CBS' decision to cancelBlue Bloodsmight have been because of its best asset. The Tom Selleck-led police and family drama was one of CBS' highest-rated dramas for fourteen years, including its final season. Over11 million people watched theBlue Bloodsseries finale, which was an impressive number considering the show’s age and timeslot. The series ended with the finalBlue BloodsReagan family dinner, demonstrating how important this aspect of the series was.
Although there was amassive fan-led movement to saveBlue Bloods, CBS stood firm by its decision to cancel the long-running police procedural. The network’s reasons for doing so were mostly financial, asBlue Bloodswas more expensive to produce than other shows. There were a variety of reasons for the expense, including that the series was filmed in New York and that it had a large cast that remained with the show for all fourteen seasons.
Blue Bloods Has Maintained Its Core Cast Throughout Its Run
Most Long-Running Shows Have Significant Cast Turnover
Blue Bloodsis different from other long-running procedurals such asLaw & Order: SVUin thatit maintained the same core cast throughout its run. This is unusual for a series that ran for over a decade. In many cases, talent wants to move on after five or more years on the same TV show, leading to cast turnover. Thus, the longest-running projects usually have a few, if any, original cast members left by the time they hit the ten-year mark.
Why Blue Bloods Being Network TV’s 4th Most-Watched Drama Wasn’t Enough To Make CBS Renew It
CBS made the head-scratching decision to cancel Blue Bloods even though it was one of its highest-rated shows but there were reasons for the decision.
InBlue Bloods’case, however, there were few major cast departures over the years. The cast was so loyal to the series that it was often surprising to realize that Baez (Marisa Ramirez) and Eddie (Vanessa Ray) only joined in season 4. Baez was a replacement for Danny’s original partner, Jackie (Jennifer Esposito) after Esposito had a health issue that precluded her continued involvement in the series. The only other significant change took place in season 8, whenAmy Carlson declined to renew her contract and thus Linda was said to have died in a helicopter crash off-screen.
How An Intact Ensemble Made Blue Bloods More Expensive
Long-Running Cast Members Always Command Higher Salaries Than New Actors
WhileBlue Bloods’intact ensemble cast was a testimony to the family atmosphere both on and off-screen, it also made the show less affordable. Actors typically get pay raises every year, sotalent who has been with a series for over a decade will be more expensive to hire than those who have only been with the show for a few years.There were five main members ofBlue Bloods' cast and six secondary members, all of whom needed to be paid at higher rates — and additionally, Tom Selleck is a high-profile actor who likely commanded an even higher salary.
Every Blue Bloods Main Cast Member In Blue Bloods Season 14
Robert Clohessy
Sid Gormley
These high costs are responsible for many shows ending after seven years when production and talent budgets tend to skyrocket (viaDeadline).Blue Bloodslasted twice as long as several other popular series, such asYoung SheldonandThe Good Doctor. However, the price tag for this procedural — including payment for its large cast — was still so high thatBlue Bloods' cast and crew’s agreement to take a 25% pay cut for season 14 wasn’t enough to make the show affordable.
Why It’s Difficult For Blue Bloods To Rotate Its Cast
The Series' Commitment to Family Required The Full Cast
Mostother procedurals use cast rotation to help offset costs. Rather than all cast members appearing in every episode, a limited number of people appear each time, with some characters disappearing for several episodes at a time. For example,FBIseason 7 wrote Jubal (Jeremy Sisto) out temporarily after he was suspended from duty, whileLaw & Order: SVUnewcomer Kat Silva (Juliana Aidén Martinez) disappeared without explanation for several episodes after her introduction.
Blue Bloods Already Has The Perfect Replacement Show With 100% On Rotten Tomatoes
The Raegans are preparing to say goodbye as Blue Bloods heads to its final episodes. Luckily, network TV already has a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
It would have been impossible forBlue Bloodsto utilize this cost-cutting measure, however.The only characters who could be written in and out without disrupting the show’s brand were Frank’s colleagues at 1 Police Plaza; Sid, Abigail, or Garrett could have been said to be occupied elsewhere during a meeting. However, these were more minor characters.
It would have contradicted the series' commitment to family values for characters to skip the Reagan family dinner, so the closest the series could come to cast rotation was utilizing them only in that scene.
It would have contradicted the series' commitment to family values for characters to skip the Reagan family dinner, so the closest the series could come to cast rotation was utilizing them only in that scene. Every Reagan thus appeared in the iconicBlue Bloodsfamily dinnerscenes even if they didn’t have storylines that week. When fan-favorite characters like Jamie didn’t have storylines, it threw the series out of balance, further demonstrating that cast rotation did not work well for this show.
Blue Bloods
Cast
Blue Bloods is a television drama series that follows the Reagan family, a family of law enforcement officers in New York City. Led by Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, the series explores familial and professional dynamics as they navigate police work and politics, guided by their patriarch, the former Chief, Henry Reagan.
