similar.”
