“The Reagan Family: Unsung Heroes of Blue Bloods”

Boston Blue, the new Blue Bloods spinoff, will reclaim a signature trait that CBS tried and failed to replicate with another show. For 14 years, Blue Bloods was one of the network’s most popular shows, yet it was one of the first TV shows CBS canceled in 2025. The cancellation led to a mass fan-led movement to save Blue Bloods. Although that movement was ultimately unsuccessful, the network developed a spinoff for the 2025-2026 season, again starring Donnie Wahlberg as Danny Reagan.

Not much is known about Boston Blue yet, other than it will be set in Boston rather than New York City. The news that Sonequa Martin Green has been cast as Danny’s new partner in Boston Blue has led to increased speculation about whether Baez (Marisa Ramirez) will be part of the new series, as she and Danny agreed to go on a date during the Blue Bloods series finale. CBS also recently announced where the new show fits into its fall lineup.

Danny’s Boston Blue Spinoff Takes Over Blue Bloods’ Timeslot

This Is Unsurprising, Considering Blue Bloods Dominated That Spot For Over A Decade

An Instagram post confirms CBS’ entire Friday night schedule, including that Boston Blue will air in Blue Bloods’ old time slot at 10 PM ET. This is not a surprising decision on CBS’ part, considering that Blue Bloods was in that timeslot for most of its run. During its first season, Blue Bloods temporarily aired on Wednesdays, but was moved back to Fridays after a four-week trial of its new timeslot, and remained in that slot for the rest of its time.

Blue Bloods dominated the Friday night timeslot, often winning the evening. This is an especially impressive feat considering that this timeslot is notoriously bad for scripted television. Many people are out enjoying the beginning of their weekend on Friday nights rather than watching TV, but Blue Bloods received high ratings. This demonstrates how passionate its audience was about the show. Having Boston Blue return to that timeslot is a smart way for CBS to signal to the audience that this show is part of the same franchise as well as recapture the ratings lost since Blue Bloods‘ cancellation.

CBS Failed To Replicate Blue Bloods Success During Friday Nights After Its Cancellation

Putting S.W.A.T. In That Timeslot Didn’t Work

After Blue Bloods ended its run in December 2024, CBS put S.W.A.T. into that timeslot. S.W.A.T. had been canceled twice before and given a reprieve by CBS, so the network’s logic was clear: execs thought that the show would do better in a timeslot that had formerly won the night. However, it’s unsurprising that this strategy didn’t work as intended. S.W.A.T. is more similar to traditional police procedurals, while Blue Bloods was unique in its focus on a family of cops rather than only on cases. Thus, there was not likely to be much overlap between the two audiences.