Blue Bloods: Tom Selleck Reveals The Secret To The Series’ Success… And It’s Hidden In Almost Every Episode

Blue Bloods is the story of the Reagan family, a family of New York City cops and prosecutors who have fought crime for generations. The series debuted on CBS in 2010, and 14 years later it’s still loved by fans — who regret its end this year.

Last year, Deadline reported that the show was still drawing six million viewers per episode domestically. Its star Tom Selleck (Frank Reagan) explained why he thinks the series is so popular.

The Reagan family is like our family

In an interview with TV Insider in March 2022, the former Magnum star explained that if the fans are still there, it’s because of the relationship between the characters.

“Because it is a character driven series. The crime drama serves as a backdrop to the lives of the five main characters. The audience is so inside the heads of these characters that the biggest danger in our show is often when one of the relationships in the Irish Catholic family goes sour.“

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The 79-year-old actor went on to exemplify the relationship between his character and his daughter Erin (Bridget Moynahan) on the show, and how viewers are invested in their family dynamic.

“For example, Erin and Frank become increasingly at odds as he rises through the ranks of the DA’s office. The best family dinners are the ones where we argue. When the family gets together, the audience usually knows the character’s problems, so they say, “If he talks about it, Erin won’t like it.” They want the Reagans to be happy, that’s the main thing.“

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One of the most important traditions of the series is literally this famous family dinner every week at Frank’s, where the characters discuss their feelings and important lessons learned during the events of the episode. These scenes, which can last six to eight hours, often appear at the end of episodes and are, according to Collider, the most difficult part of the series. It is in these scenes that the secret of the success of the series lies, scenes that occur in almost every episode of the show!

The 14th season of Blue Bloods will air from February 16 in the United States on CBS. In France, the series is currently available on MyCanal and Paramount+.