Featuring a gifted cast led by Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg, and Bridget Moynahan, the series dominated the network’s Friday 10:00 pm slot and became an anchor for the network, delivering steady ratings over the course of its 293 episodes. In February 2025, CBS announced that Boston Blue, a spinoff of Blue Bloods, was in development, with Wahlberg returning as Danny Reagan. Since then, the follow-up has been adding familiar faces to its new cast, including Ghostbusters alum Ernie Hudson, with fans hoping to see Selleck return as well.
Ernie Hudson Joins the Impressive Cast of ‘Boston Blue’
Hudson will be bringing his effortless charm and silky-smooth voice to the role of Reverend Peters in the upcoming police drama Boston Blue, the buzzed-about spinoff of Blue Bloods that will see the actor playing a similar role to Tom Selleck’s Frank Reagan in the original series. For 14 seasons, the Magnum P.I. star served as the heart of the Irish Catholic clan, who all took a break from their hectic careers and convened every week for a Sunday dinner to catch up. Frank’s unflappable disposition and devotion to his loved ones and law enforcement helped keep the show refreshingly grounded during its enduring run.
The Quantum Leap alum will be joining original star Donnie Wahlberg, along with fellow newcomers Sonequa Martin-Green and Maggie Lawson, and will appear as a respected pastor of a historic Baptist Church in Boston. Like Frank Reagan, Revered Peters will serve as the family patriarch and is the grandfather of Detective Lena Silver (Martin-Green) and Superintendent Sarah Silver (Lawson), as well as the yet-to-be-cast rookie cop Isaac Silver and their District Attorney mother, Mae Silver. Though fans are excited about the ever-growing cast, it’s hard not to hope that original Blue Bloods stars will also make an appearance, namely the one-and-only Selleck.
Fans Are Hoping Selleck Joins Hudson in ‘Boston Blue’
The creative team behind Boston Blue should definitely find a way to bring back Frank Reagan, as he was such a huge reason the series became the massive hit it was. After Blue Bloods was surprisingly canceled in 2024 after 14 seasons, both Selleck and longtime fans were left perplexed as to why the police drama got the ax after becoming a dependable anchor for CBS. Ahead of the show’s series finale, Selleck told TV Insider, “I’m kind of frustrated” before saying it didn’t make sense to cancel Blue Bloods because it had a dedicated audience. He stated:
“My frustration is the show was always taken for granted because it performed from the get-go. So how do I feel? It’s going to take a long time to sort all of this out. I remember after the weekend [of the final episode’s shoot], I said, ‘I’ve got to get to bed early tonight because I have to do my dialogue for Monday.’ Well, there was no Monday. It’s just going to take a while.”
“You can take characters and put them somewhere else. But the audience is saying ‘Where’s the family?’ They’ve become accustomed to seeing the family. It’s a difficult task and I’m open to suggestions because I love Frank Reagan.”
Selleck fought hard to save Blue Bloods and spent most of 2024 advocating for additional episodes and seasons, to no avail, despite the drama remaining solid in its storytelling, performances, and writing up until the very last scene. We’ll have to wait and see whether Wahlberg is successful in his bid to reunite with Selleck and get the Reagans to share the screen once again. But fans should feel optimistic that Boston Blue will nonetheless promote strong family values and law enforcement when it makes its debut this fall, just like Blue Bloods did during its time on air. Stream Blue Bloods on Paramount+. Look for Boston Blue on CBS this fall.
