“Tom Selleck Out, [Mystery Star] In? Boston Blue Spinoff Promises Fresh Energy and Familiar Grit”

Blue Bloods will end with its upcoming season 14, which will be split into two parts. The final season returns Friday, Feb. 16 on CBS and will conclude in the fall of 2024. The drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement stars Tom Selleck as patriarch and police commissioner Frank Reagan, as well as Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, and Andrew Terraciano as his children.

“For the past 13 years it has been an honor and a privilege to work on a show that not only celebrates the men and women who protect and serve in New York City, but also displayed the importance of family,” Selleck said in a statement. “Working alongside these incredible actors, writers, producers, directors, and crew has been a dream come true. I’m grateful to have been a part of this extraordinary group for over 275 episodes.”

“Thank you to CBS Studios and CBS Network for their steadfast support, and we offer heartfelt gratitude to the fans who gathered with us for dinner every Friday night,” he concluded.

Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, and David Stapf, president of CBS Studios, said the crime series would “forever be a beloved part of CBS’ legacy” in a joint statement. “It ruled Friday nights with unprecedented dominance since its premiere and established itself as a pillar of our winning lineup with an exceptionally devoted fan base,” they said, thanking the cast and crew led by Selleck, “who America embraced as family and watched as welcomed guests at the Reagan dinner table.”

The series from creators Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess was Friday’s No. 1 primetime program and No. 3 broadcast drama with 9.54 million viewers during the 2022-23 season.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly‘s free daily newsletterto getTragically, though the final episode offered a happy ending for the Reagan family, the spin-off means that his mission failed. Danny will be leaving New York City for Boston, and the rest of the family is not expected to appear in anything more than cameo roles. Despite having starred in Boston Legal, Selleck will not have a major role in this other Boston-focused show. Other spin-off ideas for Blue Bloods could have maintained the themes of the series, but this exit means that the close-knit bond between the Reagans apparently unraveled. Without Frank Reagan in the story, it is difficult to see how Boston Blue can truly be a worthy successor.

Despite losing Selleck, the show does seem to have found a suitable replacement in another seasoned actor. Ernie Hudson is poised to play Reverend Peters, the grandfather of deuteragonist Detective Lena Silver (Sonequa Martin-Green). Peters will serve as the patriarch of Boston’s own law enforcement family, and it will be his responsibility to welcome Danny into the Boston Police Department’s complicated narrative. It will be the same role that Selleck played, though the character’s background as a pastor will be a sharp change from Frank Reagan’s role as the NYPD Commissioner.

If anyone could handle the role, it should be Hudson, who has already been the face of legendary productions. Hudson broke into prominence as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters franchise, which became shockingly successful in 1984. He has since appeared in several other Ghostbusters productions, including Ghostbusters II (1989), the Ghostbusters reboot (2026), and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021). Outside of that renowned series of movies, he also appeared in Miss Congeniality (2000), The Crow (1994), and the upcoming Toy Story 5 (2026). He has also starred in several TV shows, including Oz, 10-8: Officers on Duty, and APB.