A CBS executive explained why Blue Bloods is coming to an end.
For nearly 15 years, Blue Bloods has told the story of the Reagan family, most of whom work in law enforcement. With a cast led by the iconic Tom Selleck, Blue Bloods has always been a popular player on the CBS lineup. But now, the series is reaching its close.
Why Blue Bloods Is Ending
Speaking to Deadline, CBS Head of Programming Amy Reisenbach went into detail on the line of reasoning surrounding the decision to end Blue Bloods. In short, its axing comes down to money matters and budgetary issues, as Reisenbach explained.
The exec specifically used the phrase "[to] level set some of the costs at the starting gate" while discussing Blue Bloods and other long-running CBS shows such as Young Sheldon and Bob Hearts Abishola, both of which also ran their series finales in 2024.
When a show runs long enough, the main cast members are eligible for pay raises, which in turn makes the shows on which they star difficult to sustain financially.
Amy Reisenbach continued, simultaneously expressing the network’s "love" for Blue Bloods, while also delivering what feels like the final nail in its coffin:
"We love this cast, we love their passion for the show. All shows have to come to an end. It’s important to us to refresh the schedule. We are going to end the show come December."
The Future of Blue Bloods
Even though Blue Bloods will not continue past its current, fourteenth season, that does not necessarily mean that the world of the show couldn’t continue.
There was, in fact, word of a spin-off centered around Donnie Wahlburg’s Danny Reagan.
However, it was later confirmed that CBS put the kibosh on the Blue Bloods sequel series’ development.
All hope is not lost though. David Staph, president of CBS Studios, which produces Blue Bloods, indicated the existence of another gestating spin-off. But he cautioned that it might be a while before any movement is made on the concept, as the creative team wants to make sure it gets everything just right.
So, even though Blue Bloods' days are very much numbered, fans can take solace in the fact there will always be over 280 episodes of the series to look back upon and enjoy.
The next new episode of Blue Bloods will air on CBS on Friday. October 25 at 10:00 p.m. ET and the rest of the series is now streaming on Paramount+.
