Now in its fifth season, the CBS runaway hit Blue Bloods takes on not just tales of wild criminals, but the dramatic situations cops can find themselves in and the impact on their everyday lives. The hit drama airs on CBS on Fridays at 10/9c.
If you’ve never watched the gritty cop drama before, Frank (Tom Selleck) is the New York Police Commissioner and patriarch of the Reagans. Frank’s son, Danny (Donnie Walhberg) is a top NYPD Detective, and his other son, Jamison “Jamie” (Will Estes) is a police officer in Manhattan, too. His daughter, Erin (Bridget Moynahan) is an assistant district attorney who ends up prosecuting a lot of the criminals Danny catches. And Henry, Frank’s father, is an ex-cop himself.
Each episode wraps up with the family getting together for a Sunday dinner and discussing their week, which, of course, leads to talk of their cases and the consequences on their daily lives.
We had the opportunity to catch up with Executive Producer, Kevin Wade, and the incredibly talented Tom Selleck. Based on our chat, here are the top 6 reasons you should be watching Blue Bloods:
1. You’ll want to attend those Sunday dinners. Who wouldn’t be charmed by the idea of a regular Sunday dinner? Even the show’s stars mentioned it’s one of their favorite parts about filming. The dinners echo back to the importance of a family sticking together, especially when their lives are on the line.
2. They want to entertain you. Executive Producer, Kevin Wade, wants viewers to be “entertained and moved.” The show’s not afraid to tackle big subjects. They recently filmed an episode at the 9/11 Memorial, tackling the emotional aftermath of that faithful day. Tom Selleck, whose character was in the second building as the first tower was hit, couldn’t believe the setting they were filming in. “The reality of the setting was so stunning, the work was quite difficult.”
3. They’re just like your family—or the family you wish you had. The strong family bond seen between the characters is, what E.P. Kevin Wade calls “relatable to everyone,” even if they’re putting their lives on the line a little differently than you and your folks.
4. It’s an emotional workout. One second you’re happy, and the next you’re stressed out of your mind. And that workout won’t be for naught. You will always learn something new about the characters and “get into [their] head and heart more,” as Selleck told us.
5. There’s big drama ahead. Spoiler alert—someone assassinates a member of the police department towards the end of the season. The stars couldn’t say who, but we’d go out on a limb and say this bad guy messed with the wrong family.
6. It’s not afraid to get dark. According to Tom Selleck, the characters sometimes have to “go to a dark place. The commitment of the actors makes it more compelling.” The show touches on more than just the case, but also on how the characters are affected by their jobs—immediately and down the road. It gives an in-depth look at what Tom Selleck calls, “the scars that are left on detectives.” For Producer Kevin Wade, the show is more than just a top surface crime drama. The situations the characters are placed in affect their lives in both small and profound ways. This creates a special connection between the audience and the show itself.
Tune in to CBS for Blue Bloods, Fridays at 10/9c (but is off this week for March Madness). You can also catch-up on episodes on ION (Ch. 305) and WGN America (Ch. 307).
