Fans were devastated to discover Blue Bloods had been cancelled after 14 seasons, but there’s still hope the Reagan family’s story could continue in a spin-off series down the line.
Blue Bloods fans have been given a rather disappointing update about the development of a potential spin-off.
Hopes were raised following the cancelling of the CBS drama last year when leading man Tom Selleck was adamant this wouldn’t be the end.
Speaking to CBS News, the Magnum PI legend revealed he believes “CBS will come to their senses” and un-cancel the drama.
“We’re the third-highest scripted show in all of broadcast. We’re winning the night,” he explained.
“All the cast wants to come back. And I can tell you this: we aren’t sliding off down a cliff. We’re doing good shows, and still holding our place. So, I don’t know. You tell me!”
While the series is definitely still popular enough to warrant a spin-off or sequel, CBS producers are apparently finding it difficult to agree on a concept.
One idea centred around Danny Reagan (played by Donnie Wahlberg) was scrapped, Deadline reports, and viewers may have to wait quite a while before any official announcements are made.
CBS Studios president David Stapf told Deadline: “We don’t have anything that’s going to be in development soon, but it’s a brand, a title and a show that is beloved.”
Although Blue Bloods took a small hit in the ratings in recent years, the latest seasons were still regularly pulling in almost 10 million viewers per episode.
However, that also means millions of fans who want any potential offshoot to live up to the flagship series, so pressure is mounting.
“We’ve got to get it right, so we’re taking our time and trying to figure it out, ‘OK, what is the next iteration of Blue Bloods?’” Stapf continued.
“We have a whole season to go where we intend to celebrate it all season long… so there’s still time for us to figure that out.”
CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach has also reiterated the network’s decision to bring Blue Bloods to an end.
“We love this cast, we love their passion for the show,” she said in May.
“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.”
This news may not be what Blue Bloods fans want to hear ahead of the last-ever season returning in September, but they can at least rest easy knowing the franchise will eventually continue in some form.
Blue Bloods’ final season returns Friday, September 20 on CBS.