Tom Selleck Thinks ‘Blue Bloods’ Was Taken for Granted

Tom Selleck has played the indomitable Frank Reagan on Blue Bloods for fifteen years. But in December, the show will go off the air for good despite being one of CBS’ most consistent shows for over a decade. Blue Bloods‘ fans and stars were surprised when the cancellation was announced last year. Despite the cast agreeing to a pay cut to keep the beloved police drama on the air for much longer, CBS did not budge. Selleck has been vocal about his dislike of the network’s decision. Despite hoping they would “come to their senses,” the show will end when the final episodes air. The star still thinks the decision was ill-informed on CBS’ part, something he spoke to TV Insider about in an interview. He talked about being heartbroken by the cancellation, saying,

“I’m kind of frustrated. During those last eight shows, I haven’t wanted to talk about an ending for Blue Bloods but about it still being wildly successful. In a Top 100 Shows of 2023-2024 (in total viewers, we were number 9 out of 100), if you discount the three football shows, we’re #6 !

Tom Selleck Makes a Case for More ‘Blue Bloods’.

Blue Bloods has been a strong performer for the night it airs. It has kept a consistent live audience in its Friday 10 p.m. slot. “I’m not going to turn into a bitter old guy saying, ‘Get off my lawn!’ I don’t believe in holding grudges, but if you were to say to the television network, ‘Here’s a show you can program in the worst time slot you got, and it is going to guarantee you winning Friday night for the next 15 years,’ it would be almost impossible to believe,” Selleck spoke of the show’s performance despite the odds stacked against it. The actor reflected on his feelings after filming the final episodes, saying,

“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.”

CBS President of Entertainment Amy Reisenbach affirmed the network’s decision to end the show, “All shows have to come to an end. It’s important to refresh the schedule. We are going to end the show come December,” she said.

The second part of the final season of Blue Bloods premieres on CBS and Paramount+ on October 18 at 10 p.m. ET. Catch up on past seasons of Blue Bloods now on Paramount+