Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg recall their pilot episode as Blue Bloods ends its 14-year run. The series would have gone the way of other procedurals if Selleck hadn’t held his ground.
Donnie Wahlberg confirmed Blue Bloods wasn’t conceived as a family-centered police drama. The show would have been a straightforward procedural but Tom Selleck insisted on his vision. “The show could have gone in multiple directions after it was picked up, and Tom was like, ‘Listen. It’s about family first,’” Wahlberg told Variety. “They had this big set design with a computer, and Tom was going to stand in front of the computer and overlord over New York. And he was like, ‘That’s ridiculous!’” Blue Bloods‘ recurring scene supposedly involved Selleck’s character Frank Reagan manning a command center, orchestrating the NYPD’s operations at every turn.
Selleck admitted his one fear after being cast to lead Blue Bloods‘ ensemble. “I was scared to death [at the start],” he recalled. “The director called me the night before, and he said, ‘I think you should do a New York accent.’ And I said, ‘I don’t have that in my bag of tricks. If you wanted it, you should have told me six months ago or six weeks ago!’ So that’s all I could think about. They all sound great. I sound stupid!“
They all sound great. I sound stupid!
Selleck kept his neutral accent in the show, which turned out for the best; he’s reprised the role for more than 290 episodes now. “From day one, [Selleck] fought for the integrity of the show,” Wahlberg asserted.
Blue Bloods Iconic Scene Was Almost Cut From The Pilot
Blue Bloods will be remembered for its iconic dinner scene, a staple of every episode. The Reagan family always finds a way to come together no matter what, and their weekly gathering has defined the show’s 14-season run. Selleck said he made sure that was the one scene that made it into the pilot. He recalled warning showrunner Leonard Goldberg about it, and the latter assured it wouldn’t be cut. Now that Blue Bloods is ending, the cast said that their last dinner scene was particularly emotional. Selleck and Wahlberg said everyone wouldn’t speak at the wrap-up; Selleck broke the silence with a heartfelt message to everyone.
Playing Frank Reagan marked a milestone in Selleck’s career. “This is the first time I’ve played dad to grown-ups,” he told Collider in 2010, Blue Bloods first year of airing. “I felt a little intimidated. I had such a good dad. Maybe I’m drawing from that, but I’m still getting used to that. I see my fellow actors, and I’m way older than some of them. I don’t feel that much older, so I’m just getting used to the idea of playing a parent to grown-up kids. It’s a real interesting challenge for me. I’ve played a father to teenagers, kids and babies, so it’s a new thing for me, and I like that challenge.”
Blue Bloods airs its series finale on Dec. 13 on CBS.
