BLUE BLOODS showrunner Kevin Wade broke down why the much-loved show was canceled.
“Everybody who wanted it to go on weren’t budgeting it and paying for it. There is that element that is unmovable,” Wade explained to Parade. “Briefly, the economics of a one-hour television show shot in New York with a large cast, lots of locations, and everybody gets more year to year — everybody negotiates whatever — and all the union crews, it’s baked in.”
It was just too costly to produce. The spin-off series, BOSTON BLUE, is shot with a smaller cast in Toronto.
“I watched the pilot, and I loved Donnie [Wahlberg] in it,” Wade said. “I don’t really have a judgment. I did notice, and I was pleasantly surprised that family dinner was there and that the set design even included a similar table and sideboards.”
He also noticed that Danny’s living room is similar to the Reagan family’s in BLUE BLOODS.
“I thought, ‘OK, very well. I guess if you’re going to steal from us, just put it out there.’ Good for you,’” he said.
Related: BLUE BLOODS Actress ‘Hanging on to Hope’ for Series Renewal
Much of the BLUE BLOODS cast took large pay cuts — a reduction of 25% – -to try to keep the show afloat.
“BLUE BLOODS was a labor of love…I think for everybody,” Tom Selleck said recently on Ted Danson’s podcast. “The real truth to that is, in the last year of [BLUE BLOODS], at our last family dinner, everybody wanted to come back.”
After 15 years of the show, Selleck was very frustrated that it was cut loose.
“It may be some kind of record to have the same cast intact for that length of time. Usually, if it wasn’t a family, it would be different, but you couldn’t very well replace Jamie or Danny or anybody with another actor,” he said.
The BOSTON BLUE cast is eager to have Selleck guest star in their show. However, he’s said in the past that he’s done playing Frank Reagan.
“We would love to have him and we will make sure the story is just right because Tom is so adamant about the story, as he should be and as we all should be. I think it would be great if we can have him, and I’m excited for whatever story it ends up being if he does come,” BOSTON BLUE’s Sonequa Martin-Green said.
The second season of BOSTON BLUE will premiere on CBS on Oct. 9.
Read Next: Blue Bloods Star Says Tom Selleck’s ‘Waterworks Turned On’ After Show’s Finale
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
