Blue Bloods continues to prove CBS wrong six months after the network’s controversial decision to cancel the long-running cop and family drama. For 14 seasons, the series dominated its time slot despite Friday nights being notoriously bad for live TV viewing. Blue Bloods was one of the first shows CBS canceled in 2025 despite its popularity.
Blue Bloods’ cancelation was disappointing, considering how popular it was and that it was one of the last family dramas left on television. Unfortunately, a fan-led movement to save Blue Bloods failed and the series ended on December 13, 2024. However, reruns are available via streaming, and CBS is developing a spinoff for the 2025 television season.
Why Blue Bloods’ Cancelation Was Divisive
CBS Canceled One Of Its Top-Performing Shows
Blue Bloods had a large, diverse, and dedicated audience. When CBS initially announced the cancelation, many people signed petitions and wrote letters to pressure the network to reverse its decision. Additionally, during its final season, the hashtag #BlueBloodsFriday often trended during broadcasts of new episodes as audiences took to social media to express their love of the show.
Understandably, the large number of people who participated in these events were upset that the network ignored their passion for Blue Bloods, and some have refused to watch other CBS offerings. Additionally, some mourned the loss of Blue Bloods’ unique devotion to family values, especially when the series was replaced with S.W.A.T., which is a more traditional procedural.
Blue Bloods Continues To Be A Hit On Paramount+ 6 Months After It Ended
It Is Currently The 10th Most Popular Series On The Streamer
CBS’ decision to continue to make all 14 seasons of Blue Bloods available on Paramount+ was smart. This allowed audiences to relive their favorite moments with the Reagan family whenever they wanted, and many do so regularly.
Blue Bloods is Paramount+’s 10th most popular series, as of June 27, 2025 (via FlixPatrol). These high numbers prove that CBS made a mistake by not continuing to produce the procedural. It is unusual to have such dedication to a series that large audiences continue to watch reruns a full six months after the final episode.
CBS should have capitalized on this momentum by producing more episodes of Blue Bloods. Although the series was expensive to produce, it was a moneymaker for the network, and so far, CBS has not been able to replicate its success on Friday nights.
Boston Blue Will Continue Blue Bloods’ Legacy (But It’s Still A Risk)
So Far, Only One Reagan Is Confirmed To Appear
The Blue Bloods spinoff, Boston Blue, has recently begun releasing casting information. Not much is known yet about this series except that it will feature Danny Reagan moving to Boston and working with the daughter of a prominent cop family there. While it’s possible other Reagans will make guest appearances, Danny is the only one confirmed to be part of the series.
It is riskier for CBS to order a new series than for it to renew Blue Bloods. Although Boston Blue has a similar premise, it will need to find its own audience, especially considering that most of the Reagan family is not part of the show. Those fans that were most keenly disappointed by Blue Bloods’ cancelation are unlikely to be satisfied with the new show, as it does not include the characters and stories they most miss.
